EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

long time ago before the computers I read an article that I thought was a bunch of bull at first...but the more I read the more it made sense to me...The writer had a theory and he went on to explain that puppy training could possibly start in the womb...he said that when the mama was hunting and trailing and winding that those tiny particles that went in her nose would trigger excitement and chemical reactions for her... and those reactions would transfer to the pups... because, after all, they are connected to her...the same happens when she fights the game as well...As the pups get older in the womb they become more sensative to what mama is doing...that makes sense to me...

but hog hunting is a more dangerous game so maybe the bay pen 2 or 3 times before the pups are born would create that imprint that could create/produce a more natural hog dog...

as a kid I hunted the females until the day they were going to have pups and then I took the pups as soon as they were old enough to go...all my dogs ate what they caught so that might have been the incentive why the pups started hunting real early...  ;D

Below...a short story that kind of supports the writers theory...

a few years back we were having a birthday party for our grandson and a 5 year old kid showed up and the grandson and other kids were saying that that 5 year old was eating birds eye peppers from my plant and I said no way...he must be swallowing them...well they brought in a small hand full of peppers and he munched on them like candy...no tears and no red face...  :o ??? 8)

When his mother showed up to pick him up I told her what he did...She said he started eating jalapeno peppers when he was old enough to eat them...about 21/2 to 3 years old...She also said that when she got pregnant with him that she constantly craved and ate hot peppers...

I also know it is very easy to train a 5 or 6 week old puppy to not be afraid of gunfire...2 or 3 sessions and the pup or litter is totally broke for life...

any other ideas, theories or stories???


 

Reuben that's a good post.

I can see how that theory could be sound. They say children in the womb can pick things up. Reading, Music, etc. It could work with pups too.

I dont know if its true or not but my dad always believed that. I don't see why it wouldn't work it does for people.

Good post
Deeper than I have thought.   I do believe you can judge a pup & what traits he will have when mature, by watching him play.  Example a pup that bites another one on the but will bite a hog on the but also.   I have a gyp that I didn't handle much when she was young, & she is very skidish.   She had 6 pups only one fm, so I new I was keeping her, always keep 1 pair per litter.  Anyway at 3-4 weeks when they started coming out of their house the fm was the only one that was skidish so everyday I made a point to pick her up & hold & pet her until she relaxed before I let her down. It took two weeks before she would come to me when I went to their pen and sat down. At this time I treated her just like the others and just patted her on the head each visit.  I'm sure had I not handled her this way she would be as funky as her momma.   Now she is the most out going pup of them all.  So yes I believe they are very impressionable at a very early age.

You can argue genetics vs. training all day long. I KNOW genetics play a key role..I know you can just start taking a pup to the woods at the appropriate age and its genetics will dictate how fast it becomes a serviceable hunting dog.......I also have seen firsthand how starting puppies in a pen with a very small shoat at a very early age benefits in the overall training of the pups. In my opinion the pups turn on faster and become serviceable hunting dogs faster. I'm not saying starting early over rides genetics and will make average blood great but it sure doesn't HURT.

Good post Reuben when I read something
Like that's makes me realize there  is good
Dog men on here lol

Very good post.