Have any of you trained your pooch to sniff out arrows? If so how did you go about it? Maybe some coon scent on the fletch to start?

Juspassin, I've trained a lot of retrievers over the years. It was my business for many years. There is more than enough scent on any arrow you've handled for a dog to find it.

You start with just good retriever training, retrieving and trailing. As simplelife says there is more that enough sent on any arrow.

I have a field springer and he was easy to teach to find them…Shoot short distances in the clear at first and tell him to get it….The hard part is training them not to bite the arrow when he finds it. Half my arrows have little tooth dents around the feathers from him being to good at finding them!

Nope, my dog ain't no sweet retriever. If any of you ever owned a Mountain Curr you know what I'm talkin about.

Yep, My labrador found several lost arrows on our 3d range without damaging them. Even some that were lost for a long time. Once she got the sense she on it without stopping.

my Labrador always dug up the point end

My GSD took to this right away when I adopted her at about 1 yr old:

She had (has) a strong prey/chase drive. I'd make her sit at heel when I shot. On the third/last arrow she'd race down range (these dogs learn to count!) and sniff the arrows in the target. If I put one in the grass she'd go into a sniff search pattern and paw at the arrow when she located it. I broke her of pawing and biting the arrow by giving your her firm SIT command as soon she indicated on the arrow. If she obeyed she got praise and reward (treat or ball).

After that I never lost an arrow stumping in the woods when she was along....BTW your hand odor on the arrow is all they need for adequate scent signature.

Mountain Cur, good squirrel dog. Arrow finder, not so much.

My english Setter has long passed. But I had drilled a few 1/16 inch holes back by the nock. Then would soak part of a cotton ball with grouse and push it in the shaft. Worked like a charm.

My cairn will sniff them out and sometimes retrieves but you have to be paying attention.

One of goods friends had a golden retriever that was a excellent arrow finder and retriever. But like said above, it was time to refletch.

V-archer;

that is one handsome dog U got there

love that face

can see there is some body behind those eyes V-archer, looks to have good smarts

Use duck scent on your fletching, reward em and it will be hard to keep em by your side. My old lab loved it, and no scent was necessary after she got older

Miss that dog more than any I have had. She was intuitive

My dog finds arrows very well he does bark up the feathers from time to time. When he was a pup I'd make him help me find arrows. Now he thinks it's his job.

my shepard chases and finds every one, doesnt matter if it's under leaves or not.if your dog is a service dog he'll get it going.

Willie runs to the target as if he should retrieve my arrows then he runs back to me. I've never thought to train him to retrieve lost arrows. Maybe if I spray them with some bird scent he would point them! lol.

A friend had a young dog who followed us out when we searched for arrows in the grass. Pretty soon he figured it out and then he would point his nose at the arrow and then at the owner. We praised him for it but we didn't carry any liver treats to reward him. He decided that wasn't good enough so he quit searching. Just followed us around and smirked while we searched. - lbg

I have a WPG that is great on arrows. Started him with arrows that I could see and direct him to. Lots of praise when he located one. He picked up on the goal very quickly. Now I have to put him at heel until I am done shooting or he is off to look. I discouraged him from touching them so he just stares (points) at them till I pull them.

My half lab, half golden retriever is nuts about arrows! Started him as a puppy retrieving a canvas dummy wrapped with pheasant feathers and some turkey fetching. Now he goes nuts whenever I take my bow out! Have your pup retrieve a few flu-flu arrows that you don't mind wrecking. He'll go for the fetching rather than the shaft.

My curr could care less about arrows. Put squirrel or coon hide on em tho, thatd be a different story.

Yeah, I'm thinking a bit of coon scent would be a start. smeared just a bit of cheese on the shaft last night and hid it in the grass. Took her all of 5 seconds to find that.

Thats a good looking GSP Stagger! I have 2, great dogs.

I had a German Shepherd that just wanted to chase the REALLY fast stick. He would try to get them out of the target butt for me but I guess you know how well that worked out. He wouldn't try to find lost one though.

My Black Lab (recently passed) never had any training but I just took him to the general area and said "dead bird". As soon as he stopped and sniffed and his tail went into high gear I had my arrow. Really miss the old boy. TB

Years ago I trained my two labs to find arrows by first having them retrieve one I tossed a few feet that they could see. I gave them the command "hunt arrows". Next it was one laying one the ground about thirty yards away, same command with a hand signal. The last lesson was one hid under the grass, piece of cake.

One thing that undoubtedly made the difference was my being a serious duck hunter. I had my labs trained to make all kinds of retrieves, blind, water, land, hand signals, you name, it they could do it.

I have a Jack Russell that is absolutely nuts to find my arrows, I have to lock him up when I am practicing. In the past I had chesapeaks and they all found my arrows that were lost, one I sent into tall grass to find an arrow and she came back with a shaft that was lost 3 years previously. Try vanilla extract on your retrieving dummy then on you arrows they pick it up right away.

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here