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Hunting Dog intelligent Traits?

I’ll start off with nose...

I think believe that an intelligent dog can be hot nosed...but if he doesn’t have at least a medium nose then he won’t look very good trying to figure out a colder feeding track...he will only be able to wind game that’s close up...a not so intelligent dog might look better in these conditions...

I picked this trait first because an intelligent dog with a colder nose can be pretty awesome...

Everyone at least add one trait and why and intelligent dog must have...

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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...

Not sure if this qualifies, but kennel manners for me is #1because without them I'm not even keeping the dog long enough to find out anything else.

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The fun is over once you pull the trigger

Ron Ashbaugh
CROOKED FOOT KENNELS

An intelligent dog is "capable" of figuring out tracks ... Wether hot or cold..

Brains is a premium "trait" for me in a dog.

If a so called "intelligent" dog can only figure a hot track out or only a cold track how intelligent is it ?....imo it ain't to intelligent .

It lacks brains.....

An intelligent dog knows which tracks they can smell good enough to put an end on the track and leave alone the ones they can’t. An intelligent hound has better problem solving skills.

Jgarrett

I think you nailed it, the very few that I have been priviged to hunt with and or own seemed to tree most every track they struck, hot or cold. They never fooled with tracks that fizzled out, they knew when they opened they would finish the track and so did you. My hunting partner has one now that's uncanny smart, a top coon dog in any man's book and deadly accurate. He was trained with my old dog that was just as smart and deadly accurate, one of only 3 I ever owned that I called a top coon dog. Dave

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Dave Richards Treeing Walkers Reg American Saddlebred and Registered Rocky Mt. Show Horses

I have had some super hard tree dogs that would trail right past dogs locked down treed without throwing a locate and go on and tree the coon they missed.



Tar

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Ruben after seeing you talk about intelligent dogs. I would like to offer a twist on intelligence that includes the handler into the mix. Something many I think miss.

Some think an intelligent dog has the ability to figure things out.

I think more importantly, is the intelligent dog that once seen how something works. He understands to do it over and over again and doesn't forget the positive of his experience. That is where the handler comes in when working young dogs. Making it easy for them to see the positive. Then the dog repeats it by bringing their tools to the table and learning to excel at it.

That is how I look for intelligence. By the dog building upon its training with his own skills that align with the training and then surpasses it.

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www.ConkeysOutdoors.com
"Boss Lights"

Bruce, I agree with you...even the professional artists and athletes need training to perform against the best...

I will also say a star is born and not made...but with training will become better...

a child at 6 years of age could pick up a paint brush and paint a beautiful picture. With proper coaching become better and then exceed the coaching as he or she improves...

A child could be a natural born actor...I couldn’t do it even at 65...

Not many are born to be truly awesome...

There is no doubt the right handler or coach can bring out the best whether it is an average or above average student or dog or even if it were natural born to do it...



The wrong handler or coach can ruin or at least not bring out the best in a dog or student...

I also believe a real intelligent pup can be ruined easily or at least have a major setback when corrected wrongly...

An example would be when a young dog gets shocked for running a deer but was actually shocked when running a hot coon track...an average dog might be set back a little but a very intelligent young dog might quit for a longer while...and in the wrong hands go downhill from there...

Most of us know that a young dog should like the woods and liking to catch coons before introducing discipline of the negative kind...

And everyone should know not to shock if your not absolutely sure if the pup is running trash or not...

I think most everything I said here is in agreement with your post...

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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...

quote:

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Originally posted by Jgarrett
An intelligent dog knows which tracks they can smell good enough to put an end on the track and leave alone the ones they can’t. An intelligent hound has better problem solving skills.

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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...

What I Have Observed

*The higher the intelligence the less the hunter/handler can mess up. Highly intelligent dogs learn and remember from one incident. They absolutely do not need repetitive experiences to learn.
*High intelligence dogs can identify one animal from another of the same species. That's why they are so quick. They don't switch animal.
They can count coon!
*Highly intelligent hounds don't backtrack if they really want to catch the game.
*Highly intelligent hounds learn the terrain and know to go around cliffs, know that if the field is frozen and bare of cover that they don't have to trail across it and just cut to the other side and pick up the scent.
*Highly intelligent dogs usually do not trust strangers. Most will act shy until know that they can trust you.

Re: What I Have Observed

quote:

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Originally posted by Kler Kry
[
*Highly intelligent dogs usually do not trust strangers. Most will act shy until know that they can trust you. [/B]

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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...

I feel intelligence can be instilled by handling as a pup. Give me a calm, dark eyed pup that will look me in the eye and I can teach it almost anything. First thing I do is instill the will to please in the pup. That can be done real early in a pups life by teaching simple commands and the reward system which can be either praise or treats, preferably both. I also teach them when I'm unhappy and it's amazing how fast a pup picks up on this and responds to trying to keep you happy. Simply some people like to mess with pups and some don't but thats why kids and puppies do so good together.

Yadkinriver...good post

Over the years I learned what you are saying...the pups and dogs must learn to trust...we have to earn it for them to trust us...As you said, treats and praise...correction are for correcting an issue more than the pup...sometimes we have to apply a little more to get their attention...but day in and day out my pups and dogs get that sheepish look on their face and come around for me to pet them up...most of the time I do and sometimes I don’t give forgiveness depending on the act...these interactions happen quite often in the back yard at feeding and exercise time...I just want to make sure I get respect and trust without the fear...

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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...