Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
Posts: 2027

Hey guys another question for you all. I've been wondering how many of you trainers out there incorporate obedience training in there pups at an early age. I have read that hounds hunt for themselves, unlike a lab, who is trained to retrieve for there master. If a trainer encourages a hound to be super independent, and keeps his training exercises limited to hunting activities isn't he in a way forfeiting his position as the pack leader. I would think that early obedience would be a great way to establish your dominance early, and would help mature the pup earlier, also given the hound a sense of security and placement in the pack. Leading overall, to a better handling,more confident, and more intelligent hound. On the other hand, I know a lot of guys that won't even bother breaking a hound on a lead till there going strong on coon.

What are your different thoughts and opinions on this subject.

Also as a side note, do you think it would be possible to train a hound to hunt in a certain direction based on hand gestures upon release.

Last edited by Fisher13 on 02-08-2013 at 06:07 PM

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Registered: Oct 2011
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I have a buddy I hunt with that taps his hounds on one side of the other and says " right " or " left " I agree with the obedience training. I tried a different approach with my current and raised him like I have my labs. I know with out doubt it made him a better mannered hound. As crazy as it sounds I've thought about spending the time to get him trained as a therapy dog. I just believe it would be good all around. Help with obedience, project a positive image for the hunter & hound, as well as help people in need. My wife and friends think I'm crazy for that! Lol

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Los Angeles, MN
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You can spend as much time training any silly thing you want.

It wont make them better at what they do.

Hunting for themselves is the nature of the game.

It takes a dog AND a hunter to be successfull at bird hunting....A hounds job is to tree a coon...he dont need you one bit for that.

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Registered: Jan 2007
Location: Al
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quote:

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Originally posted by josh
You can spend as much time training any silly thing you want.

It wont make them better at what they do.

Hunting for themselves is the nature of the game.

It takes a dog AND a hunter to be successfull at bird hunting....A hounds job is to tree a coon...he dont need you one bit for that.

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I personally don't think obedience training makes hunt any better. But it sure makes them more pleasurable to hunt. At this point in my life I'm just not into chasing a disobedient hound all night! Lol simple things like sit, load up, heel, and recall sure are nice. Plus spending the time training I think helps with bonding and makes them want to please you. I know I'll never go back to hunting dogs that don't mind.

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Registered: May 2008
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If it does nothing else it makes for an easier handling dog...which imo is more enjoyable to hunt...


I was with a buddy and his dog once....it treed across a creek....we couldnt cross it safely...and it is a good hour around...i said "well...1 more drop did us.in again! Looks like we arent ending early tonite!" He said yes we are....he called that dog off the tree from 100yds away...it was impressive..took a few.minutes...but he came...


I do like to think my dog knows he needs to please me and keep me happy and i am his master...


My dog and my buddies that.i hunt all run loose a lot on the farm...mine goes to camp with me..they interact with people a lot...more than many hounds....i think it makes for an easier handling dog that knows who its boss is....i am weird...i talk to my dog all the time...this winter mine got treed across from thehouse....dad just got home and was listening.....the next day he asked who i was hunting with...i told him noone why? He.asked who the heck i was talking to lol....told him just my dog...he looked at me like i was nuts....

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Registered: Aug 2006
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I want my dog obedieant or as a bird dog guy calls it biddable. If its not it is just a dog. I have one that is tone broke. Greatest thing since sliced bread and coca-cola Tone broke, whistle broke, hand signals whatever you do an obedient dog is just way more pleasurable to hunt with. You can start the obedience training at a very young age without effecting the hunting desire. jmho

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Registered: Mar 2006
Location: va
Posts: 503

I agree with mr. Clark Ive done the retriever hunt tests and obedience is the name of the game.As far as hounds go I've seen it be a HUGE benefit to have obedient hounds when you are hunting multiple dogs as well as just one at a time. I know if you ever do any bear hunting you will definitely agree after you have to lead 3 wound up hounds threw thick cover up and down mountains. I don't think it would affect how a hound hunts but makes the hunt a little more pleasurable for the handler. I like teachin commands like load, heel, and here. But I've known guys that could call each dog by name out of the box and and have a perfect handle on their dogs so that they never had to snap a lead on them to walk out from a tree. I know that I like to develop a bond with the hounds that I get and I believe that doing yard work helps with that bond and establishing you as the leader.

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Registered: Dec 2012
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Awesome thanks guys, let's take this a step further then. What are some commands that you would deem the most valuable in hound training.

The ones I can think of off the top of my head would be, heel,sit,load and recall. I also think it would be neat to be able to change the direction the hound is hunting, mid hunt through the means of a whistle.

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To me the most important comand is tone recall because it can be used in a wide variety of situations. Ex: safety- keep dogs from crossing road.
Second on my list would be heel & or loose leash. I'm just not going to be dragged through briars etc. I will say this though. I think all obedience training goes hand in hand and works together. I have used my tone recall to keep my hound from crossing a river which to me is a safety issue as much as it is me not wanting to swim! I often get to the tree in the middle of a swamp and after checking the tree tell him dead let's go and never put a leash on him. I once seen Duke Proloux on treed TV call a gyp off the tree by saying heel and she came up beside him and never barked again, plus followed him out of the woods. Very impressive. I think hounds are a lot smarter than people give them credit. Most hunters just don't take the time to teach obedience but then complain about having to swim a river or chase a hound at the end of the night.

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Registered: Apr 2010
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I have trained many beagles with hand signals and you can light train coon dogs. I prefer a nicer handling dog and they usually show more brains all the way around.

The ability to comunicate with your dogs often makes the a improvement in your hound to bring out what you want.


Then there is just natural abilty. I like my dog to listen.

Jeff Ashmore

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Registered: Dec 2012
Location: Pennsylvania
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quote:

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Originally posted by Jeff Ashmore
I have trained many beagles with hand signals and you can light train coon dogs. I prefer a nicer handling dog and they usually show more brains all the way around.

The ability to comunicate with your dogs often makes the a improvement in your hound to bring out what you want.


Then there is just natural abilty. I like my dog to listen.

Jeff Ashmore

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Registered: Jan 2010
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I start training/working mine when i first start feeding him ,if the litter was being raised by me,,,Start just as soon as they are weaned .

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u ever see them work those sheep with a dog now thats impressive jmo

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I'm done when I'm done not the dog and as I have heard before I want one I have to get off a tree to me that's sign language for I'm to lazy to put a handle on a dog!!!!lol and jmo but I raise pups and take them to the woods pretty much every evening from the time they are 7 weeks and it's is so easy to put a handle on a dog when you spend time with them everyday !! They Lear n everything by repetition and you also build the trust and bond with that dog that will go farther than any switch ever wanted to!!! Jmo I have to hunt that dog 6 nights a week pleasure hunting and it makes the whole hunt that much more enjoyable with a dog that has a handle!!! It's not a magic wand it's is consistence and repetition daily!!!!

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Registered: Oct 2012
Location: alabama
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imprinting a litter makes alot of difference to me then just letten them grow up to training age... though i dont really start worken with a dog until its around 7 to 9 months.. i play games you could say with the pups as soon as they get walking size and let them run free as much as they want.. the last litter i had they would be out running around in the yard all i would have to do is open the kennel dog and say lets eat and they would one by one go into the kennel to eat after two weeks of doing that all i had to do was open the kennel door and they arleady knew it was time to eat.

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got some pups born nov.1st I do the same thing let them out and run somedays before feeding and tell them kennel up when carrying food out, funny how quick they learn this. have always done this with hounds when come home from hunting, they learn after I get all the collars off etc.Kennel up they go straight in, I like mine to go to the truck when leave the pen also at night and wait for me normally if not there I holler there names and load, just so nice when they handle. been doing something different with these pups I guess imprinting in a way, I'll take a coon or hide from the nights hunt take food out to the pups,tease them and let them get real interested pet them up then feed, trying to associate coon with good rewards? who knows never tried it but sure can't hurt if not over done? any feed back?? Oh also got little blue female fetching some, she seems to like it and starting to know her name, just wish I could spend more time with them.

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Last edited by Randy Howard on 02-09-2013 at 12:35 AM

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i do the hide with the feed also i will put a caged coon in the back of the truck and drop the tailgate turn the pup aloose dont take long that way and they will automaticaly load up no shock collar involed though i have used them befor but i like to not use them.

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Somewhere I've got some pics of the last litter I raised,,10 females and 2 males all setting in a semi circle at my wife's feet . She had them all trained to sit ,standup when she spoke their name for their treat . The treat was those bacon flavored strips in a resealable pouch. all I had to do was step out of the house and hollar hey you guys,,boy here they would come a running over top of each other. lol, Then I would say whoa ,thats where stay til we sat in our lawn chairs to play /bond with them. I had most of them bench broke at 8 weeks old . To me they are so much fun to work with starting at that young age, A little later on in the training when they saw the truck backed toward the 2 i kept they knew it was load up when I went out and cut them loose. Oh well enough rambling ,,,Good Luck with all your pups boys .

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I haven't leashed a hound in a very long time. I can call em off the tree or across the river, when I want to go they come no exceptions and it has saved their life more than once. Hounds are one of the smartest breeds of dogs there is, they just like to push your buttons and they will if you allow it. Don't take one bit of hunt outa em either. If I hunted like I did fourty years ago I'da quit by now. You can hunt harder or smarter, your choice.

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I guess I m a little bacwards when it cumes to pups training.
They run loose here,hunt instinct develops on its own.
When they r proficient at "coonhunting" then I train/civilize them to the way I require.
Nvr. do I compromise my position as ALPHA,from day one until I bury them.
I will not tolarate disobedience.
Hand signals/eye contact /tone all r a way of life for my dogs,
Sure they test me,but like I said I do not compromise my ALPHA position.

Respect goes a long way & makes for easy training.
All dogs r different,all learn at different rates,all respond differently to the same stimuli.
I personally do not use any kind of test to evaluate a prospect. I relay on a dogs personality or lack of a personality, as to the direction I take with it.

Dont know about u but I have found dogs that lack personality r below average to say the least. Not worth my time!

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Registered: Dec 2011
Location: indiana
Posts: 111

possibilities with any dog persistence is key since we r talkin bout hounds if u dont try it then how u no it aint possible by two years old a dog in my opinion should be completely broke i have a male trees consistently vee-e-e-e--ry few slicks i go in to tree shine coon pet him say we r done snap lead and just drop it he walks by my side all way to truck if it a den i say den go on he gone kill season i shoot out coon snap lead to him and snap coon to the other end of lead he gets lead between his legs drags coon all way to truck and yes ive get threatened with divorce once a month and when friends see me pull up with my wife they ask where the dog lol but again endless possibilities

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quote:

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Originally posted by Dogwhisper
I guess I m a little bacwards when it cumes to pups training.
They run loose here,hunt instinct develops on its own.
When they r proficient at "coonhunting" then I train/civilize them to the way I require.
Nvr. do I compromise my position as ALPHA,from day one until I bury them.
I will not tolarate disobedience.
Hand signals/eye contact /tone all r a way of life for my dogs,
Sure they test me,but like I said I do not compromise my ALPHA position.

Respect goes a long way & makes for easy training.
All dogs r different,all learn at different rates,all respond differently to the same stimuli.
I personally do not use any kind of test to evaluate a prospect. I relay on a dogs personality or lack of a personality, as to the direction I take with it.

Dont know about u but I have found dogs that lack personality r below average to say the least. Not worth my time!

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As far as a leash goes. I competition hunt.
Sumwher in the rules it states that dogs "must be handled at tree", so I put a lead on the dog to satisfy that rule.If it wasnt for that rule I would nvr. put a lead on that dog.Don't need one xcept for a nitehunt.This particular dog has bird dog manners.A pure pleasure to hunt,what I consider a DELUXE,and a personality better than mine.lol!

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quote:

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Originally posted by Fisher13
Many studies have shown that challenging pups mentally early improve there ability to process information later as adults. We do the same with our children, why anyone would think differently is beyond me.

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