I have had several tracking dogs over the years and the best that I have owned were Great Pyrenees. I have seen some good labs too, but never owned one. I currently use a rescue dog that looks like a miniature great Pyrenees. Weighs about 25 pounds. Anyway, I trained mine by putting them on a fresh deer trail. I hunt my own property, and when I shoot a deer, or the fellow that hunts with me does, we never go to the deer until the dog is let follow the trail. Might be a hundred yards or a few feet, but the dog always gets the first go at it. If it falls right there the dog is brought from the side and down wind so that it all of a sudden gets into the scent cone. Just a few times and most dogs are hooked. We must have them on a leash in Arkansas, to track deer. I hunt from elevated stands, and all have a chain attached. The Great Pyrenees would go to the stand with me, get chained and promptly go to sleep. I have seen them watch deer that approach close and never move or bark at them. They catch on quickly. I figure a German Shepard will do well, with a small amount of training. miles
