Need Help Training Puppies

[Cooter56]

I know this is a question asked very frequently on here, but here is my situation. I have some puppies, two are around 8 months the other two are around 10. Ive put them in the bay pen, they do great, ive done the mock hunts by dragging a hog and they did great. The problem ive having is they dont want to leave the road in the woods. I dont have a finished dog to show them the ropes. Any advice?

[KevinN]

You road hunt them then? Shouldn't be any different than mock hunts. They hit hot sign...even without a veteran dog and they should trail it a bit. Don't push them....especially if you road/drive hunt. If you get to an area you think might be hoggy...just stop. Wait!! Wait!! Wait!! Make them get bored hanging around...they should venture out. I can't stress it enough...been through it very recently...you have to stop often and just be still...don't push them...let them/make them work.

[drew]

  same way u do with drags man  put u a hog off in the woods by  the road

[justincorbell]

if they stay on the road while hunting then I think the best/easiest answer would be to simply park get out and head off into the woods on foot, get them to go into the woods with you, they outta follow you and eventually  go off on their own.  Hell I get hollered at occasionally because I park the 4wheeler and get off and next thing you know im 5 6 700yds away just lookin, its nice to get out off the beaten path once in a while. See if that will help, I'm not much for draggin a pig around in the woods for more "mock" hunts, if they know what they are lookin for then maybe just try usherin em towards places you think the hogs may be hidin off the roads.

[HawgStriker972]

if they stay on the road while hunting then I think the best/easiest answer would be to simply park get out and head off into the woods on foot, get them to go into the woods with you, they outta follow you and eventually  go off on their own.  Hell I get hollered at occasionally because I park the 4wheeler and get off and next thing you know im 5 6 700yds away just lookin, its nice to get out off the beaten path once in a while. See if that will help, I'm not much for draggin a pig around in the woods for more "mock" hunts, if they know what they are lookin for then maybe just try usherin em towards places you think the hogs may be hidin off the roads.

X2.
 It just takes time, they're still young. Take them out every chance you get and remember "they're young" so don't get upset and give up on them just keep workin them and they'll turn on.

[Cooter56]

Thanks everyone for your help. Im going with a buddy of mine tonight and let my puppies run with some finished dogs.

[drew]

i just tie a hog to  a tree next to the road where that cant see it but its there
  leave it for a couple hours it doesnt even have to be a road
 it can be in the place you hunt u dont have to drag it at all
 what i do is  drive  by it the dogs should get after it
i thank they need to c that they can do it on there own in my opinion
 is there anything wrong with leading a dog to water
 no i just like them to thank they did it without me   

[Cooter56]

Well I went this past weekend. Put my oldest puppy out with my friends finished dog. We got one bayed about 50ft off the road and went to it, when we got there my dog ran right by the bayed barr hog and didnt even pay it any attention. When the catch dog hit, the hog broke and ran another 100 yards. My dog went back to the truck. Dont really understand. Hes does great in the bay pen. Cull?

[KevinN]

Your gonna get your "if he's 10 months and won't honor a bay...I ain't feedin him" answers. He's your dog...it's your choice.

My 13 month old I started in the pen like you...i did drags/mock hunts like you. I took him "to the woods" when he was 8 months. It was actually drive hunting ranches. Monty was nice enough to let Whistler and I tag along. Problem was our pups were just real green...young...didn't know what was going on. Veteran dogs would strike and they would get left behind. It was still GREAT experience for them and I really appreciated Monty letting us tag along.

About his 6th or 7th hunt (10 months or so) I was able to walk hunt him...the dogs got a sow bayed and he didn't go to bay...when we got there he didn't really do much, but saw the hog...caught...while it was still alive...he sniffed around a bit, that's about it.

Another hunt around that age the dogs bayed a sounder...he was there with them on this one...they busted when the CD got hung up in briars. Dogs scattered but he stayed in area and ended up baying a pig that layed down and "hid" when the others broke. That was the turning point.

He has struck his own over the past couple months and is showing some good range and honestly...probably about the most bottom I want out of a dog (but I don't think he's gonna stop here).

Point is...I could have culled him at 10 months but IMO that's a little early.

[KevinN]

Oh...one hunt with Monty..he did actually see some hogs caught in a trap...the dogs winded and bayed them from about 400 yards....he did hang with Monty's dogs on that hunt....great experience.

I only missed about two weekends with him in the past 4 months and he saw hogs on only about half those....just takes time with some dogs...I sure am glad I kept him...but...all dogs are different...you may have to make a tough decision.

[Cooter56]

What puzzles me is havnt had the dog his whole life. I just got him about 3 months ago. I saw a video from another friend of mine that went with the guy I got this dog from. My dog and another had a good size sow bayed up in the woods not in a pen, and he was working the hog really good. But ill give him time.

[Irondog87]

He might jus be getting used to ur pack. I've had a few dogs that it took around four or five months of hunting for them to run with my pack. I now have side by side kennels and it helps a lot with the pack interacting together. We have had to cull one bulldog that was feed aggressive! And since then all my dogs are insink! Mabe he is jus adjusting to a new pack/place/owner. Give him a lil more time bud, he might show u something soon

[Bowtech99]

Just went thru this and still goin thru this.

We walk Hunt em just like Justin said. Get on a good track and take it out 100yds or so. and stand there and wait..... They dont take, walk some more.. Eventually they'll get used to castin out without ya. just takes time. We start walkin em thru the woods before we teach em to road. Want em to know what to do we they do wind/track. Some dogs figure it out early, some later. Real question is how much patience you got, and how much you really want them pups to work.

Got 2 pups 7months now already hunting. They haven't figured out how to stop a good un yet, but in time they will. Got another that is 10-11month old and Wont leave my feet. Does great in bay pen, but not woods. Had hogs gruntin 50yds away in a pond, she run in, and run back out to my feet. She almost didnt get a ride home that night. All depends on the Dog.

One more thing, The less people and the less Dogs the better. Not a bunch of commotion goin on will let the dog focus more and settle in on hunting. And talk to your dog, hunt em boy, hunt em boy, hunt em boy. You stand there like a bump on a log dog doesnt have no encouragement to get out there and please ya. My 2 Cents!!!!!

[Shotgun wg]

I have been working on getting some going also. 1 is over a year and only been hunting hogs about 6 or 7 times. Jury is out on her but I still have hope. My male is 18 months supposed started when I got him will bay in pen but isn't staying on a track long enough. His only saving grace right now is he did go to the bay Sunday and even got cut. Maybe. My pup that is 8 months is driving me nuts so I keep reminding myself she only 8 months and still new to me. Had her a month been in the woods 2x but was told she would go to bay and stay with older dogs. She hasn't done either. Gonna keep feeding them tracks. The male better learn to stay with a track or his days are numbered.

[Bowtech99]

Patience is such a hard thing to master. We'd have some of the best dogs around we ever figure that one out. 

[clinton]

when u drag a hog out to let em track it make sure u make a big loop an walk out a diffrent way then u drug the hog and end up at the same starting poing when u turn ur dog loose u will see if hes tracking the pig r ur sent by wich trail he takes

[Bowtech99]

If you got some rubber boots put em on, either way if your gonna drag one, spray down real real real good with scent killer.

And dont do it in your yard. load the hog up, take him to woods somewhere and tie him. then come back and load dogs up in box and take them there. that will associate them with dog box and hunting. then when you get there put em on drag and let em work.

[Reuben]

having 4 pups is an advantage to you...together they will encourage each other to bay or range out...show them a pig and let them bay it so they will know that pigs is what you want...

just you and the 4 pups go to the woods and dump them out in a nice spot and walk along very slow and stop once in a while...don't give them any attention for hanging around and they will get bored and range out...keep walking slowly so that they will have to find you when they check back in...once they range and feel confident they will start following the big dogs when hunting...that is if they have it in them to do so...really what you are doing is bringing out what will come natural to them...