Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5644

When was the first time you ever hunted with a Top Coon Dog, one that really opened your eyes? I remember my first time, I was in my early twenties and had a very good coon dog ( I thought ) when I got a call from a man I knew wanting me to go coon hunting with him. I agreed, but left my dog at home as I really wanted to see how good his dog was. Man, I was sure glad that I left my dog at home as his dog put on a coon treeing clinic, one like I had never seen before in my part of the country in thin coons. I had to work the next day, but hunted with him all night just amazed at his dogs performance. I later bought his dog and always used him as a measuring stick for every dog I hunted with. It was like watching Michael Jordan play with high school kids comparing his dog to every thing I had ever seen or hunted with before. Talking about the light switch turning on, it sure turned on that night with me. I have hunted over 60 years and only seen or hunted with 3 dogs including him that were truly Top Coon Dogs. I have owned a bunch of decent dogs, a few pretty nice dogs, but only 3 Top Coon Dogs. Dave

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

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1914

Dave, in your opinion, what are the traits that separates the “Top Coon Dog” from the others?

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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...

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1914

quote:

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Originally posted by Reuben
Dave, in your opinion, what are the traits that separates the “Top Coon Dog” from the others?

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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...

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Registered: Jan 2006
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The good ones just know how to tree raccoons they can tree them up or down they are one way track dogs etc. and most are born with natural talent .The best bobcat dog I've seen was a mt cur that could skip a feeder track out on dry ground other dogs couldn't tree he was just better it's the same with hounds and yes brains has something to do with it but not everything some of the smartest yard dog hounds are common in the woods go figure

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Registered: Jan 2006
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The good ones just know how to tree raccoons they can tree them up or down they are one way track dogs etc. and most are born with natural talent .The best bobcat dog I've seen was a mt cur that could skip a feeder track out on dry ground other dogs couldn't tree he was just better it's the same with hounds and yes brains has something to do with it but not everything some of the smartest yard dog hounds are common in the woods go figure

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
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From my experience the Top Coon Dogs I have seen had a ton of brains. They had the nose to go with the brain and they had the drive to use both brain and nose. It takes all of these traits to excel. Some dogs have brains but lack the nose or drive to excel. The reason why top dogs are so rare is getting all of these traits in the same package. Next it takes a handler smart enough to see these things in a dog and careful enough not to hinder them in the training phase. The top dogs just need hunting they will do the rest. They seldom make the same mistake twice. The dog I mentioned in this thread could run and tree coons that other dogs could not even smell, he was deadly accurate. Hunting in thick or thin coons he could put on a show. Dave

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

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Registered: Nov 2011
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Dave, no doubt about it…an inexperienced dog handler could very easily ruin one of these dogs…

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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...

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5644

quote:

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Originally posted by Reuben
Dave, no doubt about it…an inexperienced dog handler could very easily ruin one of these dogs…

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

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