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"Starting" an older dog

Was just given a 2 yr old mountain cur by a friend. Dog is well bred, Jukebox on top and Streak on the bottom. Dog was hardly hunted before I got her. I've had her out a couple of times and she handles like a dream, hunts about as good as any dog I've ever had, staying real busy with her nose to the ground all the time, comes when you call her and rides well. Here is the "but". She does not act very tree-minded as of yet. My thought is that with the breeding, this dog should eventually tree. My plan is just to continue hunting her. I like the dogs personality a lot so I guess I'm pulling for her. My question is this. What kind of experiences both positive and negative do any of you have with starting a pen stale dog. How much hunting does it usually take to get an older dog going? Is it the same as starting a dog you raised from a pup? Would you trap some squirrels? Do you hunt her with a finished dog? Would really love to hear from you guys on this one. Thanks.

You could never put a time or how quick she will start and the same goes for a pup, i would not show her any cage squirrels or put her with another dog just hunt her alone and put her in squirrels and if she is going to make a tree dog she will, i don't think its the same as starting out with a young pup you have raised and bonded with from 6 weeks old yet at the same time 2 years old is not that old for a dog to start and if you put in the woods time and she has the goods you will have a squirrel dog but the 2 has to come full circle for it to happen, good luck i hope you can get her going.

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yellow gold!

I'm a firm believer

in if a dog hasn't been fooled with & they have the pure natural born ability they don't really get to old to start. I think that if they do have the natural born instincts & the trainer uses their head putting them on desired game every time you drop them & not doing something to mess them up it can happen more regularly than most believe. I've taken 4 year old unhunted coondogs & have them treeing coon & getting split with the meat regularly within a month or so of hunting. Put them where the desired game is every time you drop them & if they have it it will show eventually in my opinion.

im not a expert on these curs but you will find some that just won't bark on a tree had 1 that would put 1 up but wouldn't bark a lick just stand on the tree and look only way she would bark if it was a small tree you act like you was gonna climb it good luck with your dog

Try putting out a few feeders. I like to use a simple 5 gallon bucket with three evenly spaced one inch holes drilled in the sides a couple inches from the bottom. It will hold apx 30 lbs of corn or whatever you prefer and you can just sit it on the ground. Try and place it where the dog will be able to see it a long ways off. Hopefully there will be squirrel (s) on the ground and the dog will see them scurry up the nearest tree and nature will take over from there. It may take up to a couple weeks before the feeders start getting used regularly.

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I'll quit when it is no longer fun.

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Originally posted by moleman
You could never put a time or how quick she will start and the same goes for a pup, i would not show her any cage squirrels or put her with another dog just hunt her alone and put her in squirrels and if she is going to make a tree dog she will, i don't think its the same as starting out with a young pup you have raised and bonded with from 6 weeks old yet at the same time 2 years old is not that old for a dog to start and if you put in the woods time and she has the goods you will have a squirrel dog but the 2 has to come full circle for it to happen, good luck i hope you can get her going.

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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...