Getting young dogs to rig

[Beardawgs]

My 8 year old lead dog got retired this year for health reasons. That leaves me with two dogs that are just under two years. They hunted last Spring season, caught 9 and were on quite a few more races with the older dog. This year they have had 2 good bear races, one off a bait and one from a campground having bear problems. They will start and run good, but won't strike. I can tell when they smell a bear, but they won't open until I encourage them. Twice I have drove back through where they crossed a road and they start dancing on the strike pad and might whine a little, but won't bark. Any tips on how to get them to strike?

[mr.c]

Put your old dog on truck to strike and give them the no how he they can run the bear.

[dhostetler]

Some just don't make strike hounds. At least you can tell when they smell one that helps a lot. Do you run shocking collars on them, if you do leave them off. If you are like to me, you break your dogs from barking in the box, I believe young dogs can get confused on when it is fine to bark and when it isn't. I would also keep a bait going, where you can do like a mile circle around it. If you get several bears a day hitting the bait I would always circle the bait before you turn loose at the bait, to try to expose them to rigging bear scent as much as possible.

[1bludawg]

They could and probably will start opening on the rig .When i was training my ole Ranger dog to rig cats he would only wring his tail at first but eventually started opening.Before you unsnap them encourage them to bark and release them AFTER they do!

[mr.c]

I bait my dogs always get excited when I pull up to check it so you might want to do it with a old bear hide . What I have did is hang it in a tree along side of the road check your wind hang it so the wind will carry the sent from it across the road you have to praise them when they bark.

[Beardawgs]

They open with the old dog, a couple times one of the pups opened first last year. I tried taking the old dog just for rigging but he gets pissed when I turn the pups loose, most of my hunting is on a 4wheeler so he is right in my ear as well, so he stays home.

Don't really use shock collars, as little as possible and just for trash breaking.

[1bludawg]

When your young dogs are up by themselves do they bark for any reason ? If so let them down.That will teach them they can get down when they open.This might have to be corrected later if they get to carried away with it . They're young enough that they still might start striking as i've had dogs that didn't start until they were 2 years old.Some dogs are really good at copying the old dog but don't learn it until they have to do it by themselves.