 No matter how experienced of a hunter you are, at some point you will likely experience a poor blood trail. A well-trained dog can be a great tool in helping you recover your deer. Be sure to check state and local regulations regarding the use of dogs to aid in game recovery. If legal, almost any breed can learn to follow a blood trail, but the individual dog will need to have the drive to accomplish the job. Typically, scent hounds or retrieving breeds are selected for their innate use of their nose. Start training with short trails using deer blood you may have collected during the previous season. Having a reward at the end of the trail is paramount in building up desire. Slowly work up to longer trails and increase the thickness of cover. Once season rolls around, build confidence by allowing the dog to trail a few deer that you know they will be successful with. You do not want to challenge the dog until you know they have adequate confidence in the work they are doing.