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dfw tracking ?

14K views 20 replies 8 participants last post by  Mikey T 
#1 ·
I've found a lot of great posts on here about shed training and tracking but was wondering if any one in the dallas/ft worth area actually worked with bassets for these things. I've never trained a pup to do anything other than go outside, I had dixie for 12 years and she was a great retriever but it wasn't anything I ever did she loved it, when she passed I decided I could not have another lab atleast not any time soon I've always loved hounds and since we don't have a lot of yard we went basset. Bocephus is almost 9 months old and his favorite toy is a shed that he carries around everywhere and this weekend we got Audrey so she is 2.5 months old, we would love to meet a group or even individuals that shed hunt and down game track with their bassets in the dfw area even if you don't want to help train if you would just allow me to sit in and watch your dogs work I would be most grateful. Thanks for reading this best of luck to all
 
#2 ·
#4 ·
Standard tracking class etc are generally an off shoot of Obedience clubs if it exist at all, so you may want to check out the area AKC obedience clubs rather than the Basset hound clubs in a given area there may be one ussually none doing any sort of performance even with basset so find a group of bassets is not very likely, Youcan find local obedience clubs by going to the AKC event calander and search for obedience club on the AKC.org website

Tracking is included in the "basset obedience" yahoo group
 
#5 ·
I must say thats completely disappointing to hear about the lack of down game experience in the bassets I was really excited to work with them maybe we can work on being an exception, when I heard they had the second best nose only to the blood hound I was excited about the opurtunities oh well lots to learn. Thanks mikey
 
#6 ·
I must say thats completely disappointing to hear about the lack of down game experience in the bassets
why not do what at least the foundation stock and later found out that basset hound themselves are preety good at and that is chasing live game.

AHBA is the closest venue to Texas closest AKC Field trial is OH

I must say thats completely disappointing to hear about the lack of down game experience in the bassets I was really excited to work with them maybe we can work on being an exception, when I heard they had the second best nose only to the blood hound
just because know one is doing it does not mean the do not have an aptitude but it is unlike a blood dog could be used as a hunting dog so I think that creates a situation wher most would prefer to hunt rather than simply track to ocassional unrecovered buck. Most that use basset or beagle on rabbit go to great lengths to avoid the dog track and running off game. Then to allow it for blood track even though the dog must remain leashed it can creat confusion on the part of the dog so it is probably best to go with an either or not both senerio and so far as i know the perponerance is on hunting live game not that as a percentage of the population only a tiny fraction are used in hunting.


as far as the second best noses that is more myth than reality same goes for bloodhounds as well there really is no scientific evedence that some breed are beeter than other at smelling. What is know is how many receptor for scent a dog has in it nose and this is were the boodhound 1 basset 2 comes from but to make the assumption that more scent receptor = better noses at discriminating scent is a very giant leap there are a lot of prcess that have to occur totransfer an activation of a scent respector into theperception of spelling How much better certain breed are than other is not know ans is the sam how much better dog are than humans is not known,
 
#7 ·
Im with you on this one. I too want to train my bassets to trail injured game. I've been looking into it and bassets are used for this and excel at it. A book you should also get that is the bible of sorts to training your dog is "Tracking Dogs for Finding Wounded Deer" by John Jeanneney. I'm waiting on my copy to get to me. I've heard nothing but good things about it, it is supposed to cover all you need to know.
 
#8 ·
@mikey, the first part of your reply said they found they are good at chasing live game just wondering do you mean like they get to wound up and just start running off live animals or do you mean people found they work good for hunting and like taking people to live game almost like a **** dog treeing a ****. That is not a option at least in texas because tpwd won't allow the use of dogs to chase game even squirels are classified as game but they do allow dogs for retrieval.

@the dude, thanks for the recommendation I will order it this weekend if you think about it and you want to keep me updated on your progress and any problems or encouraging things you come across.
 
#9 ·
Tracking

There's a great book called Tracking for Puppies or something like that. The author lays out a six week program for training your puppy how to track (or training me how my puppy tracks)! We've spent the better part of the summer going out tracking with our now 7 month old (mostly) basset puppy.

She just got spayed this week ouch.

In September I want to start looking around for tracking field trials, and begin to train her on a different level to track lost pets and people.

If anyone has any pointers I'd love to hear how to do this.

Meanwhile what I'm looking for here is a rabbit chase where she can run with other dogs in search of rabbits. Too bad you're in DFW. I would love to get together with dogs in the DC area to let her run with the wind. She has a blast charging the dusty trail and would be ecstatic to do this with other dogs.
 
#13 · (Edited)
In September I want to start looking around for tracking field trials,
In order to enter a tracking test, a dog needs to be a minimum of 6 months old and be certified. Certification involves having a tracking judge evaluate the dog's performance on a TD level track and certify that the dog is capable of passing a TD test. Because the number of test slots is limited, AKC tracking tests are currently restricted to purebreds. If your dog looks a lot like a Basset, you could try to obtain a PAL number for her, which would allow her to enter tracking tests.

and begin to train her on a different level to track lost pets and people.
This sounds like search and rescue. While AKC tracking clubs don't focus on this, you may be able to make contact with someone who is involved with SAR by way of a tracking club.

Meanwhile what I'm looking for here is a rabbit chase where she can run with other dogs in search of rabbits.
You're probably looking for a field trial or hunt test. While I'm not an expert on the rules/regs pertaining to those venues, I would guess that a PAL number would also be necessary for these entries.
 
#10 ·
people found they work good for hunting
the foundation stock of basset hound were original bred for hunting hare and rabbit and basset theselves are effective at this





Field trails are an "objective:" way to judge a dogs hunting ability

tpwd won't allow the use of dogs to chase game
do not know where you got you Info but it appear to be incorrect. the use of dogs on deer is prohibited and the use of dog on ferral hog is porhibet in certain areas but appears to be the only restriction als there are a number of counties that prohibt the use of blood track as well on deer.

Dogs & ATVs
If you use dogs in hunting

  • Know & follow all regulations & laws regarding dogs & hunting
  • Properly & completely train your dog for the specific game
  • Control your dog in the field at all times
  • Properly care for your animals in camp & in the field
certainly not something that need to be include on the web site if the use of dogs were prohibted.
 
#11 ·
In September I want to start looking around for tracking field trials
AKC event search

for tracking test you need to enter early and most test get more entries than available tracks so there is a draw on who gets in and not so if you want to start tracking in sept ypu need to enter now.

Meanwhile what I'm looking for here is a rabbit chase where she can run with other dogs in search of rabbits
everyone has a different idea of what is close but sept 1-2 At North Lancaster County Beagle Club there is a AHBA hunt open to all full blooded basset. the need not be AKC regester. AHBA hunts are small pack 3-6 dogs per cast. ( out at a time) at the end of the hunt there is often a fun unofficial large pack hunt where many of the dog go out it expsoed the open ie novice dogs to the more expreinced dogs and given this is often how the dogs are trained ie whatich and learning from nore experienced dogs it can ve a vaulable expereince. Later in October at Elizibethtown Beagle club there is another Hunt as we I believe it is slight closer. FWIW the ~ 3hr travel time is substantial less time than it take me to get to any AHBA with the closest being 5.5 hrs

THere are some AKC Field trials in the MD area AKC field trail differ from AHBA in many ways. 99% of AKC field trials are brace ie two dogs at a time. The dogs are placed on a know rabbit trail that is the dogs are not required to find the rabbit . they ar then judge for an indeterminant amount of time on style AKHBA has a point system and the hunt for each dog is a minimium of 1 hour.

BHCA 2012 Fall Field Trial Schedule

AHBA

celebrating Basset Labor in PA
 
#12 ·
taking people to live game almost like a **** dog treeing a ****. That is not a option at least in texas because tpwd won't allow the use of dogs to chase game even squirels are classified as game
**** are listed by Texas a fur bearing animals and as such can be taken wuth the use of dog but it requires a trapping licence not a hunting license FUR BEARING ANIMAL REGULATIONS

FURBEARING ANIMALS — badgers, beavers, fox, mink, muskrat, nutria, opossum, otter, raccoon, ringtailed cat, skunk and civet cat (spotted skunk).


...
Furbearing animals may be legally taken with firearms; foothold, conibear style, live or box traps; dogs; snares; lawful archery equipment; electronic or handheld calls; artificial light; or by falconry except as prohibited below.


even squirels are classified as game
even this is not 100% accurate [Gray or cat squirrel] are game animal ground and flying squirels are non-game animal

yhe only prohibition in the TSPW reguation is on using dog on deer and there are some areas where they can no be used on hog as well but the there use on ****, ie fur bearing is allowed as is the use on non-game species like rabbit.

[URL="http://txcoonhunter.webs.com/"]CENTRAL TEXAS COONDOGGERS[/URL]

Small game Hunting
 
#14 ·
Quote:
Meanwhile what I'm looking for here is a rabbit chase where she can run with other dogs in search of rabbits.
You're probably looking for a field trial or hunt test. While I'm not an expert on the rules/regs pertaining to those venues, I would guess that a PAL number would also be necessary for these entries.
I believe for AKC like Conformation full registration is required for field trial though spay an nuetered dogs are allowed. PAL/ILP allowed for hunt test only

AHBA is not affiliated with a breed registry so if it looks like a basset it is a basset for those events.
 
#15 ·
@mikey I'm 32 years old lived in dallas all my life hunted several different leases of all sizes and qualities since I was prob 12ish and I've always been under the misinformed opinion that you couldn't do anything with dogs on game except birds and hogs if the dogs were trailed on horseback. I've never even taken the time to look it up I had heard it so many times from so many of the old timers I just thought it was gospel I guess.
 
#19 ·
Beagles just look like mini walker hounds who are used very heavily in **** hunting. Their is a guy here in Mississippi that trails big game for people if they cannot recover it and he has two bassets. They have quite a few finds under their belt too. The best way to train them is to use beef liver to imitate deer blood and drag it and leave a surprise at the end of the drag. It begins to click after awhile. Ive held off training for that so they can get the basics(sit, stay, etc) down first.


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#20 · (Edited)
Bird Hound:

My partner's second Basset back in the 70s, Cromwell, was a natural bird dog, who just loved to work the tall grass to flush out the birds.

After his first excursion into the grass, then to the vet to get all the grass and stuff out of his ear canals, his ears would be packed before the hunt with cotton to keep things out.

After three years of this, city life became a problem for him (constantly bayed wanting out for a hunt), so he was given to a rancher with 400 acres to satisify his bird flushing needs.

Is that why most Bassets have white flags for tail ends, so you can keep track of them in the grass?

Me, I like to hunt pillows, for napping.
 
#21 · (Edited)
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