Upland Bird Dog Training | Scent Drags
everybody this is lexan see with
undercover sportsmen I’m here today with
my bird dog Bo he’s an all liver German
Shorthaired Pointer about two years old
he’s done drags before but I want to do
a little video today on how I utilize
scent trails and scent drags training my
bird dog there’s a couple couple reasons
why and this is just my opinion but I
like just getting him to use his nose
when he was a puppy I did a lot a lot of
scent drags he already had a strong prey
Drive just taught him to put his nose to
the ground and look for scent and then
being there was a prize there’s a reward
so I’m going to take you through some
things I do some things make it easier
for me some tips and what I use so come
on with us and we’ll get started so one
of the first things I use to do this is
the bird down peasant’s it so this stuff
is great it doesn’t spill it’s not
liquid you just wipe it on to the bird
put it all over the bird it’s saliva
proof it’s weatherproof it’s a real
strong scent and they’ll leave scent on
the ground nope whoa get back get back
stay so that’s the first thing I use the
next thing is you’re gonna have a dummy
so in this case we’re going to use a
pheasant dummy
we like chasing pheasant up here in
Oregon one of those favorite things so
we’re gonna use a pheasant dummy another
another thing you don’t need I use an
e-collar
now it’s a Garmin Pro 70 they just kind
of keep slowing check it’s kind of
hard-headed you don’t have the shock in
your condition um it’s another video
I’ll do you put on a beat mode if he
hears that beep excuse me he’s on it
another thing I like to have with me
when I’m doing this stuff is a short
leash then what this does is it enables
me to put around the pheasant dummies
neck and drag it behind me so there I’m
not bending over to drag a scent trail
100 200 300 yards so a nice little tip I
like to use is have a lanyard or a leash
or a rope or string whatever it is to
put on the dummies you not the state not
the men down you can stand up and drag
it behind you next thing I use last
thing but not least is a Czech chord you
know I don’t really use it with him at
this point but when you get a puppy what
you want to do is put them on a Czech
chord and this is all per person some
people like but I wanna check chord it
slows the dog
down make some users knows a little more
he’s not gonna blow past the dummy or a
bird I typically would rather just let
him go I like I like to let the dog do
his thing but I knew put a check cord on
them just just so I have another point
of contact so let’s get out in the field
kind of go over some stuff once around
the field ready buh-bye guys I’m going
to give you my first tip or a bit of
advice that I learned early on doing sin
drags and that’s one thing you want to
do is you want to start them with a
short drag give them give them some
success you know make sure they succeed
put their nose in the wind it’s been
kind of dry but what I’m gonna do is I’m
gonna do a short drag let’s say it’s
like a 50-yard drought you’ll see me go
down this fence line so we’re going to
make sure he finds the first one that
way he gets excited the next one we’re
going a little further the next one
we’re gonna go a little further okay so
you get the point so I’m gonna go right
down this tree line that’s another thing
put it in birdie areas if they’re going
along fence lines and he finds the bird
he’s going to start hunting fence lines
if you put it in brush fires again hot
brush pile so you know get smart don’t
put it out in the middle of the field
and I doubt you knew you would but
that’s another thing to keep in mind so
here we go all right so the drags out so
now I’m gonna put them on the lead I’m
gonna make him heal I’m going to bring
him up to the beginning of the scent
trail I’m gonna point my finger down
towards it so I get his nose on it as
soon as I see him pick it up I’m gonna
release them say find the bird or
retrieve whatever the command is you’re
going to give them for bird down that’s
what we’re going to give them so be
consistent with that to make sure
consistent with what you’re using okay
how you’re doing things you’ll know it’s
go time if you do that so let’s go grab
both
your heel heel
all right guys so those trained to be
healing awfully so like even in that way
but I would suggest putting your dog on
lead leading from central but he’s on
the scent right now so I’m gonna I’m
gonna bring him to heal I’m gonna get
him on the Senate yeah I’m on a release
and so make sure you’re staying
consistent again heal heal heal sit sit
go sit good boy
now my release is tapping them on the
head so that’s what I’m going to do
every time
and be patient with your dog if you
doesn’t find it right away the airs dry
he’ll get on to it
good boy good boy high praise high
praise good boy good boy Bobo green here
heel good boy give heel yeah yes good
boy good boy
attaboy yeah one thing I like he’s very
easy to give to me because I give it
back okay
if you give him back is what I call it
so if you give the bird back to the dog
he never feels once he gives it up he’s
not gonna have it back so I give it back
sometimes that way he’s more willing to
give to me so we have a dog that really
likes holding on that bird soda
introducing to give back all right both
here hip-hip
yeah good boy dropped good boy
all right now we’re gonna go with a
little farther drag okay we’re gonna
we’re gonna put back on the tailgate cuz
I don’t want to visually see where it’s
at I want to using his nose and then
we’re gonna send him on a long drag
where see how he does
all right guys so this time I’m gonna
give him a little break I’m going to
drag it the same way then I’m going to
shoot it hard to my right and I’m going
to go into this brush bottle over here
I’m going to circle around the brush
bottom we’ll put it in there so he’s
gonna have to find the sin again and go
back the other way
alright guys so beau is eagerly waiting
on the back of my truck like a good boy
and what I’ve done here is I’m for more
experienced dog I went down to the same
spot I cut right hard across the field
about 50 yards to the left and put it in
a brush pile so he’s going to go back to
the same spot where I first put it cuz
the drag went there and he’s going to
cut left and his instincts going to say
to go further up the fence line you
might do that what I’m hoping is he’ll
track back take a right and follow the
scent across this trees and find the
bird in the brush pile so we’ll see how
he does be patient with your dog – one
thing I’d suggest is if you have a dog
that’s new at this do a lot of the short
drag straight along a fence line over
and over and over build his confidence
up next time out go double that next I
might go triple that then once he’s good
he’s really getting on to him start
cutting out start zigzagging doing do
another thing so let’s see how he does
he’ll sit sit sit
but but
plots
good boy good boy go boy every here good
boy
all right I’m really proud of him there
he actually locked up on point which is
kind of a Phase two of what we’re doing
here you know you know good boy yeah
damn
give-give good boy good boy below that’s
it sit good boy stay
good boy good boy healed all right so
actually he locked up on point for a
split second when I got over there so
that’s because I’ve done some some
pointing training with them a lot of
dogs it’s it’s in their natural
instincts the whole point and you’re
gonna have a hard time getting go get
the bird beause the other high prey
Drive I’ve always let him have that high
prey Drive so I had to really fight to
rally and crown him back in I’d always
rather pull a dog back in and try to get
him to go further get him to go beyond
something so that’s another thing for me
is I’d rather shut arraigning back in so
we just need to let him chase live ducks
and you know your opinion may differ
from that but I really developed the
high prey Drive in him it’s not wanting
to be a strong hunter so what I might do
since he did that I’m gonna throw a
check cordon I’m gonna follow him there
and I’m gonna see if I can’t get him the
whole point and then I’m gonna go in I’m
gonna flush the bird and get him and I
don’t have a gun to do a mimic a shot
but we’re gonna see if I can’t get him
the whole point for the video so come
along listen come along with me let’s
see what we can do there maybe we can
show you another tip to give them the
whole point all right for the sake of
the video I’m going to do the same drag
and put it in the same brush pile and
I’m going to go on a different spot
maybe on the back side of it and I’m
going to get him to hold point I’ve
introduced the check cord now so I have
my check cord I’ll follow him I’ll try
to jog a little bit not sit don’t impede
his progress or slow him down and make
him think I’m not doing the right thing
so I’m going to try to let him go to his
own pace as best I can
when we get over there and I see him
pick up on a strong sit I don’t care
ever have the Jurgis head between his
shoulder blades to get in a stop you get
them to stop and lock point so you hold
them there if he moves at all as you’re
going in you check them okay it’s better
to do this with two people but you can
be done with one but two people is a
good suggestion to has somebody on the
check board as you walk in shoot your
cap gun off and launch the dummy another
thing you can do is a bird launcher but
those are expensive so I’m showing you a
way you can do this with a dummy and get
the same same results and not have to
use live birds which are also expensive
so let’s get let’s get on with this
all right so the dummy’s out there’s a
strong sin over there as soon as he
picks up on it I’m going to I’m going to
check him get him the whole point you’ll
see I’m going to work my way in
I’m going to act as if I flush the bird
and then I’m happy I’ll retrieve so
we’ll see how it goes it’s not the
easiest way to do it but it is way to do
it so we’ll check it out come on beau
heel heel heel heel
all right as I said I’m gonna have to
try to stay up with them it’s gonna be
hard to do that’s why I brought gloves
you have a strong if you have a strong
dog don’t be a tough guy bring gloves
it’s just going to help you handle them
a lot better okay so we’re gonna let him
go and when he gets over that I’m going
to give them the OnPoint check this is
another point of contact I don’t like
using the beat point of contact is
that’s a negative reinforcement this is
as well
it just says more stop so here we go
heel heel
oh ho ho
all right guys so as you can see I kept
them maintained a point of contact the
whole way as soon as he started picking
up on a scent I checked them he actually
busted a little bit rolled him again he
stopped which is good it’s very hard do
that a couple of times he’s gonna lock
up for good so he’s only 2 he’s like I
said he’s got high prey Drive he’s
trying to pull my camera over right now
with the check cord actually quit so
watch that if you got a tripod in the
camera these bird dogs will not hesitate
to pull your camera over but hey I’m
going to switch up the rat I’m gonna go
down this fence line across the same
woods I’m gonna go the opposite
direction it’s gonna switch it up not
gonna have a check cord on them and I’m
gonna see if this time maybe a hold
point just because we did that just now
I don’t think that he will without being
reinforced a couple times but we’ll see
he almost did it on his own without me
doing it the first time even though
we’re doing a tracking drill I don’t
care if he points it so live birds they
can sense it okay they can sense that
bird they make some fries a dummy they
just smell it
live bird they feel it so I’m not
worried about that and you shouldn’t be
either if you’re training your dog so
anyway we’re going to do one more and
then we’re gonna be done for the day but
feel free to ask questions in the
comments I’ll do my best to answer them
if you have any more videos you’d like
to see me do or anything you’re having a
hard time with your dog let me know
we’ll do a video on it okay I’m not a
pro by any means I like to think I got a
pretty good dog you can check out some
of our hunting videos on the same
Channel we’re gonna get after it guys
thanks for watching
you
