Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

Seems like over the years I've had several nice young dogs that went crazy, blew up, or went through serious slumps between 16 months and 2 years of age. Beginning to think I hunt them too hard. Is it better to hunt them through a slump, or give them a little time off? Looking forward to your experiences and responses!

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Registered: Dec 2005
Location: wakarusa, indiana
Posts: 3304

Every dog listed in my signature has gone through this.....I call it the terrible 2s.....beat thing is to keep hunting them. It wont last forever

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Registered: Jul 2008
Location: N.E. Iowa
Posts: 363

Almost every beagle, hound, or cut I have raised/trained has gotten a case of "stupids" between 12-18 months. Normally lasts 1-2 months then most of the time they snap back out of it. I compare it to good kids that become stupid teenagers for a while then straighten out.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

Hunting one in particular that is 17 months old, that treed coons regularly all winter. He's done stuff the last several nights that leaves me scratching my head. Refusing to hunt, junk races, blowing out of the world when he does leave...
Frustrating to say the least.

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Registered: Sep 2011
Location: North Alabama
Posts: 188

Best thing to do is lay them up as long as you can, (2 weeks, a month is even better).

More often than not they will come right out of the "crazies"

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Registered: Nov 2008
Location: Englewood TN
Posts: 452

Happens to most if not all, lay it up, for a good while.

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Registered: May 2008
Location:
Posts: 908

funny how dogs go through "stages"....and some dogs "mood swings" my buddies female was the first female i ever worked with and female i ever hunted....shes a solid coon dog...but once in a while she is moody...just wont give 100%..dang moody females anyhow! lol it aint bad..and really no rhyme or reason around her heat cycle or anything....she is usually pretty excitable and rearin to go...once in a while she will just be "blah" and she'll show it...she will still hunt...but half heartedly...

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Registered: Jan 2012
Location: Indiana
Posts: 879

Young dogs are going to struggle this time of year with the sows in the shape there in. I just hunt away they need the experience when they can't smell them they learn to use there nose

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Registered: Jan 2011
Location: Rockmart, Ga.
Posts: 2652

The best dog I ever owned was gave to me when she was 18 months old. The guy that gave her to me is a friend of mine. He couldn't believe the progress she made after that. And I'm NOT a good dog trainer.

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Registered: Jul 2011
Location: tennessee
Posts: 2441

i had a 15 month old dog that i was hunting every night nearly, it was hottest time of summer and he just stopped hunting. i put him up for a week and after that i never had any troubles him hunting again.

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Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Clarksville, AR
Posts: 1077

Hoping its a combination of time of year, age, moon phase, something...

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: milan,mi
Posts: 1379

All depends on YOUR patience. If you can put up with the stupids for some time without trying to Fix them and making things worse then go ahead and run. If not then give the dog a break, some need a week others longer some not at all. If the dog has it in em they will turn out ok. JMHO

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Registered: Dec 2007
Location: Dallas, NC
Posts: 1111

This is a good thread. Should of had a poll at the top for
"lay em up" or hunt them through it. Im having the same problem right now with a young male that is 19 months old and he has been showin out for about a month now. Driving me crazy and testing my patience for sure. Hopefully he will come around.

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Registered: Dec 2011
Location: juniata county pa
Posts: 640

mine is now getting over her stupids, i think. she was doing great one night and not doing so great the next. she would blow out of the country like a idiot one time and the next time she would a great job.still not sure if shes getting it strait all the way yet but shes doing better now. still got room for improvement thats for sure. im hope this is her problem. i know she knows what shes is doing but sometimes she just makes no sence.

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Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Western Pa
Posts: 3377

Lay them up and take the dog in the kennel next to them hunting for a week or two straight.

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: Anderson co Tennessee
Posts: 1944

quote:

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Originally posted by micooner
All depends on YOUR patience. If you can put up with the stupids for some time without trying to Fix them and making things worse then go ahead and run. If not then give the dog a break, some need a week others longer some not at all. If the dog has it in em they will turn out ok. JMHO

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Registered: Feb 2010
Location: West York IL
Posts: 267

swap dogs with a buddy take them out of there comfort zones then they will go back to treeing coons that all they know

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Registered: Mar 2012
Location: illinois
Posts: 95

quote:

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Originally posted by Cory Highfill
Seems like over the years I've had several nice young dogs that went crazy, blew up, or went through serious slumps between 16 months and 2 years of age. Beginning to think I hunt them too hard. Is it better to hunt them through a slump, or give them a little time off? Looking forward to your experiences and responses!

---

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Registered: Jan 2010
Location: indiana
Posts: 398

Just went through it, makes u crazy for sure most people said cull cull knew it was in him before just had to wait for it to show again laid him up hunted if wasn't right laid Jim up again had to do this several times last few nights looked great and acts better. Glad I did not give up on him.

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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: SW Missouri
Posts: 1405

Dogs go through a lot of stages just like we humans do.

2 is about maturity for most med sized dogs. Hormones are balancing out and final growth spurt for filling out is about done. I swear 16 mos to 28 mos is like 18-25 years for a human!

It's not just hounds. Police k9 and bird dogs are also prone to such loss of sanity for a short (though can feel never ending) period.

Just be glad it's not up to 3 like some of the large breeds! I've worked bloodhounds that were great tracking dogs and all the sudden 2 1/2-3 they seemed to get dumb over night and took their sweet time getting back w the program. Have had same experience w danes.

You can, and I do, work dogs through it after taking a cool off period (for me, not the dog). It is easy to get frustrated and working the dogs at the time they are all goofy and you are frustrated only causes set backs and issues to fix later (that wouldn't have been issues if left in the kennel).

I am so gung ho on my dogs that I have to step out and remember what stage they are in before I can work them with a clear head. The time off, I believe, helps them clear the clutter in their brains a little quicker. JMO

Sure is frustrating. The better the dog, the more frustrating it is going through that slump.

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Registered: May 2006
Location: northeast ohio
Posts: 1307

if they have it in the beginning they will come back around

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