BlueDogTid
UKC Forum Member
Registered: Oct 2024
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 49 |
Misconceptions
I would like to make a statement on this topic and will try to be as respectful as I can.
While it is true that you cannot teach a cold nose, there are simply some breeds that are born with a natural ability that is better suited to this skill. That does not mean you cannot in courage a dog to work colder tracks. The difference in the olfactory receptors of hounds we consider to be cold nosed and breeds that we consider to have lesser tracking ability is only about 60,000 to 80,000. This seems like a large number but to put it into perspective bloodhounds have around 300,000 while the average dog has around 220,000-240,000. Most breeds of hounds possess around 280,000 or better so looking from this point of view the difference isn’t nearly as massive as some think.
The largest difference in dogs is more their prey drive. Some hounds are more track driven than others, while others have a massive prey drive that pushes them to find fresh hot tracks to run. These are abilities that we have strengthened in hounds through generations, in some cases hundreds of years of selective breeding.
It is my opinion that one of the biggest mistakes people make with hounds is not working them as pups to encourage the development of these traits. You cannot force a dog to start before it’s ready, that’s not what I’m getting at. But dogs, just as human children go through development stages that start at a very young age. When you can encourage these traits by putting dogs in the right situations at the right time you can easier influence the hunting style of a hound. I have seen evidence of this time and again in pups I have trained and raised vs hounds that have been brought to me at 1-2 years old from other people because they just won’t hunt. Usually it’s because their natural instincts weren’t properly recognized during these developmental stages. I have raised many pups and have very seldom had one that wouldn’t hunt at all. Some start earlier than others, some take more time to mature & developing but all of them have shown interest. The trick is recognizing that interest and learning the dog so that you can manufacture situations and an environment that encourages & brings out the hounds natural curiosity.
I find that most, not all but a large nomber of old school houndsmen are too heavy handed with a young dog, too quick to give up & cull a hound because he don’t act the way they feel they should, or simply wait too long to start working a pup. You see this reciprocated in many of the younger generations that try to train their hounds in the same manor. Some people are so stuck in the mindset that theirs only one way to work a hound and the ones that don’t make it are just trash. I’ve taken in many “culls” from other hunters in my area that when given the right opportunity went on to make fine hounds for your average pleasure hunter. I do believe that some hounds are just born with more hunting abilities (prey drive) and this is one trait that is a must when I chose hounds to breed to. That doesn’t mean you can’t teach those other dogs to hunt. In short it’s more about timing and giving young dogs the proper opportunities to bring out their natural instincts and to strengthen traits such as a cold nose.
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09-09-2025 09:37 PM
