using dogs for sheep hunting!

[big game chaser]

Hey guys i have a one year old black lab! i see alot of guys using dogs for packing and companionsnwhile sheep hunting! Was just wondering what do you do with your dog while doing a stock on the animal or how i can train him to hunt and keep quiet! i know if i tied him up he would just start whinning!

[vip_ruger]

Im in the same process i going to take him to where there are goats and do a couple of fake stocks on them and have my wife there keeping him quiet and see if that works and hopping it works

[digger dogger]

I leashed my dog to my pack, for the final stalk, in which i blew!

Dont put anything in the dogs pack, that is a nessesity to you.
E.g, tent, stove, stove fuel, clothes.

My dog went for a short walk off trail behind us in the buckbrush, and returned with no tent. 1.5 hrs later we found his pack caught in some buckbrush. He weaseled out of his pack. (lesson learned for me)

[Big Lew]

I trained my lab to stay back 15-20 feet and only to crawl when I was stalking or sneaking up on birds....don't know if that would work out in the open while trying a stalk on goats, especially if having to use both hands and feet to climb.

[325]

I'm hoping to take my dog sheep hunting too. So far she hasn't barked at deer or elk, but hasn't seen a sheep or goat yet. I'm going to practice tying her to my pack and walking away and see how she does. I also need to see how she is around horses, and with creek/river crossings. She turn 1 in a couple weeks.

[pro 111]

I have a black lab as well about a year old. He scared away the 3 nice blacktails last year do to his whining when i tied him up. He did retrieve 7 geese though afterward and redeemed himself. I tried squeasing his mouth shut every time he started whining but it never seemed to work. Hopefully they get better with age.
Good Luck!

[Fullcurled4point]

Hey guys, i havent used my dog on any sheep hunts or anything...yet. He is a 5 year old choc. lab and is great at sitting and staying. Some of the lessons start away from the mountain, your dog needs to know who is running the show, because if you are sitting there glassing a ram and the dog stands up to go and chase a damn squirrel or wich ever...your patience may run thin. Anyways i started off by not letting him eat until i say he can eat, stick his dog bowl with his food in front of him while he sits, and make sure he doesnt touch it. If he does, restart the exersise, hell learn that one fast. Another good one for showing dominance is ensureing that YOU are ALWAYS the first out the door. To practice this one, put your shoes one like your going somewhere, throw his collar on and stand at the door. Open the door with him sitting beside you and see what he does. If he tries to run out, shut the door in his face and make him sit back down. Now that youve generally shown him who the boss is take him out in a feild and make damn sure he can walk on a leash. This exersice may seem harsh but it is not hurting him, if executed properly. Walk with your dog at a regular pace and if he starts pulling, step to the side and give him a good yank. DO NOT PULL STRAIGHT BACK! Do this a few times and he will quickly come around! The next step to that would be cont. walking and just stop. Now your dog, (especially for hunting high country) should be paying att. to you at all times, not necessarily with his eyes, but his ears and your body lanquage. If your dog doesnt stop, again step aside and give him a yank. For me i like him to sit on my right when i stop. Another good exersise to ensure hes paying att. is lay him down and start walking circles around him. Ensure his eyes are following you and when you get behind him he should roll his head to follow. If at any time he stops, remind him where you are. Hope some of this ground work helps, Its a great foundation to building a mountain hunter but none of it matters if you give up on it.....

[Fullcurled4point]

Oh and go easy on him, half hour of this type of traing is like 1 hour of constant running so hes gonna get tired!

[Fullcurled4point]

i agree....

[GoatGuy]

Dog follows right behind, on leash of course. When we crawl, she crawls.

[anglo-saxon]

Was just wondering what do you do with your dog while doing a stock on the animal or how i can train him to hunt and keep quiet!

By "stock", do you mean "stalk"? Not being an ass, just wondered what you meant.

[digger dogger]

Ya kirby, leashed to my 15lbs pack! (he could drag that pack for days) It's called a little insurance, so after 2-3 hrs the stubborn(deceased) bulldog knew not to go ANYWHERE. Assuming much?? Not that I have to defend your assumption; But my dogs know when they are leashed, not to go anywhere while leashed to a pole, bike rack or backpack ect, while myself or kids are in a store, camp ground ect... and fighting 10' buckbrush with a dog on a leash is impossible
The only things I NEED my dogs to do is, heel, and stay in my truck when the tailgate is closed..
You should train yourself to close your tailgate.

[Fullcurled4point]

Somebody piss in your corn flakes?

holy smokes no kiddn!

[Elkaholic]

He totally mis-read what you wrote I think. Sounds like you two do essentially the same thing on stalks as far as I read.

[northernhunter]

have 2 yellow labs, the big male comes behind me on final stalks. pretty easy to train them to stay behind you. tried leaving him back first time and he whining, next time let him stay behind and just lay down last few feet of stalk. works pretty good

[Boner]

Mine stay home. I went hunting once with a guy who brought his dogs. Never again.

[416]

Mine stay home. I went hunting once with a guy who brought his dogs. Never again.

That's too bad, a properly trained up hunting dog can be well worth having along.

[Boner]

For sure, I'm a dog guy myself. Just trying to take out another variable for missed opportunities to make a good shot.

[Whistler]

That's too bad, a properly trained up hunting dog can be well worth having along.

Hunting sheep with dogs is illegal! Leave your dogs in camp for heavens sake, if some dumbass brings a dog around the sheep I am stalking he better not allow it to ruin my hunt if he wants to keep his dog!!

[BromBones]

Hunting sheep with dogs is illegal! Leave your dogs in camp for heavens sake, if some dumbass brings a dog around the sheep I am stalking he better not allow it to ruin my hunt if he wants to keep his dog!!

Perfectly fine if they are on a leash. Check the regs again.

Been using packdogs for ~ 4 years now. I'll have two dogs with me on my stone's sheep hunt this year. Consistent training from a young age is the key. One of my dogs will be 10 months old when we go, and I'll have no trouble taking him along.

It's really surprising how many guys are interested in pack-dogs once they see what a good dog can do. Maybe a dog packing seminar at next years WSS Convention would have some interest? ;)

[vip_ruger]

Thats a great Idea brombones i would like to see some other ways that dog work well huntin

Perfectly fine if they are on a leash. Check the regs again.

Been using packdogs for ~ 4 years now. I'll have two dogs with me on my stone's sheep hunt this year. Consistent training from a young age is the key. One of my dogs will be 10 months old when we go, and I'll have no trouble taking him along.

It's really surprising how many guys are interested in pack-dogs once they see what a good dog can do. Maybe a dog packing seminar at next years WSS Convention would have some interest? ;)

[big game chaser]

Thanks for the info guys!

[wiggy]

eyes luv my big bruin; he doesnt bark ever; luvs to pack big loads; just have to be careful with the other hunters as they are number one on his food list