Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Mt Nebo West Virgnia
Posts: 65

Hey Hillbilly here with a question about hounds on the strike pad ??????? I know the earlier you start a dawg on one the better just like anything else, but I would like to know if three 1/2 years old is to late to start one?



Hillbilly Say's " THAT THERE TREE HAS EYE'S IN IT "

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Hillbilly, Gone Hunting

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Registered: Aug 2003
Location: West virginia
Posts: 20

Scott i dont think that it is to late i started mine at three i think a dog being on the strike pad just hast to come from a good nose.
JD
WELL TREE ONE FRI NIGHT

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Mt Nebo West Virgnia
Posts: 65

Hey JD !

I sure hope so ! If I get that B-N-T tomorrow I'll probeley just take her to see if she's for REAL !!!!! or not !



Hillbilly Say's " TREE'EM ALL LET GOD SORT'EM OUT "

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Hillbilly, Gone Hunting

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Northern California
Posts: 32

I think that it is more possible to start a dog on the box too EARLY rather than too late.

My recommendation is to not put the dog on the hood or box until he has been hunted for quite some time. In this manner, rigging and striking from the truck is only an extension of what the dog is already doing. He is more likely to be confident on the rig and will concentrate more on the job at hand...getting a strike.

Some guys make the mistake of starting a pup on the box way too young. I don't think that anything is to be gained by putting a pup on the rig. It likely to scare the heck out of him and leave him with an unfavorable impression that may last his whole life and ruin any chances of him being an effective rig dog.

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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Nu Acres, Idaho
Posts: 99

I start letting pups ride the box soon as they are big enough to go hunting, on a limited basis, start out on good roads though you don't want to go 4x4 ing and throwing them around all over the place getting them to coward down. Start out on smooth roads and limit the time there up there, they fatigue alot faster standing up there then you think, if they start to lay down thats good sign to put them back in the box. You just have to be a good judge about things, I started a pup this summer and at 10 months old he would ride the box and work the wind all day, hes pretty good strike dog right now at 13 months old. I don't think theres anything wrong with starting them young, you just need to watch the pup and see how it reacts to the situations you put it in. Rigging dogs off the hood can be more intimidating then off the top of a dog box, I have had several dogs that will ride a box all day long but won't have anything to do with riding a hood. It all comes down to the dog itself pretty much.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: vt
Posts: 1256

everything allen said........ ive had a lot of pups striking from truck long before they were running anything. they just ride in box. its just a natural thing for a lot of dogs. some just dont seem to have it.. that strike pad isnt as important a you might think. ive seen dogs strike from inside cab thru the vent.. if you dont go off the rd back up aways and let them out.. .. a good way to train rig dogs is put your best dog in dog box and a pup on top. this way they learn to strike instead of just me 2. it takes a few seconds longer for that scent to get to a dog in a dog box then it does the one on strike pad.. i dont see why you cant start a 3 year old dog to rig. if he smells game and he has it in him hell bark... i had a walker female once she was my prize rig dog then.... never barked at all... she would get excited on box and id turn around and road her back. when she was 6 or 7 years old she started to actually bark on rig.. dog im using now is as good as ive seen two years old and she was a better rig dog at a year old then most at ten.. a rig dog long before id call her a bear dog.. shes not happy right now. shes in heat and im using her to rig and not letting go and she aint happy with that.. you should see the dirty look she gave me yesterday. pete

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