EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

At what age does a man cull a pup for not hunting? I’m not talking striking hogs or staying in a race, but drop the pup with 2 grown dogs and gets left comes back and never leaves again.

In my 17-18 yrs of hunting I feel like I’ve made a whole bunch of mistakes culling dogs to soon or not soon enough. Seems like half of the true dogmen have the “ cull’em hard and cull’em fast” approach while the other half had the “ be patient and give the dog every opportunity “ approach. 



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Everyone’s different haha. I used to be the hot headed, cull ‘em fast type and probably culled some dogs way too early. I’ve learned over the years that it takes a lot of time and swine to make a dog. I have a lot more patience now and give a dog every opportunity to make it. I’ll start mine around a year old and judge them hard that first year of hunting.... I like to see them progress throughout that year. You also can’t compare a pup that gets gets hunted 3 to 5 times a week to one that gets hunted once every week or two.


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To me if your culling a lot means your breeding a lot and just trying to cover ground fast in this case people tend to cull fast. The work is in the numbers so out of 30 dogs they will bring that number two the best few prospects and work from there. A fella that doesn’t have those breeding numbers tend to give a dog more time to see. Some people they buy dogs will cull fast to from what I have seen and move to the next one. You never know what a dog will do until you know and that’s where the difference is


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When I have more time I will be back to comment more on this subject...for right now I will say that I totally. Focus on first impressions...of course I take many things into consideration...first I want the dog to be used to me before the first outing...

But what about pups not hunting?  In my mind a pup should be hunting something be it a rabbit, deer, any kind of critter. Not sitting at the buggy. So how much do you give said pup to get out and start trying to hunt.


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A part of me thinks a pup is born hunting and no amount of time will change one that’s not hunting

Example:  2 littermate pups raised by you with the exact same amount of exposures. At a year old you start hauling them and pup # 1 takes off hunting even if it’s only 100-200 yards it’s out doing something where pup #2 is hanging around not leaving your side. How long to you give pup #2 before you cull?


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How old is the pup?
What bloodlines?
Will it be a large dog when grown?

All these questions can have a lot to do with the pup not hunting...also how we start them  can have a big impact...

Our style of hunting...I can answer all of the above and usually there are other things to consider...

Doing our best to do the right things as the pup progresses is important as well...

My uncle told me one time if you like it you will tolerate more then if you don’t.


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Judge that is exactly right. Reuben I don’t have a pup in question. Just been pondering how many good dogs I’ve ruined and culled over the years lol


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Mike what  criteria are looking for in your yearling pups. What do you expect them to do and how do you give them to start doing it?


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One thing that is a fact with all dogs they ether show u how to hunt them or you mold them to how you hunt. The ones that are slow to mold get culled. Some show all they got up front and some slowly get there over time. Everyone has there own ideas.


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Let me qualify that I don’t claim to have best dogs in the world. They are somewhere between average and nice. They make me happy and we catch our share. I normally start pups between 10 and 14 months old. I normally start to appreciate them when they are somewhere between 3 and 4 years old. I hunt once or twice a week for roughly 40 weeks out of the year. I like silent, short to medium range, loose bay dogs that like to be in the woods, like to trail, like to find, and like to bay. Below is my cull decision making logic: Hope you find it helpful.
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Are they screwing up hunts regularly by trashing, wandering up to houses, busting bays,  falling out of races, or not packing with the other dogs and getting out of pocket for no good reason? They get 10 hunts to fix these issues. If they show progress, I’ll be patient.  If not, they don’t get to hunt with us anymore. 
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If they aren’t screwing up but aren’t hunting either, they must go to the other dogs when they strike or bay every time. I won’t haul one that will not hunt or help. I’ll give em 10 hunts to figure this out. If they at least help and don’t screw up hunts, I’ll be patient. If not, they don’t hunt with us anymore.
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If I come across a better prospect, they will replace the lowest performing dog. I have a good grasp on the type of dog I like. They must enjoy being in the woods and gettin after game. I can usually tell if they are gonna fit our program within a few hunts. It helps them a lot if they are allowed to run loose as pups and are raised on your place with the dogs they will hunt with.

I feed, house, and furnish transportation to the woods for young dogs, after they show me they have and are willing to use all the tools necessary then I begin to teach them what not to do that's all the training mine get what they do has to be natural and relatively early. I am not going to wait around and fool with one until he is 2,3,4 yrs old to see if he is a good one even if I have culled some that would have made super stars. I do not want that slow starting have to wait and see stuff in my dogs. I usually start to haul one around 8 mths old, by the time I have taken him 10 times he better be with the program, by that I mean cowdogs except for handle you can't tell them from an old dog at a distance, for hog and bear dogs they better be making the huge majority of races to the end, my 10 times will not be 10 days in a row for one that is not doing well but every week or two, if he is doing well I'll take him every time. Some of them don't get 10 times if I see a problem that I deem lack of proper instinct. Not to say it is the right way nor the only way just my way. I don't have any with the "2 yr old blues" either, they can level off at times but they better not go backwards. I have been at it a long time and still get culls but through the years the percentages of good useable dogs or better has been pretty good comparibly. I fear the folks that never have a cull or have to train one for what he is supposed to do.

10-4 old man...

the only other things I will say is that a pup is on a progressing curve...it starts at a younger age and I am big on first impressions...there are a few things to consider...like a new dog...we will build trust before trying out...after that it is show time...

Great Post Old Man. I believe you and I offer Joshg two good perspectives. I’m a weekend warrior with less years in the game. I don’t have my own established line of dogs. I take in a few pups from fellow hunters every other year or so. I’m sure you breed your own from your line as needed. You know what to look for from that line of dogs. I probably wouldn’t be as patient if I had regular access to other prospects from a line of dogs that I liked.


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I also notice that our posts validate and support Mike’s point about everyone being a little different as well as Judge’s post about giving a dog a little more time if you ain’t breeding much and/or like the dog.
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Appreciate the good conversation!


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There is some good info here. Personally I don't have a set time frame I am just looking for steady progression. I will say that I won't keep a super late starter because I don't want that trait in my bloodline. I wanna see my pups running rabbits and squirrels at a young age so I raise them loose in an area where they can do that. I usually start hauling them between 10-12 months old. Sometimes they are ready to go earlier but I don't force them into it any earlier than that. Then they get 3 or 4 months to start their progression (depeinding on time of year and how often I am hunting). If by that time they still are not progressing at all then that is the end of their hunting career with me. I don't need a 10 month old superstar but I am not willing to wait till they are 3 for them to start hunting. There are certain traits that will will get them immediately cut from the team though and that I will not tolerate. If it shows any of those more than once or so then it's bye bye.

And just like Judge said the more I like them or something about them the more patient I am lol.

Good luck

imo i like seeing pups hunt good in an all around meaning (range, bottom etc) 1 out of 3 or 4 hunts, to show they have it, but by 2 yoa be doing it consistently or cull. Basing this on not judging on dry runs, and hunting about 2x a month, i think at 1 to 2 yrs old we have better luck having them see a pig or more per month. 2 going into 3 they need to produce consistently imo

I THINK I CULL HARD. 6 MONTHS I LIKE THEM BAYING . I WANT THE ONES THAT START EARLY . THE ONES THAT DO I TAKE TO THE WOODS . AT 12 MONTHS THEY NEED TO RUN WITH OLDER DOGS , THAT MEANS THEY ARE OUT THERE 700 TO 800 YARDS.  MY DOGS ARE BREED TO GO THATS WHAT I LIKE, SO I NEED TO SEE THAT ARE I CULL. I END UP WITH 2 OR 3 PUPS IN THE END AND I HUNT THEM EVERY TIME I GO . IM LOOKING FOR THE NATURALS . AFTER TEN YEARS IM ALMOST WHERE I NEED TO BE ON MY BREEDING. CULLED LOST OF PUPS BUT YOU HAVE TOO. IM DOING HALF BROTHER HALF SISTER CROSS NOW.   

It's hard to say when is the right time.  Depends on the situation your in.  I usually give a dog a year and a half to show me something positive.  I won't put up with one that is dog aggressive or people aggressive at all.  Can't stand one under my feet.  If they will get out and hunt I'll cut them some slack.  Some of the best dogs I've had didn't really get going til they were 15 16 months old.  Love to see 3 month olds hammering pigs in pen.  Like the pups that always seem to be off on their own with their nose on the ground.

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Thanks for the info, I'll keep y'all posted on how they turn out.

Clue pretty much summed it up as good as it can be summed up.  Culling is directly proportional to expectations.

great post and well said sir, I agree 100% and that is almost exactly how I go about it as well.

very well said, sir, agree!