BigGameHoundsmen.com

[quote="Rockcreek
Wait til you are brain dead, even more broke and LOVE raising pups, like my buddies and I am, before you start trying to raise them.

Best of luck in whatever you decide. Just remember, it costs the same to feed a good one and the good ones are few and far between.

Take care.
Mason[/quote]


...So true

Great advice there mason!

There is a huge learning curve when starting with pups, even when you start with one that comes from the best bred SOB in the country, yes you have a better chance of getting one that will end up doing it all when bred right. If you are new to hounds you can hold one back from it's true potential. There are a ton of things that can go wrong and right with pups, someone said above. It is what your willing to lose in the way of money, can you afford to lose 1500? Do you know what you want from this dog? What type of game do you want to hunt? What kind of time can you spend with this pup? All those thing need to be taken into account before taking on such a huge project.

Sourdough

Great advice fellas,

I've always thought it takes a special brain dead idiot to wanna breed, raise and train hound pups. There are way too many variables in the way of making a pup into a hunting dog. Most of the shortage comming from time spent with the woods. If you can't give them the time they need get a started dog if not a good dog and see a little game before you try to make a dog out of a pup. Besides you will be money ahead i can promise you! But.....if you take on the task of making a real nice hound out of a pup i don't think that there is a greater satisfaction.

take your time, do a little research (or a lot) and find a HUNTER that is catching game like Mason mentioned. Although no pup or cross is guaranteed to turn out, you sure do give yourself a much better chance of seeing results in a pup that is well bred by someone that has made the cross before and has produced game catching dogs out of it. Also, find a hunter that is currently doing the type of hunting you'll be doing (cat, bear, both etc..)....at least you'll know that the capability to do your style of hunting is in their blood... and it will be your job to put them in the best possible situation to make that capability come out in them (that's where the time in the woods, money and frustration come in to play ).

Find a good place to buy a pup, then send your wife to pick out the pups. That is what I did but I also have two Girls and they picked them out. so when things get a little off balance with your time between hounds and wife you can always say "you brought them home not me." HA HA