Tracking Dog Questions

If there were a top 3 what are youre top breed picks?


Any good book or videos out?

Trying to help a friend of a friend that hunt rough brush country

Blue Lacy.

You might consider a full sized Dachshund. Friend has one that turned into a great tracker and was almost completely self trained. About the only "training" they did was to get the dog to stay fairly close and not get too far ahead of the people.

Jag Terrier, Lacy or Lab. Tracking dogs are no different then bird dogs He/she who hunts the most wins. Its all about how much time you want to spend training them.

This. That being said, unless you are going to be on trails consistently, which is near impossible in my opinion as an ethical, recreational huntery, are better off choosing a dog that fits your lifestyle from a pet perspective and training it to trail rather than getting a working dog. My dog is trained to blood trail and she maybe gets one or two trails a year simply because our shots on the ranch rarely end up with animals going more than 50yds.

I am on my 4th generation of West Highland White terriers . All of them were great trackers . Great noses , loved hunting , would never give up . Besides blood tracking , they would track live game trails . I got to where I could read them enough to know what animal they were tracking . They would also point and retrieve quail . One of mine found a 3 carat diamond ring on a jogging trail after just sniffing the woman's hand . She had been looking for hours , he found it in 5 minutes . That reward was a big one , much more than he got for finding wounded deer for hunters .

Join United Blood Trackers.

They have a book on their web site, and a very active members only facebook group.

https://www.unitedbloodtrackers.org/

While guiding on a TYHP hunt this season, one of the staff brought his Blue Lacys in case his services were needed. These dogs were phenomenal. He explained how the dogs worked and tracked and even had the chance to actually track two wounded deer. While in camp, the dogs were like any others, curious and enjoyed being petted by the kids. When the owner put a collar with a bell and GPS tracker on the dogs, they were all business. They knew it was time to work. Usually within 10 minutes of being released to start the trail, the deer was found. I always thought the dogs tracked the blood but they don't, it's a secretion from the interdigital gland located between the front hooves. When a deer is wounded it secretes a substance the dogs pick up on. It's why they can pick up the wounded deer out of a herd. Only that deer releases the scent. Another thing I found out is when a deer senses danger, he'll stomp his/her foot. I always thought this was to get whatever spooked them to move. Now I've learned it's how they release the substance out of their hooves as a warning to other deer danger might be close by. Never too old to learn something new.

I watched hounds get called off a bear that out ran them, then follow their back trail 4 plus miles to the exact spot they were let out hours before hand. Pretty enlightening watch the GPS

The official dog of Texas.

I've only been around two of them, owned by the same man. He lives on 30 acres. Those dogs as young adults had to run a whole lot every day. Full of energy!

This is actually easy. Number 1 is and will always be an American Bloodhound, then a coonhound (Black & Tan, Redbone and Bluetick) or German Pointer. After those three, it gets a little more complicated because you get in the Germanic breeds such as Malinois, German Sheperds, Dachshunds and of course the hybrids like a Blue Lacy. Here's the deal, pretty much any dog can be trained to be a tracker to a point. But not all dogs can process a track and if they lose the sent determine how to find it again. Dogs that are bred to track such as Bloodhounds, Coonhounds and Pointers know to circle when the track is dropped and they can tell which direction the game is heading based on the strength of sent. They can distinguish between a wounded deer and one that is not even when there is no blood trail. Other things to consider are how social the animal is and how it behaves around other dogs and people. Some of these high strung dogs don't want to be jacked with and it tends to be hereditary. They may be great in the field but there is no way you would let your children play with them. Dogs may be man's best friend, but not all dogs and dog breeds are friendly.

That brings me to the Versatile breeds such as German Shorthaired/ Wirehaired pointers, Vizlas, Bracco's and a dozen others that Point, Retrieve and Track game. Owning a specialist like a Lab or even a bloodhound maybe the way to go if you know exactly what your hunting and you only need a dog to meet those specific needs. For me I wanted a dog that can go with me on all my hunts regardless. So I picked a German Shorthaired Pointer, it is amazing to watch this dog work a track or to watch her track down a wounded dove in thick grass. I have owned Treeing Walkers and while they may have a better nose than a pointer, they range way to far and are one of those breeds that can be temperamental.

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience!

My brother has a female corgi that does a pretty good job naturally. It was never taught to track but has found several deer. It is funny to watch that short legged dog scamper through the woods.
We have followed a blood trail for a hundred yards a couple of times just to find her sitting there by the dead deer. We have learned to watch her.

Dogs are the best.

We don't deserve them.

My Dad had a lab that was good at it, drug a few boned out deer legs around for her as a pup and she found those and got to keep the leg as hers, at least for a few days. My Dad was on crutches at the time for several years and put her on a trail she would go find it, go back to him and walk along with him following to the deer. One that was a bad shot on the back leg up through the gut was still alive she did that with when they got close the deer got up and tried to run off but did so with her hanging on to the broken leg. About 50 yards further it hit the creek with her still onto the leg. She got across the creek from it and my Dad got the finishing shot from above it. The deer sank in the creek so guess who got wet getting it out, would love to do that again for him any time but he went home 12 years ago.

^^^This is a lot of what I have learned over the last few years. I never knew anything about tracking dogs when I was only around rifle hunters. Since Ive been around bow hunters and started to bow hunt myself I have learned so much. It seems everyone has a tracker on speed dial or has a dog themself. We have become friends with a really good one and he has taught me a lot about shot placement, anatomy and tracking. His dog is amazing and Im not sure what breed it is.

That was a good girl!

Labradors have some of the best hearts. And very intelligent to boot.

Breed doesnt matter too much, so long as the dog has the drive for it.Friend in Texas uses a 1/2 basset and 1/2 ShihTzu of all things. I like a small agile dog in case the game isn't dead, my own was 1/2 Border Collie and 1/2 Australian shepherd and was excellent at it...





In Africa on a couple trips we used a dachshundXFox terrier, also excellent at it.

Yep my girl is just a good old mutt. According to the DNA test she is 60% great Pyrenees, 10% Alaskan malamute and German Shepherd, 5% Husky, in the balance is Australian shepherd, and supposedly Grey wolf. This pic is from her first trip to the ranch at eight months old, where she trailed a wounded buck over half a mile in freezing rain and over an eight hour period (had to wait five hours to get confirmation from a neighboring landowner to cross into his property)

Blood hound has the coldest nose. In my opinion bloodhounds are unquestionably #1 when it comes to natural tracking ability. After that there is room for a lot of discussion. I think the rest of the hounds and the continental breeds of versatile dogs are certainly worth consideration next. Most all dogs can and will take up a hot track. A cold nosed dog takes tracking to another level.

Side note: even the dog with a piss poor nose can somehow manage to find the foulest smelling, most disgusting, dead and rotting carcass within 10 miles, and roll in it….

or your lease mates poop. Flip a rock folks!!!

Trained my beagle to blood trail. Only using for personal use is tuff to keep them in shape. She is working on 16 years old now and enjoying the spoiled life for her golden years.

This book is widely considered the best for how to train a tracking dog

https://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Dogs-Finding-Wounded-Deer/dp/0972508929

I had a Lacy and used that book to train him. That dog was awesome. A Jagd Terrier is also a great tracker. These are high energy working dogs that need a job. They are not your typical house pet that stays kenneled all day while you are at work.

I watched a jag jump 4 hounds to go straight to the nose of a Bear, monster bear as in made book. Jag’s arent for everyone, their lack of fear has no equal.

But damn they are cool dogs

The Blue Heeler has an issue with your statement.

I grew with heelers, not even close. Jag all the way, and Im a chessie guy through and through

I love a heeler dog.....never even heard of a jag until now...I like the look.

The statement "Its not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog."

I think they were talking about Blue Heelers.

When mine died 5 years ago, I was going to get another one. Wife wanted a German Shepherd as "an intimidating guard dog." I told her country folk know to give the Blue Heeler a wide birth.

But the German Shepherd turned out to be a top hand.

Thanks for all the input. This is a working cattle ranch in Old Mexico. I’m not sure how dog breeders etc work there but there are definitely a lot of choices. If a deer gets wounded there the brush is unforgiving.

They are tiny, But straight up killers. Hounds and heelers are great at keeping pressure on an animal. Jag isnt going for pressure, its going for the jugular.

They are slave to their prey drive though, They are also have a hell of a dry track nose for lions.

Not the dog you want when you have chickens, rabbits, Ducks etc.

Thanks for that. Wanna learn more about them.

Like an angry jack russel

Yes, but not mean just all business and no fear.

Problem with any tracking dog in mexico is getting it reps.

I asked my new friend that does about 70 to 100 tracks a year about what breed. This was his reply…
“Nothin full blood in my opinion! Need some hound and some other gamey dog such as cathoula, cur, etc “

I've never met a Catahoula dog that I liked, but love a good Cur dog.

When I was a little chit, one of the leases that my Dad was on in S Texas......there was a Siamese Cat of all things that would and did trail deer successfully. That's what they used that cat for. Family pet, then a bad azz tracking cat. You would have to see it to believe it. Bad azz cat.

That's incredible! Never heard of such a thing.

Jag terrier. Not a Jack Russell terrier

I only ever met 1 Blue Heeler that was chill. Her brother though was one of them that you gave the wide birth to. We would have dozens of milk crates out at the farm literally everywhere. This Heeler had his favorite crate he carried around. When cleaning up around the campfire where these dozens of crates would be scattered, if you touched his crate he was going to bite your A$$! Craziest dog I ever been around.

I had my female Heeler for several years before I met my wife. A few years later my step daughter and daughter were playing in the sandbox. My wife asked where the Heller was. I said "Where are those girls? You look over at them, and that dog is not going to be far away." Sure enough, that heeler was laying in the shade about eight feet from those little girls. It was her yard, and those were her people.

That German Shepard of yours was the only dog of the 3 I couldn't make friends with when I was there alone one day. He wanted loving too, and bad, but just couldn't bring himself to trust me. Good dog, the other 2 are worthless at protecting your property. They were good alarms though, barked for a good bit before giving in to attention.

I know what I said and I know the difference between a Jack Russell, a Jagd Terrier and your ” jag terrier “

He was a goodun. Died too young. But I'm getting another one.

Wife wanted a guard dog, and he was one.

I'm going to add a thought. You mentioned unforgiving brush and I assume there is cactus and cats-claw etc. I wouldn't recommend a GSP or other shorthaired dog. Most Short haired pointers have a lateral vein along the edge of the ear that when cut can breed buckets. Well bred Coonhounds will have this vein a 1/2" from the edge of the ear. Not sure about Lacey's or Winney dogs but I'm thinking they are more like coonhounds than Pointers. Anyway that's just something to consider.

It wasn’t his kill, but he claimed it!

[video:youtube]http://youtube.com/shorts/3mxvkbjSQEk?si=xd1pPFRMkQa3uV5h[/video]

Angler mgmt might weigh in on Jags as he breeds them. Funny story regarding Jags and chickens. Went to pick up our 2nd pup from AM. Went to pet his male dog and notice it had some type of blob/mess on or around its collar. Asked and was told that it was a chicken he had killed a week or 2 before. As punishment/training the carcass of the dead chicken had been zip tied to jags collar. Was told that he steered clear of chickens.

I have 2 female jags, sisters from different litters but same parents. The older, EZ, has no fear of anything to a fault. I have told my wife that she will not have a long life. I have watched her kill a racoon (she shook it so violently she snapped its neck), she has a nose like no other dog I've had and she has no stop in her. I've used her for squirrel hunting, rabbit hunting and she will flush quail (we raise and release for fun). I have not used her as a tracker but have no doubt she would be good. Last summer we were at the lake and she saw a loon in the water and off she went. I bet she swam 150+ yds chasing that dang thing before I finally got her to come back. She is truly a fun dog when we are out at our land or at the lake.

The younger sister, Angel, is a bit more reserve and methodical. We refer to her as the back up for EZ. Angel won't be the first one in but she will be right on EZ's heels. Angel is a bit stockier. Haven't had her out in the field as much but at the lake she is a water machine. loves the water and loves to retrieve a bumper in the water. Hope she will be my duck dog since I hunt small water.

They are some fun dogs, but as BOBO said they aren't for everyone.