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I don't know about training but I had a BC mix who ran free on our property and he taught himself to hunt rabbits, he would go up in the hills for a few minutes and come back down with a rabbit and eat it (guess we didn't really have to buy dog food, haha) He would even hunt deer (though he never actually caught one). So I would imagine that it's entirely possible to train one to hunt.

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I have read of BC's being trained to retrieve birds and also used to hunt feral hogs here in the US. The BC's are used to drive the hogs from cover so the catch dogs, normally some type of Pit mix, can get to them. BC's are also beginning to have a visible presence as search and rescue dogs so they have been successfully trained to track by scent. Additionally I have seen BC's running in lure coursing events, which is normally the domain of sight hounds.

 

I do question though if you train them to hunt if they will keep their herding ability. After all the herding drive is a highly modified prey drive where the instinct to kill is suppressed and in hunting the animal hunted is normally killed in the end. Some one with more knowledge than I will have to answer that.

 

Is it possible/plausible for me to teach my border collie to track/herd deer and other hunt able big/small game?

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Track? theoretically yes. Herd? no. deer don't flock the same way sheep do and they move A LOT faster/are more agile. And because of how quick/alert they are your dog is most likely not going to be able to get close to them while tracking. One whiff of dog (or hearing them) and that deer will be gone.

 

One thing a dog would be able to do well is blood trailing where they track an animal injured but not killed while hunting.

 

And just as a general FYI, before any hunting is done with dogs a person does need to check local laws as they vary with if and when a dog may be used.

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Also we only do stock work to keep her busy, I have no use for the herding skills other then it's fun for her. However I have a lot of friends who need a lot of stuff removed from their ranches. Having my border collie sniff out a coyote den (of course companiened by my 180 lb boerboel who makes short work of coyotes) would be a lot easier for me to take care of the problem.

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Gláma drove a mink under a pallet near our house couple of months ago, and pinned him there together with Kuggur (he is a bc/icelandic sheepdog mix).

They made such a noise I went to see what was going on and could arrange a "terminal solution" for the problem.

I was pretty grateful for their effort, we just started with chickens, and they would probably not have survived this visit.

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I would never use a BC for something like that because they're really close to the same size as what you're hunting. You're dog could easily get hurt or killed.

 

Flushing or retrieving birds would be no issue for a BC (provided they didn't have sound sensitivity). Around the ranch crittering (groundhogs, rats and the like) no problem. Hunting bobcats and coyotes? NOT a good idea.

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I agree with Maralynn. When you start getting into raccoons, coyotes, bobcats, etc. you're just asking for trouble for your BC. If your friends are having issues with predation on their ranches, perhaps they should consider permanent and appropriate canine presence to ward them off. There are many LGD breeds available.

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I don't expect my border collie to find them with out me. I want her to be by my side. She's gotta earn her food just like everyone else. Besides she doesn't need to. I do just fine calling them in. I just think it might be fun for her. I don't plan on having her kill animals or even be part of the kill simply stay close and sniff em out.

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You asked if it would work. We're telling you why it wouldn't. You've got a Boerboel - that is plenty of dog for sniffing out/hunting down coyotes. Pretty much any dog have has nose for tracking. You don't *need* your BC to do that job. If you want her to easy her keep why not find a job for her that is much more appropriate for her size and breed? If you live in ranch country I'm sure there would be plenty of opportunities for a good stockdog/handler team

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Just because you don't plan on her being in direct contact with the animals you send her to sniff out doesn't mean she won't be. What happens when she corners a coon with an extra strong fight instinct? What happens when she finds a coyote den whose inhabitants take a strong exception to having been found? No matter how well in control of your dog you are, you are not in control of the animals you're asking her to suss out for you. You are asking her to start a job she cannot safely finish and over which you have very little control of the outcome.

 

If she's "gotta earn her food" you probably should have considered the available jobs and her skill set before "hiring" her.

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Just because you don't plan on her being in direct contact with the animals you send her to sniff out doesn't mean she won't be. What happens when she corners a coon with an extra strong fight instinct? What happens when she finds a coyote den whose inhabitants take a strong exception to having been found? No matter how well in control of your dog you are, you are not in control of the animals you're asking her to suss out for you. You are asking her to start a job she cannot safely finish and over which you have very little control of the outcome.

 

If she's "gotta earn her food" you probably should have considered the available jobs and her skill set before "hiring" her.

 

^^ This is really well said.

 

Incidentally, a deer will attack a dog in certain circumstances and can do some damage. The type of hunting you are talking about is likely not done with just one dog, and certainly not with a Border Collie.

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Because my border collie comes with me when I hunt and stays by my side as does my boerboel. I would just like to make them more useful. My boerboel helps me haul game as he loves to pull. And my border collie will fetch rabbits or my arrows. If I can now train her to sniff out the area of the target animal it would be helpful for me and rewarding for her.

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Once again - same old same old.

 

A poster asks about doing something. Gets told why it isn't a wise choice - with all sorts of detailed experiential background. Then keeps posting why it will be done anyhow.

 

It's like my dealing with DH. He asks my opinion. I give it. He says, "No." and does the opposite. Lately, I give the opposite of what I think. It's working! Should folks start trying that here?

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I have one border collie who hunts with me, I am a licensed falconer. He flushes, bird grabs.And also this same dog has been used to find injured wildlife of all kinds including bear. But we stay close and he is no dummy. He also works stock. I will attach a photo but cannot seem to locate the right button?

 

What is a boerboal?

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Actually it's been completely off topic. I simply asked if it could be done. I didn't ask for a lecture. It's a simple yes a border collie would have no problem learning how to track. Or no it would be very hard/not possible. People are to wrapped up in what they would do. Not what other people have to do. If you had pests losing you thousands and thousands of dollars, and you had a dog to help eliminate the problem you do what you gotta do. For anyone who really would like an answer with out being lectured by information that is irrelevant to the question. I think it's possible as after only a few hours my border collie has started to detect rabbits. She's also doing a good job of saying inside of about 20 yards of me which I have taught her since she was a puppy.

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Tea and the few that gave relevant answers thank you. Tea boerboels are a breed of dog from Africa. Also known as an African mastiff. They are known to single handedly take down leopards. They are the only dog bred purely as a guard dog. They are also not aggressive, however if someone acts aggressively or if the owner/pack member feels threatened a 150-200 lb boerboel will not hesitate to take someone/animal out. They instinctively always walk between you and possible threats. In Africa their job is to guard the homestead from lions hyenas, leopards you name it. They guard sheep children other dogs and their owners. They dominate weight pullin competitions. I've seen boerboels pull upwards of 8000 pounds.

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