Geo dogs

[+CanadaKate]

Hi, all,

 

Since we're adding a puppy to our family next month, we're wondering whether we can train her to help us find caches?

 

So, we're interested in hearing about other geocaching, dog owning folks' experience.

 

CanadaKate & gang

[+CanadaKate]

Hi, all,

 

Since we're adding a puppy to our family next month, we're wondering whether we can train her to help us find caches?

 

So, we're interested in hearing about other geocaching, dog owning folks' experience.

 

CanadaKate & gang

 

My apology for the double post. My computer told me that the first one didn't go through.

[+TeamCatalpa]

There's a couple I met at a geocache event last year who have a beautiful golden retriever that finds caches. I can't remember their name offhand, but I believe the dog was Riley. She literally has found caches for them, often when they couldn't locate them.

 

My geo-dawg, on the other hand, just runs around like a nut sticking her nose into everything, and isn't particually interested in what we're doing.

 

Maybe if you take him along a lot, and let him sniff the containers, he'll get the idea that the plastic/metal thing he can smell is what you're looking for?

 

Good luck!

[+The Inkwell]

We were caching with my sister-in-law this past winter and their new geo-pup dug up 3 legs of a 4 leg mutli-cache! It was crazy! I don't know if we would have found the cache because of all the snow, but the dog went right to each location and dug them up.

[+StaticTank]

Hi, all,

 

Since we're adding a puppy to our family next month, we're wondering whether we can train her to help us find caches?

 

So, we're interested in hearing about other geocaching, dog owning folks' experience.

 

CanadaKate & gang

 

I have been training my German Shepherd Dog to find caches and does so on a regular basis. He is getting better but it is fun when he find them.

 

StaticTank

[+hukilaulau]

One of the local cachers here has a black lab that routinely finds ground level plastic type containers.

I've seen him do it. I heard that he found a Tupperware container once that had food in it and he's been looking for another one ever since!

[+ngrrfan]

My geo-sniffer just likes going for the rides and walks. He's more interested in sniffing all the new smells and marking trees than finding actual caches. Sometimes it's hard to argue with 112 lbs of canine when they want to head out on a bearing other than the one you want to follow.

[+Team Birdaholic]

We have a mut that has some bloodhound in him and now he is quite good at pointing us in the right direction. Yes they can be trained, and definitely makes life easier in the forest.

[knowschad]

Hi, all,

 

Since we're adding a puppy to our family next month, we're wondering whether we can train her to help us find caches?

 

So, we're interested in hearing about other geocaching, dog owning folks' experience.

 

CanadaKate & gang

 

I'm 100% certain that you can at least traing a dog to find some types of caches (although what fun would that be in the long run?) My dog has found a few... one that I had just put back, then gotten a phone call. While I was talking, Chili came walking up with the cache in his mouth.

 

From what I've read about drug and explosive-seeking dogs, the ultimate goal is the reward (read: Skooby Snack of MEAT (maybe BACON!!!)) and your vocal rewards that do the trick. They could care less about the cache unless it brings them Good Times.

[+GeoLobo]

GeoLobo & Odin (Bernese Mountain Dog)

 

[+CanadaKate]

GeoLobo & Odin (Bernese Mountain Dog)

 

 

GeoLobo, that's a very handsome dog.

[+PJ-FredX-Tuck]

My Geopup Tucker would like to think he can find them all (and I frequently tell him that we couldn't do it without him), but I think he's at least convinced we could never find the way back to the Jeep without his frequent attempts to mark the trail, even when he starts "shooting blanks."

 

I would think some dogs could be trained to recognize certain scents which might reside in a cache, but on the whole, it's likely luck of the draw for most of our loyal geopups.

 

I should note he is pretty good about picking the right trail, and he has very good trail manners and never ahem "drops a load" on the trail itself no matter how rustic it looks...though he also thinks he can hide behind a sapling and we can't see him when he does his thing.

Edited May 15, 2009 by PJ-FredX-Tuck

[+KandDGregory]

We just recently started caching and we prefer the ones that require a hike in the woods. (No P&G's!) We take our 10 year old Cocker Spaniel along with us and she has just really really surprised me with her agility and endurance! She finds all the best ways to get around fallen trees and brush that poses any obstacle. I thought she would tire out and we'd have to carry her but that hasn't been the case. She really seems to love it and has lost some extra weight.

[+Ambrosia]

Our new dog, Abby, hasn't found any caches yet. But she recently found a porcupine.

 

 

 

After my dad and husband took out almost half of the quills:

 

 

 

[knowschad]

Our new dog, Abby, hasn't found any caches yet. But she recently found a porcupine.

OUCH!!!!

 

Be very careful from now on. First, those quills, if not removed, work their way inside and can kill the animal eventually (or so I've been told) and I've also been told that a dog that has been quilled will probably try to seek revenge from the next porkupine he sees, not run from it. And that revenge is probably going to be painful to the dog, not the porkupine.

[knowschad]

Our new dog, Abby, hasn't found any caches yet. But she recently found a porcupine.

OUCH!!!!

 

Be very careful from now on. First, those quills, if not removed, work their way inside and can kill the animal eventually (or so I've been told) and I've also been told that a dog that has been quilled will probably try to seek revenge from the next porkupine he sees, not run from it. And that revenge is probably going to be painful to the dog, not the porkupine.

 

On the other hand, you may want to bring that dog along to help out with my Porkypine cache!

[+CMHN]

Just wait until she finds a skunk. That's more fun.

[+roziecakes]

I have 8 pet rats, one of them is a really special rat. I've mentioned him before, his name is Guinness. He's almost like a dog... he goes everywhere with us, comes when he's called, is leash trained, does tricks; very smart little guy. We thought it only natural to take him with us caching (when the weather is nice).

 

He even has his own account... 19 finds Here's a picture of Guinness at his first cache!

 

 

-Rozie

[+tzipora]

I bring my lhasa apso with me more often than not. She's mostly into the riding, walking, sniffing, and marking, but she does very well finding the clearest trail. Sometimes she manages to bring me to the cache, but that usually only happens if the only person recently in the area was a successful geocacher.

 

I thought she might tire out a bit, too, but she'll keep moving as long as I do. She might lay down every time I stop, but... Juneau's a trooper.

[+yoyo ken]

We sometimes take our dog on geocaches, but she doesn't care to look around.