EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I think once you have started a pup and got it going good in the pen it's worse to hunt a pup over and over, dry run after dry run than it is to just hunt him sparingly (once a month) on successful hunts. Am I just being obvious man here or does anyone disagree?

i dont put mine in pens my dogs go to the woods from an early age  an i feed them tracks sometimes i'll catch a small hog an take it an turn it loose then go get my puppies turn them loose an work them in that direction ... i wont ever put a cur dog in a bay pen jmo ... its good for a dog to realize that its not going to get a hog every single time it goes it out but makes it wanna get out there an find one i think my puppies run everytime my big dogs do they gotta learn somehow an i dont think a pen is the way to do it but thats me

I only put pups in pen just once or twice to get em to know what a hog is then keep em in the woods. I try to feed em tracks as much as possible. What I normally do is ride around late in evening and try to find pigs out feeding and let em walk in the woods then act like im takin em huntin and put em on fresh tracks. Then I just let em bay and not try to catch one.this is what I do some do different but I usually train pups on my own bc im more patient when im alone

 What is the normal age yall start puttin pups in the woods?

I don't agree with the hole once month
thing man at all a pup doesnt need to even need to go tthe bay pen once
he has it down an knows what a hog is I guess if it works for you
then good  i'm a firm believer  that each time that dog is in the woods
with a lead dog that is finished to your standards he is going to learn now
I would recommend just one pup at a time when in woods this has just been the way
I have been taught but every body has different ways I'm stiking with  what works for me 

My question to your question is, how do you know, before you load dogs, if you're going on a dry run or successful hunt?

Its not the pen that hurts the dog its the trainer inexperince and not knowing what he is doing is what ruins the dog . How much is to much , How much is not enuff,  hog big a hog do I use , how ruff is my dog getting do I need a bigger hog are a littler hog what do I do,  is my dog to young, why want he start ,  how do i get him started and so on and so fourth that hurts are ruins the dog not the pen .

x2

yes indeed...

The pen really wasn't the question and honestly I don't think it matters whether you have a finished dog with your pups or not. A lot of people don't have access to prime, hog rich, hunting land. Some people may go 4 to six weeks ( hunts ) without seeing a hog and that's with good finished dogs. If your pup is well bred he is going to have a strong prey drive. If hogs aren't being located, pup will find something to hunt. I just think your doing more harm than good by running hunt after hunt and not getting pup on the preffered game, this is my point.

. If hogs aren't being located, pup will find something to hunt. I just think your doing more harm than good by running hunt after hunt and not getting pup on the preffered game, this is my point.
[/quote]

i dont agree with that either ... if there is no hogs the dog better not bark unless he is being honest i've got a dog in my yard right now that if another dog is trashin he'll go honor him to see but if he comes back like oh chit it wasn't me .. thats dogs trashin ... an as for puppies ... that just sounds like a good chance to break em ... head them off see what they are runnin dont yell at them catch them in the act an break them you gotta be smarter then the dog if your gunna hunt it

i think the best thang to do for a pup is PUT IT IN THE WOODS hogs or no hogs let them hunt

AGREED!!!!

The worst thing you can do for a pup whether it's in the pen starting out, or hunting in the woods is let it get bored.  When I first start my pups on a penned hog, I let them bay a few minutes then pull them out right in the heat of things.  Makes them want it even more.  When I start hauling to the woods, I'll turn them with the old dogs...if we don't hit anything shortly I'll pen them back up.  I may turn them back out later, or I might wait and turn them to a bay.  Always worked for me.

As far as them finding something to hunt, the best pups I've raised have always been extremely trashy starting out.  No fault of theirs...they're not born knowing what to hunt.

i guess it doesnt matter if you have a finished dog with the pups my question is why not
if you have one the finished dog can teach your pups alot better then you can just saying not trying to bash
and i know what your saying about pups trashing when your huntin thats just part of it we all have been there  but a pup has to learn
what not to hunt

i dont agree with that either ... if there is no hogs the dog better not bark unless he is being honest i've got a dog in my yard right now that if another dog is trashin he'll go honor him to see but if he comes back like oh chit it wasn't me .. thats dogs trashin ... an as for puppies ... that just sounds like a good chance to break em ... head them off see what they are runnin dont yell at them catch them in the act an break them you gotta be smarter then the dog if your gunna hunt it
[/quote]

Depending on how much the pup has been exposed to hogs, i wouldnt discipline them for trashing when they are first starting out...  IMO, they could take it as they are getting disciplined for hunting... Just get them off and move them on..

Like Bryant said, they're not born knowing what to hunt...

I agree

Depending on how much the pup has been exposed to hogs, i wouldnt discipline them for trashing when they are first starting out...  IMO, they could take it as they are getting disciplined for hunting... Just get them off and move them on..

Like Bryant said, they're not born knowing what to hunt...


[/quote]

x3...IMO you should never break a pup from off game in the "WOODS" before they have been running hogs a few times...pup could get the wrong message which is... don't go off in the woods because it is a pain in the neck out there...the pup can actually think that it should stay by the hunter.

leave them in the dog box until you see fresh hog sign...or until the strike dogs are baying...but a little bay pen or mock hunt experience is always best prior to taking them to the woods so the pups know to bay and catch hogs...

it's all about the right moves at the right time...I like breaking the pups off of deer before they are turned loose in the woods, but only after they have bayed hogs in the pen a few times...I don't do mock hunts...lost that burning desire years ago...but there is a minimum amount of training that needs to be done...the right moves at the right time goes a long ways...sometimes it doesn't look like training because it can be something very simple. The simple things add up...the wrong moves can be a mojor setback for a pup...

They either got it or don't  I agree with what y said there 

And thats why there are so many different way to and methods and opinions.

Thats why this Website Works and most dont because all these different people can have a discussion and agree to disagree, and still act like gentlemen, Thats why ETHD is #1 :o

I disagree with all of YOU.....j/K ;)

Typical Woman....  rolleyes                                >:D  :laugh:  ;D

x3...IMO you should never break a pup from off game in the "WOODS" before they have been running hogs a few times...pup could get the wrong message which is... don't go off in the woods because it is a pain in the neck out there...the pup can actually think that it should stay by the hunter.

leave them in the dog box until you see fresh hog sign...or until the strike dogs are baying...but a little bay pen or mock hunt experience is always best prior to taking them to the woods so the pups know to bay and catch hogs...

it's all about the right moves at the right time...I like breaking the pups off of deer before they are turned loose in the woods, but only after they have bayed hogs in the pen a few times...I don't do mock hunts...lost that burning desire years ago...but there is a minimum amount of training that needs to be done...the right moves at the right time goes a long ways...sometimes it doesn't look like training because it can be something very simple. The simple things add up...the wrong moves can be a mojor setback for a pup...
[/quote]

As always, lots of good points Reuben.

I run my young dogs in the woods all the time even threw the dry spells.  But they know what a hog is because they have seen them and bayed them since really young in my pen .  I will break them off deer and trash as we go along.  It has never hurt my dogs to run them young with the pack dry spells are not .  It puts there legs under them gets them in great shape and man when they do hit that first hog after a dry spell its on like Donkey Kong.  Its never hurt none of mine and I dont know of any better experince dry spells are not .

Its always been my experince the better dogs you run with your young dogs,  dry spells are not the better dog he will become if it is in him besides he needs to learn there not going to be a hog every time you go and learn how to deal with it the correct way instead of the wrong way than when he is older and develop bad habits that are much much hard to break because he is older.  Learn sooner than later.  Also if your older dogs are really trash broke you wont have much problems with a young dog trashing other than once are twice when he should have a ecollar on to pop him and then its over.


Anyway just my take.