Pups going to woods

In the past I always waited till a pup was right at a year old. That's how my mentors did it so that's how I did it. Looking back on it now....they probably waited so long because they had more than a few REALLY good older dogs and it seemed like they hardly ever got cut up....if they did, there was always an older dog in the yard ready to go.

Most of us aren't in that position, lol. The last couple years I've started them earlier and earlier. Don't misunderstand....I am a FIRM believer in waiting until a dog is physically and mentally capable of being around the bay, even on a big nasty. Sure enough...you take one out that's not ready and you'll end up on a bad one....that's my luck anyway.

My old Jasper dog I started taking out when he was 8 months....he was physically capable but not really mentally there yet. By the time he was 10 months he was up to speed in both categories and striking and baying.

My Bella gyp was just a month older (9 months)....she was both physically and mentally ready, but she wasn't working as hard as Jasper so she didn't get near the exposure until I started hunting more by myself and by that time she was nearly 2 years old. Just a side note...it's not good to let dogs sit at home and focus on just 1, lol. When I moved Jasper It took Bella a few months to get in the groove.

Abby...A Jasper/Bella pup I started at 6 months....the youngest I had ever started a pup. She was both physically and mentally ready. She didn't know what a bay was on her first hunt but followed the bulldogs in and was caught on the nutts on a pretty good boar. She was at every bay after that and struck a couple squatters at around 9 months.

Couple pups I have now I've been hauling since they were 6 months. Both physically capable at that age but neither were ready mentally. They are coming on 10 months now and just starting to put 2 and 2 together.

Long story short....MOST dogs are physically capable of participating at 6-7 months but sometimes not mentally ready. Those type of dogs...if they get in a bad spot and get wrecked....they are the ones that will get set WAY back. That's just my opinion anyway.