Thanks for posting this...
As I was admiring your pups, I began to think about the company I enjoyed with my dogs, a brindle male, and wheaten female Scotties. I had to put the male down 2 years ago, and my female quietly passed about 2 months ago. I cried like a school girl when they passed (when nobody was looking of course). They were 13 and 15 respectively, 5 years older than my kids, and easily 2 of the most loyal and kind dogs that I've come into contact with.
About 10 months ago I bought a Daschund pup from a friend who's bitch was sired by a long hair that was recently brought over from Germany. The kids fell in love with the little guy long before he was for sale, so I really had no say in the matter. I've always been fond of working dogs though. Not knowing much about Daschunds, I just figured he'd be a lap dog, good company for my old female terrier, and make the kids happy. He's a long hair-dapple, and has been a good, feisty companion for the family.
I read your post with an eye toward buying a working dog. Particularly one for tracking wounded deer, and perhaps one that could be trained to do some retrieving... mostly doves. As I scanned the internet researching blood hounds, training techniques and deer tracking, I stumbled into a fact that absolutely floored me. Daschunds are one of *the* preferred dogs for blood tracking wounded deer. They're low to the ground, easily trained, and are more easy to handle than large dogs in the thick brush associated with deer tracking. Before my eyes, my kids lap dog transformed into a tracking dog! This was great news, and had it not been for your post about blood hounds, I probably would've never discovered this fact.
The internet is a great tool, and I've digested just about everything that I could read on Daschund blood tracking. The question of my dog's ability was beginning to take precedence. A quick field trial was necessary. Over the Thanksgiving holiday I sawed the lower legs off a doe that I harvested. I let the little guy chew on them for a few minutes, and then put him in the bed of my pickup. I tied a piece of laundry line to one of the legs, and drug it through the woods about 100 yards in a straight line. He couldn't see where I went. After about 20 minutes, I returned and put the dog near the scent line. It was amazing. Almost like the dog was chasing a bitch in heat. He criss-crossed the line, nose to the ground, and nearly sprinted to the leg when he was within 20 feet of it... and it was hidden under leaves and pine straw.
On the way back home from my hunting camp, I stopped by a deer processor. He gave me a gallon of blood, and a couple livers that were going to be disposed of. Since then I have been training the dog once or twice a week, dragging the liver through the woods, splattering blood, lengthening the line, and time between the drag and the training session (aging the line). I'll say it again... it's just amazing. The genetic imprint for him to track blood is very dominant ("the force is strong in this one"). I'm doing drags that make 3 and 4 ninety degree turns. When he overruns a 90 degree corner, he sniffs around backs up to his check and heads right down the line in the correct direction. I hate to say this, but I've basically found a new friend. I'm looking forward to many hours in the woods with this guy.
Thanks for the post!
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