How/When to put a dog in the woods.

[Bryant]

Sorry Cantex...I suppose we got a little of subject of your question.

The only answer I can give you is to read through everything you find and then decide for yourself which way to proceed.  As you can tell from reading the replies to your post, there are probably as many methods are there are dogs and each can work.  I only shared what I know to work personally for me.

One thing though...if at all possible I would seriously consider my comment about kenneling the pup with a good finished dog if at all possible.  Even if you have to pay a kenneling fee, it will be worth the money (but only with a dog he will be on the ground with).

[uglydog]

You have alot of solid advice, some of it differs but it all works, you just have to find which is gonna work for you.
I havestarted some out as early as 8 months but won't any more, the youngest and that is if the dog is mature enough woud be 10 months (for cur) in my pack.  I would tell you to leave about half of the pack/help dogs at home when you do take your pup out for the real deal, that is one thing I don't like is running a pup on the ground with alot of dogs. It can be intimidating to a young dog. Your other dog that stays close, leave it at home, you already know what that dog is gonna do, and it sounds like there are plenty of other dogs along for helping.

One method that has not been brought up yet (if you hunt off a 4-wheeler/mule/vehicle) keep the dog boxed or tied until the lead dogs have started a hog and turn your pup to the bay the first couple of times out, learning that when turned loose you are looking for a hog, no time to get on trash. I don't reccomend keeping a young dog leashed when walk hunting though, they learn wrong things this way too.

[Silverton Boar Dogs]

When I am training on a young dog I will run it during the day "when I don't expect to find any hogs" with the set of dogs I want it to hunt like...long, close ect... and when the pup can stay up with the older dogs on the run for several outs I will start to take him hunting. I will put him down with the older dogs and let him stay down untill he gits tired and doesn't roll out after checking in, he will then go in the box untill the dogs get a bay going and then I will let him out. I do not care about anything that dog does execpt that I want him to run with the older dogs when he is on the ground and show up at the bay, I want him to have fun and be bold, the rest will come very fast if it is in the breeding. My pups all know the "get out" command and I use it when they "think about doing" something I don't like.

Paul T

[BRUTE]

I do that alot too Silverton. It seems like once they know the hunting routine then if you add in actually getting on hogs they have alot more confidence.

Plus, if they will stay out of trouble on a dry run then I know they will when we are catching hogs. Plus, if I did have to tune on the dog its not so bad when I am not really planning on catching hogs. When I go out to actually hunt serious, I want the young dogs to know the routine.

[Flatbroke]

Thanks for the laugh realdogs, that was pretty funny

[pigstkr]

when i srart my pups out here in ca, i wait to some sortof maturity level shows, i run them in the orchard with my 2 lead dogs just to bond and they are suited up with cut collars when i run them ....and when i decide to take it to the woods i run him or her out with 2 lead dogs...and run 2 catch dogs .  in my opinion tooo many dogs out there with a pup in the group just throws too much confusion in the pup.  i do start the pups in a baypen young but not too much...as far as trashin it just shows me i have a dog that has "game" and now it is up to me and the lead dogs to show the pup what we are hunting for....right or wrong it seems to work for me.....pigstkr