Great post!
Pups are pups, should show intrest, but don't expect them to be able to stay focused. I like to show a pup a pig at 5-6 months two three times, I a pen-- controlled setup for just a few minutes, and get them out before they loose intrest. Always keep them wanting more. If this is the first time I have loaded the dogs in the truck and hauled them, if they are timmed at all I will only unload them and tie them, pet them and assure them they are ok.. You can't get a scared dog to do anything! The pen allows me to see a pups natural baying style... I like to leave pups loose on yard as long as possible... Start roming too far, baying neighbors cows, or start leaving & hunting! I have roping calves at the house and allow them to bay the calves, this helps them learn baying and pressure. It also allows me to put a little handle on them, get out, come etc. teaching them get out, really helps on the trashing that a pup does. By the time these pups are old enough--- mature enough to hunt I have stoped the calf baying all together. This will let me take them threw cows with no trashing. And if a deer or something jumps infront of them, usually a quick get out stops the race in its tracks. The maturity of a pup decides on when I start hunting them, if I don't feel they are mentally or physically able to keep up with older dogs for a good race they aren't ready to hunt. Example kept two litter mates started hunting the female at 9 mo but never two days in a row, always wanted her fresh. Didn't hunt the male until a year old. He found a sow having pigs his first hunt, and never slowed down, she probally had 20 hunts by a year old, and had found 5-6 by her self. Neither pup ever trashed to my knowledge! I always try to keep them fresh, keep them wanting more..I also try to set up easy hunts when I have a pup, dropping them in fresh sign, so they know what they are hunting for when they get out of the box. I have dropped them 4/500 yards down wind from where the hogs were, so they had to follow there instincts, to find them, but the sent was there to keep them focused. If they ever don't hunt, much I will lay them up for a couple weeks up to a couple of months, I think it really increases a pups desire, when they have to stay home and don't get to go a few hunts. They can be culled at any point, but not with a lot of thought, and knowing that I have given them plenty of opportunity to develop. I will often sell a young dog, not beacuse they won't find or stop a hog, but they may not be the type dog I'm wanting, or maby have too many at the time, and something has to go. The pair of dogs in the example are now 27 months old, both have found lots of hogs, but in my eyes are no where finished, they will only get better as time passes, and they mature, they may be closer to finished than most dogs will ever be but, they will only get better, and as long as they keep improving they are not finished. (being able to find and catch hogs with a dog doesn't mean they are finished.) Hope I didn't stray too far off topic!!
reatj81...good advice...
