Thread: Deer dog training

Hi so the family are wanting a dog, what breeds work well as deer dogs and what training tips do you have?

Cheers

Get a lab and do the deer dog blueprint.

Pick the calmest pup of the litter, which ever breed you choose. Avoid pointers/vizlas unless you have good dog training experience.
Crossed with heading dog types with strong eye traits are good.

Agree with Stug. I've got a GWP and GSP and they have great drive, but when it comes staying in range they struggle naturally where as a lab tends to be focussed a lot more on you, but most of it will come down to training. However a couple of things to consider:

1. Will you crate the dog? This is a key part of the DDBP (Deer Dog Blue Print) and if not crating him I think you need to make sure you have a bloody good obedience foundation and one that the family is across. I really like this part as it makes them great family pets and you can take them everywhere. I used Best Mate Dog Training which aligns well with the DDBP as its not treat based.
2. It's not just the breed, but the nature of the dog. The DDBP has a video on how to choose a pup. i.e. Looking for a softer calmer natured dog, the pup that's a bit more unsure in the pack and will look to you for direction, rather than the boisterous one.
3. It takes a lot of time and consistency. If you've never trained one and you know anyone that has trained a deer dog, spending time with them to teach you will get you light years ahead.
4. Getting a pup or an older dog? The DDBP is defs more applicable to a pup and if you get an older dog you defs need to work on bonding and obedience first.

Read all of this with a caveat as I'm still trying to get my dogs to be deer dogs, but these are the things I learned so far. Stay tuned as they are getting better and better.

My current dog is a Lab. A beautiful dog to have around home. Hunting line bred and very wired into hunting and water. Winds deer and very good at tracking. My training approach is solid basic discipline, then lots of exposure to hunting, and praise and repetition.

Here she is tracking at 12 months on a lead (as it should be done). Not set up; a genuine shoot and find: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/jBT4Ffx7vwM?app=desktop

Here she is with me last weekend (20 months now), just letting her go to find a downed Fallow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9a5wpDAFAs

Exposure to target species is often underestimated. Its really crucial.
I aim for a dog that is good company/easy to have around ( but not a robot) in first instance and with exposure to as much target species as you can consistently.

I have two labs and they do everything from family dog, duck shooting to deer. Awesome and versatile. Their biggest weakness for me is dedicated bush stalking. Noisy bastards when I want to go full stealth mode. One of them I just won’t bush hunt with anymore, he’s too noisy and it drives me nuts. Cracker on the ducks though. Nature plays a big role because the other one who is more chilled out goes better in the bush but she can still be a bit noisy. If I was getting a dog that’s purely deer, no retrieving etc then a nice heading dog would be awesome. Always wanted a GSP or a Vizsla too but I don’t think I can give the time that they need everyday during my life schedule with kids and work etc. Very high strung dogs. Few thoughts for you.

Training tips, if you know nothing (plenty of people think they know something and often they don’t) invest in the deer dog blueprint. Solid basic fundamentals underly everything though at the end of the day. A rock solid sit, heel and recall to a looong way by themselves.

Don't rule out a little dog like a foxy. Light, not puffy, and unbelievable prey drive. easy to transport and sit on your lap in a helicopter and don't take up much room tucked under the corner of your sleeping bag

Took the wife's designer spoodle cavoodle for his first ever solo walk in the bush the other day out at clements. compared to the Labrador he is dead silent. little guy has an incredible nose on him and has the making of a very good indicator dog. He comes out duck shooting with the real dogs too. Fly fishing and mountain biking as well. As a trail dog dog out mountain biking he is tireless and faster than me. The lab doesn't last long behind the mountain bike.

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Dont ask me

Originally Posted by Gibo

Dont ask me

How is your whirlwind going?

Originally Posted by Tahr

How is your whirlwind going?

OK, still trying to nail the basics, its like he wont listen sometimes unless I really mean it Other times amazing

Do not get an Irish terrier!

Saw a great bumper sticker the other day "Life's too short to have an ugly hunting dog...."

All joking aside, have a look at the Hunting Dogs sub-forum at the range of dogs used to hunt deer. I've got a viszla/gsp cross which is 99.9% of the time a much loved part of the family, the rest of the time he is my best hunting buddy - who is always keen, never lets me down and has far more ability than I will ever have. We've always had pointers, they require exercise and room to move while hunting, but then so do I, so it works well.

I used the Blueprint which provided an excellent starting point for both me (for dog I've trained for hunting) and the dog. The BP is not exactly young family friendly, so I'd suggest apply the principles, be consistent with your dog, but be flexible with the family. If you can, read through Jimmy Bissell's 4 part series in NZ Hunter magazine on training dogs. If you've done the training there comes a point where you really do need to trust the dog and give him or her room to move. Pointers were bred, for example, to circle 80-100y in front to put up game like deer or birds. That helped me to understand my dog needed to move further ahead (say 20-30 yards in the open), and I could trust him. Sure enough he would slow up, till game time and he's locked up with a deer 10m in front. Train them up then trust the dog!

Originally Posted by Blackfern

Don't rule out a little dog like a foxy. Light, not puffy, and unbelievable prey drive. easy to transport and sit on your lap in a helicopter and don't take up much room tucked under the corner of your sleeping bag

Took the wife's designer spoodle cavoodle for his first ever solo walk in the bush the other day out at clements. compared to the Labrador he is dead silent. little guy has an incredible nose on him and has the making of a very good indicator dog. He comes out duck shooting with the real dogs too. Fly fishing and mountain biking as well. As a trail dog dog out mountain biking he is tireless and faster than me. The lab doesn't last long behind the mountain bike.

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My son has recently acquired a 1yr old male foxy. Been dragging a skin around his property. Took his dog into the Kaimamawas last week end . The dog put him onto 6 deer. My son was so focused on the dog he kept missing the deer. Pete Lister a well known DOC culler in the Kawekas had a Foxy named Tui.