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-- Starting Bear Dogs (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=286851)

Starting Bear Dogs

If i could find a recent post i would have just looked at that, If there is one point it in my direction.

What age are all you bear hunters starting your pups at? 6mo-1yr? Or more like 1.5-2yr?

Reason is my 15 month old female just got hurt pretty bad on her second mean bear and I was talking to someone and he thought I might have started her to early on bear. Shes seen over 10 bear races already this year and equal amounts of trees and coon hunted for half a season too. Do you guys have any problems with a young dog getting hurt? Did I start her too soon? Whats your guys standing on the subject?

I like to wait till 10 mo. but have started one at 6 mo. had some friends start some at 4 1/2 mo. and had good luck with them it depends a lot on the pup a lot of pealpe say when they will go with the older dogs but we don't have a bad problem with mean bear most of the time hear a lot of big timber bears are for the most treed before dogs get to them but if I was some were were a lot of bears was caugth on the ground I would wait till a less 10 mo.
good luck

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Scott Long
Plottsrus Kennels
"God loves Plotts too"

starting pups

I like to wait until they are around a year old .But alot of our bears hate to tree and the dogs have to make them.Its like Plottsrus said I guess it depends on the area you hunt.

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Its a **** poor woman who cant support a man and a pack of hounds.

http://www.sprucemountainhunting.com

alot of it comes down to the dog . some mature alot faster then others . If your young dog got hurt you'll find out quick if she's a real bear dogwill she go right back at it or will she quit. Alot of dogs don't come back if the get hurt to bad right off quick

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cut them loose

Well she must have it. About 2 weeks off and she was back at it again. Doing a great job.