A well trained tracking dog can recover the wounded game hours, or even days after the shot has been fired. Once you have given up on the trail you have been following and have decided to bring in a tracking dog, make sure to mark the last blood sign first. It is important not to start your dog at the place where you lost the blood trail, mostly because this spot will be covered with human scent in your attempt to find the next spot of blood.  So even though it may be time consuming, it is always a good thing to start your dog yards off the visible blood trail and possible even at the very beginning. This will also help your dog to become familiar with this individual deer scent. A well trained tracking dog must learn how to follow day old lines of wounded deer and ignore the fresh scent of deer that may have recently passed the trail. Remember that the dog could get lost because of the blood and deer scent that the you have on your shoes. If the dog is having trouble slowly lead the dog on a 50 or 100 yard radius, carefully watching them because the dog may find a new drop of blood that has not been spotted before. Continue searching until the dog finds the deer, and make sure that you give the tracking dog a lot of praise. Please understand that success is not always guaranteed, but your chances of finding the wounded game will definitely be enhanced by having a tracking dog.

Do realize that almost all dog breeds have some natural hunting and tracking ability but we find that the Labrador, German Shepherd, Belgian Malinois and Basset Hound have the greatest sense of smell, intelligence, and desire to please their owners.

The difference between a pointing dog, flushing dog and retriever dog makes them appropriate for hunting different types of game, in different settings. However, personal preference of the hunter is also a factor in which should be used. Pointers, and also setters, are named after the pointing action they take upon discovering game. When game is found, the dog is trained to freeze in place, and remain perfectly still while indicating the location of the game by pointing towards it with its muzzle. The hunter is then able to flush out the game and take a shot. Flushing dogs are best used on game that is likely to run from the hunter on ground. Instead of freezing in place to point, the dog is trained to aggressively flush out the game, causing it to take flight. This allows the hunter a clear shot. Both of these types of gun dogs are trained to retrieve the downed game upon command, usually soon after the shot. Retrievers are most often used when hunting waterfowl, and are trained to sit calmly and quietly while the hunter  takes shots on birds that come into range. The dog must watch the gun and mark each downed bird. After the shooting, the dog is then instructed to retrieve each mark. Retrievers are also able to take commands from the hunter in order to find birds which the dog did not see fall.

While each type of gun dog is trained for a different purpose, there are similarities between them and the way they have been trained. First and foremost, is their ability to ignore gunfire. Gun dogs are trained to sit still and calm in the presence of gun fire, and some pointers are even trained to freeze in place upon hearing it. The sound of a gunshot is loud and unnatural. Even most humans can be unnerved by it. To get a dog to ignore gunfire takes training and obedience. Obedience is another key factor in the training of gun dogs. The dog must be able to sit still, calm and quiet for extended periods of time. This is especially true of retrievers. Finally, communication is an important part of any working dog’s training. Gun dogs are not just able to understand verbal commands, but are also able to understand the situation. This is especially important when multiple pointers are used as they are often trained to honor the point of another dog by pointing alongside of it.

There is no question that the work of gun dogs and the work of protection dogs are worlds apart. A breed developed for use as a gun dog could never perform true protection work the way that a German Shepherd, Dutch Shepherd or Belgian Malinois can. However, there is one key area of training where these two worlds overlap. Training for the event of gunfire. A good protection dog needs to be able to remain calm and steady, and know how to react in the event of gunfire.

The Airedale Terrier was originally bred in the late 1800′s, and is most likely a cross between smaller Terrier breeds and a larger hunting dog known as the Otterhound. Like the Otterhound before it, the Airedale became popular among hunters. However, unlike Terriers before them who were often accompanied by a pack of Bloodhounds, and expected to enter the dens and burrows of prey after the Bloodhounds had sniffed them out, Airedales became more of a jack-of-all trades breed capable of both sniffing out and taking down larger animals. As well as being efficient hunting dogs, the size and temperament of the breed suited it well to work as a guard dog on British farms. During the the First World War, Airedales were used to deliver messages during battle. Later, they were also given the task of finding and retrieving wounded soldiers from the front lines. After seeing the impressive work of Belgian Malinois police protection dogs in Belgium, Airedales were also adopted into British police forces. However, they were later replaced by the German Shepherd as the most common breed used for police work. During the 1930s, American breeders in Ohio developed what is known as the Oorang strain of Airedale Terrier. Bred to be larger and sturdier than previous Airedales, an attempt was made to market the Oorang as “the greatest utility dog in the history of the world.” The kennel closed and breeding of Oorangs ended in 1970 upon the death of its creator, Walter Lingo. However, some kennels still claim to produce original Oorang Airedale Terriers today.

Today, the Airedale Terrier is still an impressive breed. However, they have mostly been replaced by other breeds for work as security dogs or police dogs, and their role as a hunting breed is now largely obsolete.