Teach your dog to hunt for sheds

I've spent many fruitless hours searching for shed antlers; when in fact, the first one I found was right next to the archery target (a deer replica) in my back yard. Perhaps that buck was seeking companionship, I can't know. But he did donate his shed antler.

Those of us who'd like to be more successful finding shed antlers should look no further than the family pet even if our family companion isn't from the hunting breeds. Basically, any dog which has the inclination to retrieve can be taught to hunt for sheds.

Plus, dogs of any breed have a scenting ability hundreds of times better than ours. And using dogs to hunt for sheds has become so popular that there's even a World Shed Hunting Dog Championship and a North American Shed Hunting Association.

"Most dogs can be trained to help you hunt for shed antlers," according to Tom Dokken, a dog trainer from Northfield, Minnesota. "Training is relatively simple and as long as you're consistent, your dog can learn to look for sheds."

You'll need a shed antler for training. The real thing is best, but due to the popularity spurt of using dogs for shed hunting, many manufacturers make an artificial antler reproduction that you can use for training.

Old antlers don't have much scent, and there are also "antler scent" products you can buy and use to re-fresh scent on the older sheds.

If your dog isn't a reliable retriever, for example, he picks up an object but doesn't bring it back, attach a long check cord (a leash about 20 feet) to his collar so that you can make him return to you. Start indoors, so that there are fewer distractions the perfect indoor spot to practice retrieving is in a long narrow hallway. Later, move the training sessions outdoors.

It's important to relate a key phrase so that when you actually take your dog on an antler search, he'll know what to do.

For example, your dog may already retrieve a thrown training dummy or ball. You can also tape together the antler and the training dummy. Use a different command for this object; most antler hunters use "Find the bone."

Before the outdoor sessions, you should try to remove as much human scent as possible from the antlers, by spraying them with a scent killing product or (better) just keeping them outside. Then always use rubber or latex gloves to handle them.

The antler sheds from this year will have their own scent. If you've ever seen a dog dig up an old bone especially one he hasn't buried you'll understand that a dog can find a bone (shed) in the woods.

Once training lessons move outdoors, you should apply some surveyor's tape or brightly-colored cloth to the antler, so that you don't lose it if the dog fails to find it. Keep the early retrieves easy, with the antler only partially hidden along a field edge.

The next step is to put the antler in a place where it isn't easily seen, and the dog must use its nose to find it. This antler is not thrown, but "hidden" in an easy spot.

Make sure the dog is successful on these early "hunts" by using several antlers, so that there can be multiple finds.

Use the "find the bone" phrase and reward each find with a treat. As the dog gets more skilled finding the antlers, begin making the hiding places more difficult.

The best times for hunting for sheds are in the early spring months. Be sure to carry antlers along when you head to the woods with your dog. That way, if you don't find any sheds, the dog can still be rewarded with a "find" that you secretly hide for him.