Il start pups around 4-5 mo old in a pen. I dont let them stay in long so they dont lose interest. After a few times in the pen i put them outside the pen. Around 6 mo old il take a smaller hog and tie a set of feet and turn him loose then il start the dogs about 100 yards from where i let the pig go until they eventually figure it out. Around 8 mo i take them to the woods but keep them in the trailer til we got one bayed then il turn them loose to the bay. After the hog is tied i catch the pups and put them back in the trailer. Then il take a pup and pen him with a finished dog. Then il turn them loose together
Thats the way iv always raised pups and its worked for really well with most of them. Some it didnt
SnF...excellent post...you didn't go into detail on why but there are many good reasons why it should be done this way if you have the time and want to...
this isn't the only way but is my preferred way as well about word for word...
alittle detail on my post. okay think if you wer a dog and the first few times you saw a hog you wer face to face with it. your just starting to get fired up at the whole idea. and the next time your shown the hog your owner wont let you in. think about when a dog bays outside a pen its usually obvious the dog wants in that pen and at that hog.
when I tie a hog and turn him loose the whole reason I start the dogs 100 yrds or so behind the trail is because I want them to learn to GO FIND that trail instead of being dropped right on top of it.
when I start taking them on real hunts the reason I turn them to bays is I believe it makes the dogs act " when my feet hit the ground I go to a hog" I turn them loose to bays until I feel like you and the dog has learned how hes gonna work hog.
the reason why I pen a young dog with an older one is to make the older dog seem like the pups buddy. so when I turn them loose together that pup sticks with the finished one.
don't always work. sometimes does.
and I also forgot to mention In my opinion I ATLEAST like to start with a pair of pups
