Toning Dogs

[TShelly]

What’s the best method to teach them? I’ve never messed with toning dogs at all. Normally we just showed them enough hogs they learned not to run deer, etc. never really been big about calling dogs off or out when hunting. Just the way I was brought up. One of the reasons our dogs have always had so much stick. Big e always told we were hunting as long as the dogs wanted to. There have a been a good many dogs that we collaborated on before going into the bay. One person to catch the hog the other guys to catch the red dog before they rolled off again because we ready to go home.

I have a damn nice set of 7 month olds that I can already see are going to cause me problems. Whether it be deer or just bottom on week night. Just trying to learn the best way.


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[Reuben]

I try not to shock s pup in the woods...super hard hunting pups with lots of hunt and bottom can be a big problem because they will run and catch most anything...the worst thing is running deer...

The first thing is teach them to bay and want hogs...bay pen of staged hunts is a good way. They need to know you approve of them baying and catching pigs...

Next is breaking them off of deer in the back yard...using a fresh deer hide or one that is frozen and maintained...I use an old deer shoulder mount with an old white sock or rolled up white paper towel tacked to the back end of the mount... I add deer scent to the sock or paper towel and I use a shock collar or cattle prod...three session with a week between sessions and they are about deer broke...after that turn them in on fresh hog sign on when the main strike dogs hit a good track...

Toning is good to shut them up in the dog box...calling them off of a dead hog or calling them back to you for whatever reason...

Outstanding pups can be a nightmare to break off of unwanted game when starting them or it can be fun when following a well laid out plan...

[The Old Man]

A long rope with the shock collar in place, ask them to come, if no response tone then bump with electricity, repeat with increasing intensity and time duration until they respond correctly, before you know it you can just tone without saying anything so long as they know where you are if they don't know where you are call and tone. The rope is just an anti bolt safety. Usually no more than one session is necessary with the rope and honestly often I skip the rope and yard session but when I do I am running a risk of one trying to run off to escape rather than respond correctly to escape which can be hard to overcome once it has happened.
That is the only time I ever tone a hunting dog the rest of the time they get only the electricity, I consider the tone warning like counting to a kid they learn they don't have to respond until the number before the spanking haha.
The only time I use the tone on cowdogs is for an attaboy like if I tell one to get head when he achieves that position and is really centered up and backed up enough to lead cattle I will tone him and brag on him a little they will learn to crave the tone as an atta boy but honestly I don't do that much as these cowdogs have lots of get ahead but I do have some that won't back enough for us to sticky cattle then they get a bump after I tell them to back and a tone when they comply.

[Slim9797]

Mine were taught in the woods. Started calling them in and toning the heck out of them at same time. Didn’t take long, they figured it out. Toned them off about 40 hogs bayed yesterday afternoon, I do not shock my dogs outside of a young one bumping a deer , that tone button is all they know. I call it my think about it button, cause them dogs know if they hear it they better think about what they’re doing


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[l.h.cracker]

When I start carrying a young dog to the woods I just tone them when I call them in even if it's 20ft to load up if they're way out and I whooooopwhoooop I give em a couple tones when I repeat I give em a couple tones.when they come in I praise them.Pretty soon I can tone them in from whatever distance.I don't shock them to get them to come.I only use that for trashing with no tone and have learned to only use when totally necessary like trashing on cows or when their heads burried in a armadillo hole or I see them jump a deer.The shocker can really set one of these cur dogs I raise back and they don't forget it to easily so you have to be very careful.My bulldogs on the other hand get a tone then electricity very quickly if they don't respond to the tone.If I send one to a bay and the bay breaks and runs I tone then light them up if they continue the chase and repeat before long if a bay breaks I can tone him in real quick and regroup so we don't have a bulldog a mile off through hell catching out.

[Judge peel]

I tried to tone a few in the woods it didn’t turn out to good. This one dog I toned to try to get her back was long gone lol. Last we seen her she was headed down 45 to Huston.


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[TShelly]

I tried to tone a few in the woods it didn’t turn out to good. This one dog I toned to try to get her back was long gone lol. Last we seen her she was headed down 45 to Huston.


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Lol this would be some of my older stuff.




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[TShelly]

Thank you for all the replies. I’m going to work on them this week.


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[Goose87]

I start mine out with a bark collar at home when they're about 6 months old, mine have a tone before the stimulation feature, they learn when they hear the tone to hush up, and it nonchalantly tone breaks them without associating you with any type of fear, once I start putting a handle on them I'll start tone  breaking them to commands and use the exact same method Old Man mentioned, I had one that figured out the first time what the rope was and just would freak out when he heard the tone and wouldn't walk with the rope, Cajun suggested on here to take him to a ball park and that's what I did, he couldn't escape when I toned him and I didn't have to worry with a long rope, it's taking me years to convince my hunting buddy that a shock collar isn't the antichrist, your not deep frying the dogs when you use it, and you should only have to shock your dogs as a means of last resort and as Old Man mentioned it's our way of giving them the countdown before the whooping, in my opinion it's the second greatest feature besides the garmin itself, it's our way of communicating with our dogs outside of ear shot, for those that have came up hunting their entire careers with garmin and tri Tronics will never know the agony lol, my old little girl gyp would stop and sit for a second when I'd start calling her, if she heard a tone she'd come on in, if she didn't you had to catch the hog to catch her or ambush her she became collar wise, I still use a 320 and just about every hunt I get mad and say ole so and so will never get turned loose again without a shock collar and somehow it always happens again lol...

[justincorbell]

When I start carrying a young dog to the woods I just tone them when I call them in even if it's 20ft to load up if they're way out and I whooooopwhoooop I give em a couple tones when I repeat I give em a couple tones.when they come in I praise them.Pretty soon I can tone them in from whatever distance.I don't shock them to get them to come.I only use that for trashing with no tone and have learned to only use when totally necessary like trashing on cows or when their heads burried in a armadillo hole or I see them jump a deer.The shocker can really set one of these cur dogs I raise back and they don't forget it to easily so you have to be very careful.My bulldogs on the other hand get a tone then electricity very quickly if they don't respond to the tone.If I send one to a bay and the bay breaks and runs I tone then light them up if they continue the chase and repeat before long if a bay breaks I can tone him in real quick and regroup so we don't have a bulldog a mile off through hell catching out.

I do very similar to what you posted with pretty good results. The only real difference that I do compared to you is that I tone before I shock every time, I dont just shock them.

[Cajun]

I start my pups when they are 4 or 5 months old putting a handle on them. I use a 75' ski rope with a snap on the end. We'll just go for a walk in a pasture and I will let the pup go to the end of the rope and every so often I will call him and tone him to come in. If he does not come in, I will give him a light bump and tone him. I will also give a tug on the rope to give him a general idea. Once he is in, I praise him while I am toning him. Only takes a few times and he knows what the tone means. Not a lot you can do with pups that age so that is when I start putting a handle on them. JMO but if you wait until you are in the woods to start toning them, you are way behind. If the dog wants to ignore you and you shock him he is liable to leave the country not knowing why he is being shocked. That dog is simply looking to get away from whatever is shocking him. I also do what Cracker does on his bulldog. If a hog breaks before the bulldog gets there, I want him coming back and a tone is all it takes after they get shocked a time or two. There is always more then one way to skin a cat but this is what works for me and the older I get the more handle I want on the dogs. lol If I am ready to go home I will tone the dogs out or if they are headed off the property or towards the highway they will get toned back. I agree it is one of the best tools going for the dogman.

[cajunl]

Same as everyone here has stated. It has been a literal life saver to some of my mutts around a busy highway.

As far as bottom I am still not sure if it hinders them or not? Guys i hunt some with truck honk/tone from 5-15 head of deer hounds off 4-5 doe races a day and the hounds will still stay with a buck race as long as it takes. Makes a huge difference to catching dogs from the old days.

BUT...I still try not to tone mine back when running unless i have to. Sometimes there is no choice, But I would much rather catch them at the hog.

[The Old Man]

One barks in the box when it is not a rig strike, I shock him and tell him to shut up, one runs trash I really shock him and scold him, (on the trash subject I actually look for those opportunities) I want him to know it was me that disciplined him, and for those things he doesn't get a warning, I am not trying to control him from these things, I am trying to "break" him from these things so he controls himself. If I call or tone one and he doesn't come I shock him. Haven't ruined one in many years but if he has a problem and breaking him from it ruins him he is automatically a cull. I do measure the intensity and duration of the shock to the individual dog and how much juice he can stand. Typically as mentioned in my above post I increase intensity and duration until the correct response is achieved and after a time or two I know what it takes to get  the proper response without getting their powder "too" damp. I almost never turn young dogs loose without a shock collar. I always say I do not train a dog what to do I just give him opportunity but I do teach them not to bark without reason, not to run off game, not to growl or posture at other dogs in the box or on the ground, and not to keep going or avoid me when I call them.

[TShelly]

I turned them loose at the house and we worked on it some. I wouldn’t say it was a success but it’s a start. I appreciate all the answers


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[make-em-squeel]

Ive stuck with mikes advice with my 2 and used electricity for trash, and the tone button means only one thing and its come here/load up. Cant say ive had to call them off a bay with them but its better than whooping and hollering to no avail... its actually worked real nice with my friends old dog, old dog did learn a new trick he will come straight in from anywhere with a tone and has not effected any of their hunt or bottom

[sacatchdog]

Hi guys, i bought a three year old dogo argentino catchdog but are struggling to introduce him to my pack. My old bluetick male dog who was the alpha male was quickly shown whose the boss but my american bulldog male dog isnt scared of him! Was wondering if i can shock them to make them behave?

[TheRednose]

Hi guys, i bought a three year old dogo argentino catchdog but are struggling to introduce him to my pack. My old bluetick male dog who was the alpha male was quickly shown whose the boss but my american bulldog male dog isnt scared of him! Was wondering if i can shock them to make them behave?

The first problem I see here in my opinion is there should not be an Alpha dog, there should only be one Alpha and that is you. Now it sounds like the dogo has already mixed it up with one of your pack, once they start it can sure be tough to break them, but not impossible. Shocking is not my preferred method of fixing this, though I have heard it can work but only with impeccable timing which means you would have to really understand body and behavior patterns. I like a more hands on approach, but to be honest these days if it takes much work to curb dog aggression that dog is gone plain and simple I just don't have the time or patience for it anymore.

This is just my own opinion, good luck.

[bigo]

 For the dogs that want to fight, I take a Texas Q-Tip and clean their ears out real good so they can hear me whisper. At the first sign of bowing up, I give them a reminder. Can you hear me now.

[sacatchdog]

Yes this is my first dogo after my bulldogs! But thanx guys, thats what i thought, they need to know whos the boss and thats by any method needed to let them understand!

[t-dog]

I don't know how you keep your dogs when you aren't around, be it chains or kennels or both, but the way you allow them to interact is key alpha or not. Most dogs are defensive when they are introduced to a new pack. If I see that a new dog is gonna be that way I muzzle them and I take the time to walk them up to every kennel with their head turned away so that the kennelled dog can smell them and they aren't growling and snapping at them while they are smelling. The whole time petting the new dog and reassuring it that it's ok. Then I kennel it and once it's done smelling around in the new home I get each of my dogs out and walk to the new dogs kennel and let him smell and get acquainted. If this doesn't work after a couple of times then I move on to the Texas tooth pick whispering technique lol. There isn't gonna be too much of that either or like the red nose said, their gone.

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