Registered: Jan 2006
Location: WV
Posts: 821

This subject always interests me! I have always compared pups/dogs to humans. Sometimes one will pop up and you have no explanation to how it got its traits. I made a cross years ago that produced one of the most independent dogs I've ever been associated with. The mother wasn't this way and the father was to a degree but nothing like this pup off them. There was very little training involved with this pup, just took him to the woods. He wasn't flashy in any department, just a good coon dog that was independent to a fault. Now, to stay with the subject at hand, I believe a pup is born to be all it's gonna be from birth. All we do is hunt them and do the trainable things, (lead, load, trash breaking, etc....) Secretariat was sired by a male (Bold Ruler) that was noted for not being a long distance racer but sired one of the best that ever graced a race track. It happens every day in different aspects of life, we just need to realize when we see it. I found out years ago that breeding the best you have to the best you can find doesn't mean you'll get the best. I believe most traits can be brought forth through the parents but getting that top caliber dog may never appear. Like said before, being able to recognize a top shelf hound at an early age is paramount. If you happen to get one, don't bet he/she will produce the same. That's what keeps us hungry for that next best dog.

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Registered: Jan 2016
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Posts: 589

Mr. Moore I think hits the nail square on the head here for 80-85% of us.

Good post!

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Dan

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Registered: May 2016
Location: Palatka, FL
Posts: 5106

Mr. Moore you are correct. I know what I can train into one. But I am always excited to see what the pup brings to the table. You can train several of them to do the exact same thing as far as handling and how you want to hunt. Some just know how to tree more coon.

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Registered: Apr 2015
Location: church hill tn
Posts: 5638

Genetics are complicated to say the least, then you have mutations to deal with, even the EXPERTS are baffled at times. 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: chatsworth,ga
Posts: 142

I also believe that i could have a dog and it be one way and someone else could have the same dog and it turn out to be totally different. I mean if it were possible for two people to swap on training the same pup. Going back to the orignal statement i dont believe training has anything at all to do with reproduces. Also id take a natural pup over a slow started any day but ive heard of dogs never treeing a coon until they are 1 in a half or 2 and make a real coon dog, in that case i think they was learning the whole time just not saying anything and just all of the sudden put it together.

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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: WV
Posts: 821

quote:

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Originally posted by Bruce m. Conkey
Mr. Moore you are correct. I know what I can train into one. But I am always excited to see what the pup brings to the table. You can train several of them to do the exact same thing as far as handling and how you want to hunt. Some just know how to tree more coon.

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Registered: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
Posts: 22462

A highly intelligent dog with a lot of desire can "learn" to tree coons and become very good at it. It just takes them a while to do it.

What is a "natural"? A lot of what y'all call good coonhounds are those deep and alone types that are hot nosed and fly through the woods until they ambush a coon. Now what "talent" does that take? They don't have good noses. They don't have big pretty bawl mouths. They don't have the ability to work a bad track. All they have is a lot of tree.
Most think that a dog that just starts treeing a hot track at 4-8 mos old is a natural with a lot of born in talent but "tree" is all that they have. Which would you rather have, an early starting pup or an early finishing pup?

Last edited by Richard Lambert on 04-18-2019 at 01:51 PM

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1911

quote:

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Originally posted by Richard Lambert
A highly intelligent dog with a lot of desire can "learn" to tree coons and become very good at it. It just takes them a while to do it.

What is a "natural"? A lot of what y'all call good coonhounds are those deep and alone types that are hot nosed and fly through the woods until they ambush a coon. Now what "talent" does that take? They don't have good noses. They don't have big pretty bawl mouths. They don't have the ability to work a bad track. All they have is a lot of tree.
Most think that a dog that just starts treeing a hot track at 4-8 mos old is a natural with a lot of born in talent but "tree" is all that they have. Which would you rather have, an early starting pup or an early finishing pup?

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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: Aug 2004
Location: Chattanooga, Tn
Posts: 22462

Reuben, I am curious. You talk about "testing" pups. What "natural" or born in abilities do you look for in a hog dog pup?

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Registered: Nov 2011
Location: Freeport,TX
Posts: 1911

quote:

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Originally posted by Richard Lambert
Reuben, I am curious. You talk about "testing" pups. What "natural" or born in abilities do you look for in a hog dog pup?

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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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