I realize it is not the same thing as the SchH tracking I have been doing, but just wanted to know if any of you have work with them?

I used to own a bloodhound -- rescued her at 2.5 years of age and had her for 4 year. Unfortunately, I did not know about SAR work at the time ... it was only after she was taken from me and killed that I found the breeder. She sends her bloodhounds all over the States for Police SAR work. It is just amazing how that canine nose works...

Not exactly a question I guess ... just wanted to hear about training methods used for these dogs and so forth. Maybe discuss the differences between working with a bloodhound and a shepherd?

I helped train a team of bloodhounds for a local prison tracking team - actually, they just wanted to see if footstep to footstep tracking would improve their dogs, versus the tracking through drive that they were usually doing. It was an interesting period for me, the bloodhound folks have some *interesting* beliefs ( not all of them true, but try and tell them that )

They taught me as much as I taught them, and I learned a lot of neat tricks that have helped me in tracking ever since.
I came away with a better understanding of SAR ( which was never a big interest of mine, glad I learned a bit about it ) and the strong belief that I will *NEVER* own a big smelly bloodhound, ever! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Honestly, I really believe now that the training a dog gets for SAR is much more important than the breed uses.

I agree with Will about the training vs the breed. I also agree about owning a Bloodhound. As for SAR, the ones I've seen were good trackers (I didn't say great), but I don't think ANY of them could be worked off lead. Give me a GSD, Mal, Aussie, Lab, Pound Mutt, Ferret, etc, etc, over a BH. But that's JMHO! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thanks guys <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

Originally posted by Old earth dog Bob Scott:
I also agree about owning a Bloodhound.

I thought the same thing when I was asked to take in my dog ... very much a GSD and Dobie person here <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> ... until I lived with her. They do have some great qualities in character and personality. Though I find it is like owning four dogs at once! :rolleyes: Still could not get used to all that drool ... luckily I live up in Canada with LONG winters <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Won't own one again for various reasons, but definitely respect the breed more ...

 Quote:

Originally posted by Old earth dog Bob Scott:
... I don't think ANY of them could be worked off lead. ....

Oh, gosh, no. They would find what they are looking for, yeah, but then you would need to find the dog LOL <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

 Quote:

Originally posted by Will Rambeau:
Honestly, I really believe now that the training a dog gets for SAR is much more important than the breed uses.

and making sure the training suits the dog, right? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I had actually trained my bloodhound for on and off obedience! That was before I knew that it was a difficult thing to do, of course. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Had to use a lot of play drive and praise, that's for sure. I remember once listing the commands she knew and it came out to be the basics plus 47 or something. I am pretty sure she could have had a CD had I known about that back then LOL. It is amazing what you can do when you don't know that it is not supposed to be an easy task, eh?

I've worked with and around bloodhounds in search and rescue for a long time. They are definately different. They work the negatives and unless you understand that it's confusing to the brain to watch them.
The first time I followed a team I thought to myself that they took to much time and I could just bring my shepherd on over and stick right to the trail and go faster, but...
They were trailing a little boy that was abducted (training exercise). It started in a car, the boy walked with the "abductor" then went in a building. When they came out he was carried on the "abductor's" shoulders through the woods.
The dog worked back and forth, back and forth. When the boy was picked up he had a wider area of scent, and when the boy walked it was about four feet wide. After the fact it was so obvious what the dog was doing, but at the time I thought it was a waste of time.
I must remind you that I was new to all this SAR stuff, and bloodhounds.
They do drool, but they are awesome trailing dogs.
I've even seen them work cadaver on the water.
Awesome to me.

I would love to see them working on a real search ... having lived with one for four years, I have to say that her nose just amazed me. When people would send flowers, I swear she enjoyed them more than I did. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Definitely the only breed I had where I wanted to buy my dog flowers because she would sniff every bloom! Also, it certainly was an experience if I would put cream on my legs of which she caught scent of. :rolleyes: Being chased by your dog through your home until you could get on the couch and put something between her nose and the scent is quite "different". LOL. Then "Oh, hello, Mummy!" Awesome is the right word <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I remember on a stroll, she caught scent of something -- have no idea what it was -- and there was a wild rabbit right on the trail ... the rabbit was terrified having this hound snuffling toward it ... but my dog just pushed the rabbit out of the way with her nose and continued along the trail. The rabbit probably thought that was the luckiest day of its life! LOL

I have heard some interesting stories about the searches, which is why I started the thread. One dog went out to search for a teenager who had been lost for, I believe it was 5 weeks, if not more. This was during the hottest, wettest weather ever and people had been searching all over the wildlife preserve with no success. The young bloodhound was brought in as a last resort and he found the cadaver -- half eaten and buried by a bear. Horrible about the boy, but amazing that the dog found his body and the family could at least have closure.

I've tracked, worked mine and tunnel, tripwires, weapons caches etc with GSD's and Labs mostly, but watching a Bloodhound track is indeed different. We use a bloodhound for tracking with a GSD trailing, making it possible to send in the GSD if need be. While I don't think a Bloodhound is any better tracker than other dogs, I do believe it has more stamina on a track. Dumber than dirt, but able to track a popcorn fart in a blizzard. They are fun to watch.

DFrost