Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Kilkenny, MN
Posts: 893

I'm starting to wonder if what I'm doing has actually hurt more than I thought it would help. I've just let my pups run loose on the farm until they started to get into trouble by being up on the road etc. The last 2 -3 pups i've raised though don't seem to have much if any hunt and no tree. We've got cats in the yard and those pups would rather sleep and eat with them than chase and tree them. Do think being exposed to the cats 24/7 could be harmful to their development?

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Registered: Sep 2003
Location:
Posts: 2785

I don't like letting em' run loose ... dogs get bad habits , they pick and choose what to run and what to quit ... those habits learned when their brain and hormones are developing are the hardest to break.

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Registered: Dec 2008
Location: Northwestern Illinois
Posts: 916

there are pros and cons to both. they do pick up some bad habits runnin loose but they also learn alot by bein able to roam like crossin water, fences etc. plus most arent near as jumpy or spooky around things they havent seen before.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Corbin, KY
Posts: 771

I always thought it best if you could let em run loose until you catch them running fast game, or until the first time you catch them treeing something. Then kennel them up and begin hunting them.


Unfortunatley, I cannot let mine run loose, so I just fool with them every day!

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Registered: Aug 2006
Location: munfordville ky.
Posts: 1166

it cost me more to feed my cats than my dogs. i feed 8 to 10 stray cats to start my pups but i only use them on little pups. 3 weeks to 8 or 10 weeks. i got the best pup trainer in the state of ky. ol boots an old yellow cat i'v had for 8 or 9 years.

i take my little pups (3 & 4 weeks) & a lawnchair in the back yard & boots will come over & lay down right in amongst puppies & twich his tail every time. the pups can crawl on him & get after his tail. then he'l get up & move 3 or 4 feet & lay down again & the pups will follow him. as they get bigger he'l move farther away but he wont run from them. next thing you know pups are chasing the other cats & baying them. boots will smack pups if they get to roudy but he never uses his claws.

i'v had pups 5 & 6 weeks old chasing & baying cats on their own.
a litter of pups, once 1 pup starts baying cats it aint long till most will do it. generaly by 8 weeks i got to keep pups up so they aint following the cats off & get lost. they really start to tear stuff up about that age too. at that age i only let them out if i'm out with them. 3 months their ready to go hunting.

pups will start easier in the woods at 3 1/2 to 5 months than they will at 6 to 12 months. plus i live in the woods & i walk them in the woods 2 or 3 times a day every day starting at 4 weeks. might not be but 10 minutes at a time but thats a big journy for little guys.

bigger pups i dont let run loose !!

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Registered: Aug 2010
Location: Travelers rest S.C
Posts: 887

I let all mine run loose. Since ive lived heer going on 5 yrs. Ive raised 8 pups an 7 have made coon dogs of some kind. Not saying there world beaters. Lol. But from years past keeping them in a pen 24/7 to now letting them run loose i think it gives them a big headstart. Mine uselly start treeing squirrels an go to roaming ive got feed buckets close by an they will strike coons off them an tree them. I put them on a chain when they start staying gone for a day or 2 at a time. So yes i like letting them run loose.

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Registered: Jun 2010
Location: SW Pennsylvania
Posts: 807

we usually let ours run loose...depending on how many there are...if there are too many it's hard with them following me everywhere with cows and sheep...and checking the fence and stuff and having pups at your feet...but when we only had about 4 or 5 we let them run loose...

Some of you may recall a video i posted of a 7 week old puppy 'treeing' a cat...it's one of my FAVORITE video's and she's turning out to be a very nice dog...jmo

We have 10 pups now, and we had to put them in the kennel but we only did so a couple weeks ago...so they ran loose for awhile, but too many again at the feet following me everywhere, so i had to kennel them...

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Registered: Jul 2008
Location: East Tenn.
Posts: 855

If its possible to do it raising pups running loose is a lot better as far the developement of the pup.A pup learns all kinds of stuff on his own running loose.Things we take for granted till we try to teach these things to a 6 or 7 month old pup that was raised in a pen.Pups running loose will develop a lot better physically too. There really ain,t no comparison to free range pups if you live where you can do it.If you can,t try to have as big a fenced in lot as you can.

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Registered: Oct 2006
Location: Rock Springs Wisconsin
Posts: 821

You can let them run all the time or they can be penned up either way if they aint got iit they aint got it.

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Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Washington, NC
Posts: 3315

As soon as they are to big for the owls to get mine run loose until I start hunting them. I have 4 acres frenced and always have some dogs loose. Fact is I'm about to go let them all out for the day.

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