Shed Hunting Antler Retriever Training Kit Review

If you’re looking to train your dog for shed hunting, the DogBone Shed Hunting Antler Retriever Training Kit is the perfect starting point. I purchased this kit two years ago to teach our older white Labrador how to hunt sheds, aiming to prove the old adage, "You can’t teach an old dog new tricks," wrong. As a beginner to shed hunting myself, I found this all-in-one kit from DogBone provided everything I needed to get started. It includes a white rubber antler, antler training scent, and a comprehensive training guide. In this review, I’ll break down what’s included and how each component helped me in training my dog.

What’s Included in the DogBone Training Kit?

This Shed Hunting Antler Retriever Training Kit comes with three key items: a white rubber antler, an antler training scent, and a detailed training guide. My first recommendation is to familiarize yourself with the included training manual. The guide covers essential techniques and objectives for each phase of training. As with any dog training, patience is key, and following the phases carefully will ensure success in the field.

The DogBone White Rubber Antler

The white rubber antler is designed specifically for beginners. But why use rubber instead of real antlers? The benefit of using a rubber antler is safety. It eliminates the risk of sharp points injuring your dog and helps prevent them from losing interest in training. The rubber antler mimics the size, weight, and feel of a real shed, making it an excellent starting point. While it’s durable, this training antler will naturally show signs of wear as your dog continues to use it, but that won’t affect its functionality.

Training Tip: Keep the antler out of your dog’s reach when not in use. Although durable, chewing on the antler can damage it and create a choking hazard.

The DogBone Antler Training Scent

The antler training scent is designed to replicate the natural smells found on a shedded antler, such as hair, blood, and flesh. This scent is crucial for teaching your dog to associate a specific odor with a shed antler. A little goes a long way, so use it sparingly.

Training Tip: Store the scent in a Ziploc bag when not in use to avoid leakage or contamination.

The DogBone Training Guide

The included training guide from DogBone breaks the process down into three phases, allowing you to gradually build your dog’s skills. Here’s an overview of each phase:

1. Phase 1: Short Retrieves
   The first step involves getting your dog accustomed to seeing and smelling the antler. This teaches them what to look for in the field and how to pick up the antler safely.

2. Phase 2: Short and Long Retrieves into Cover
   Once your dog is comfortable with the basics, you can introduce short and long retrieves into cover. This phase encourages your dog to use its nose to locate the antler, simulating real-life hunting scenarios.

3. Phase 3: Hidden Antlers
   The final phase challenges your dog to search for hidden antlers in an area without seeing where they were placed. This helps hone their natural scenting ability and their capacity to search independently.

Training Tip: If your dog seems to lose motivation, carry a small antler from your pocket to boost their spirits with a quick success.

Shipping Restrictions

Due to international shipping restrictions on animal by-products, we are currently unable to ship the DogBone Shed Hunting Antler Retriever Training Kit outside of the United States.

Other Recommended Shed Training Items:

If you want to up the difficulty in Phase 1 or Phase 2, try using the DogBone Brown Shed Hunting Training Antler. Its brown color blends better with natural surroundings, making the retrieve more challenging. Additionally, if you run out of training scent, we offer the DogBone Shed Hunting Antler Training Scent bottle and Rack Wax Shed Hunting Training Scent sticks.

For those seeking more advanced training resources, consider the Training Your Dog to Hunt Shed Deer Antlers book or the Dokken Shed Dog Training DVD.

Conclusion

For anyone new to shed hunting training, the DogBone Shed Hunting Antler Retriever Training Kit is an ideal starting point. After two years of use, I can confidently say this kit offers everything you need for a successful introduction to shed hunting. The rubber antler holds up well to multiple training sessions, and the training guide is a valuable resource for beginners. Whether you’re a first-time trainer or an experienced handler, DogBone provides the tools necessary to get started with confidence.

For more about antler shed hunting training see: Phase 1 of Shed Hunt Training and Phase 2 of Shed Hunt Training. We also have a Top 5 Shed Hunting Training Tools list if you are looking for a quick guide of what other products you might need.