I would like to know. What is hands down the best breed and gender for a trapping dog. Would like to get one. Thank you
That question is kind of like asking what kind of car is best
It’s seems I have always had a dog along when running traps, as I have gotten older and more experienced those dogs have gotten better as well
In my opinion trapline dogs are made not by some certain breed but by training and aptitude, some will pick up the skills so quick it’s scary and some not so much, but few will be untrainable, most will be passing fair and a very few will completely fail except as a companion and some will even fail as that
So pick a breed that you like and has traits you like and start training them to do what you want them to do, doesn’t even have to be a pure breed, some of the best I have worked with were pure mutts of such mixed ancestry as to be untraceable as to family tree
So pick a puppy and start from there, I bet dollars to doughnuts you end up with a trapline partner you will be more then happy with
Start as soon as you get him/her home, o not with long lessons but with short simple basic things such as house training and what is and is not allowed and slowly advance lessons as they mature, introducing trapline skills you want them to have as you do, don’t forget to train for NO and STOP by which I mean STOP moving not stop doing whatever there doing which is no, or whatever word you want to us as a command
Dogs are amazing animals and can learn to do amazing things if you work at it and in my experience the earlier they start learning the more and easier they pick things up as well as faster, just don’t overload them before their ready when their pups keep it shot and simple, as pups their attention span is short in fact very short so keep it short as well, then as their attention and focus grows lengthen and add more complex skills, and you will find you can teach them to do just about anything, Heck after a while they will start teaching you
