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-- Starting Pups (http://forums.ukcdogs.com/showthread.php?threadid=928459469)

Starting Pups

I like to start my pups early, I generally start them on rabbits, but I will take what I can get, I worked three 11 week old pups this evening on groundhogs. The short run from where they are eating to there hole has lots of scent and keeps there attention pretty well. They are plentiful along the meadows, so you can get on several in an evening, with a break for play time in between. Once they complete the short tracks consistently, I move them on to rabbits, and then coon, bear ect. I don't promote deer chases, but they don't excite me much with pups. I will use caged game in very small doses through out the first 6-8 months. I like to let them explore and find there own way. They are left loose until they cant behave, or start running off. I try not to mix obedience training with hunting training anymore than necessary in the first 5-6 months. This works well for me, Im not a believer in puppy boot camp, as personalities in the pups differ so must our training methods. There are several houndsman on here, that have forgotten more than I know, lets hear what you all think. Just trying to bring out some helpful info, we never quit learning. Excited to hear your thoughts!

Im no expert by any means but I dont like to do anything involving hunting until a pups at least 6 months old. Sure lead training, coming when called, loading up, that sort of thing can be done anytime. But Id rather wait till theyre at least 6 momths old, then start putting them on bear. They wont lead the races or finish all the real long races, but it doesnt take very long to see if theyll make it or not. Just my opinion though

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Outlaw Kennels

If they don't bay, they don't stay

Catch em and stretch em, tree em and free em

'PR' McPherson's Big Mouth Brandy

pups

My cousin, does the same with his young dogs, with great success. He doesn't like the thoughts of his running anything but a bear. I certainly understand that. Thanks for the response. I am certainly no expert either.

Now if I have a pup thats 6 or 7 months old in say January or February and I know Ive got 7 or 8 months before bear season Ill coon hunt it pretty heavy. But Im not a big trashbreaker. If I have a dog that knows better then thats one thing, but when Im just takin em coon huntin whatever they run is ok by me. No I dont support deer races but they gotta learn to run a track before you worry about what track theyre running, and if they can flat drive a deer out of the country you know right then that theyve got the drive in em. If they tree a possum Ill pet em up at that age, theyre learning to run a track and tree. Now when bear season rolls around if theyve got any sense at all they figure out that theyre only gettin turned loose on that one critter and they usually dont worry about running trash anymore. Now I sound like I run a pile of trashy dogs but a dog that wants to please you will fgure out pretty quick that youre only turning them loose when they can smell a bear, so apparently that makes you happy with them.

__________________
Outlaw Kennels

If they don't bay, they don't stay

Catch em and stretch em, tree em and free em

'PR' McPherson's Big Mouth Brandy

I agree with Bayemup34, I don't like to start a hound hunting until it can stay up with the pack. I find myself waiting until the pups are 10-12 months old in some situations before starting because once I start them, I like to hunt them at least every other day. If they are 6-8 months old when business requires me to travel which is usually Jan. thru March, I wait until April to start the pups. I have found in my dogs that a dog that is started very early, say 5-6 months never seems to quite make the dog that I think he/she should be. It seems the pups that are started later improve over a longer period and finish out as better hounds.
Of course, I hunt these blue potlickers.
Adios,
Gary

I start my pups a lot younger than most. I live at the end of the road so my pups have free range until they start chasing to many deer. Usually at 3.5 months they start riding along and start following me to trees. I hunt a lot of areas where I have over a mile hike to the tree and I think having young pups start young it develops there homing abilities. When I turn loose on a track I never encourage pups to go but give them the opportunity to go if they want too. Usually they first go a couple hundred yards then return. At 6 months I expect my pups to be truck to tree dogs and at a year old to be pretty much finished dogs. Yes I worry about bayups but I have a pack of good bay dogs and I have never seen a real young pup get aggressive on there first bayups they mostly stay in the background.

Good stuff

Thanks for your input, I have trouble not taking them along myself. I think them being loose as young pups really helps. I realize not all can, or would even want to, but I think it really moves mine along.