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Getting this old dog back into it

Back in '09 I decided I was going to get back into coon hunting, hard. I got a male pup and set out to make the best coon dog in the county. For 6 months I walked that pup through the woods, laid drags, and introduced it to two cage coons.
At 3 1/2 months old I turned him loose in the yard and he treed my sisters cat. Most beautiful thing i had ever seen. At 6 months I took him out with an older dog. First night he went a couple hundred yards and came back, I put him in the box. Next night, turned him out and he never looked back. Treed with the old dog that second night.
Fast forward a year and he was burning the woods up, couldn't wait to put
Him in some hunts. Got a second on him.
Then I find out my girlfriend is pregnant. New "real job", working real hours, swing shifts, plus raising a baby, and that once in a lifetime coon dog now has to spend 5-6 nights a week in the pen rather than in the woods.
Fast forward to December 2014 and that young pup is now 5. I hunted him very sparingly over the past 3 years. Never being realistic with myself when I wondered why he didn't seem into hunting anymore. So after a heart to heart with the man who played the role of dad for me and taught me everything I know about this sport, I've decided to put away the tv time, stop making excuses, and give my ol plott the woods time he's deserved for so long.
My boy is 3 now and loves going hunting with "his dog". But my dog still doesn't act like he has any drive to go like he used to. He treed a possum the other night, second time ever in his life. I never scolded him, just proud to see him work the track and tree something. He treed on a den tree last Friday too.
I'm needing advice from some knowledgable folks to help get him back into hunting hard and treeing some coon on a regular basis. What should I do? He's no cull, five years and I've grown mighty attached to him.

Thanks for taking the time to read, any and all advice is appreciated.
James Holland

Turning him out

Forgot to mention, when I cut him he will slowly trot into the woods. He'll smell around, hunts about a 250 yard circle and comes back. Whereas before, he would take off like a bullet. Still will do that on the rare occasion I hunt him with another dog.

Maybe start with a trip to the veterinarian. Some blood work, a fecal sample, just to make sure he is 100 percent healthy and take that out of the equation.

__________________
Home of:
A couple blue haired potlickers

Gone but not forgotten:
Nt Ch Fanny's Midnite Blue Annie - aka Sodie Pop R.I.P. - I will miss you old girl

Nt Ch Becky’s Midnite Blue Hank - R.I.P. Old Boy, thank you for the memories

Gr Nt Ch S&E's Midnite Lite Blue Snow (Co-Owned with my good friend Harry Eidenier) - We had a blast following you ole girl!

quote:

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Originally posted by Vic Stoll
Maybe start with a trip to the veterinarian. Some blood work, a fecal sample, just to make sure he is 100 percent healthy and take that out of the equation.

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Hunting with another dog would probably get him jacked up to hunt again. A lot of dogs that get laid up for a while act a little slow the first few times out