Right age for lead dog

[Mike Leonard]

Fargo/Moorehead,

Oh wait that is on the border of No Dak, and Minn. is it not?

You are asking a very legitimate question. In short there is no right age,l much like you and your siblings all came to our senses at a different age. Seldom does one see a lead dog come to the front in the field. Hell most people hunt in the dark or out of a truck so when they get to the tree they are not quite sure what happened, but hell old red is sure treeing hard isn't he, or I could hear old Mumbles sure barking on that track I am sure he was in the lead. Follow what I am saying?

Most don't have a clue till the inevitable happens. Boom! The catalyst is gone! And catching goes to $hit!

Like men like women there is no right age: Natural born leaders and those that can and will accomplish great things can only be spotted by those who take the time to learn to spot the signs early, and then nurture that ability. In reality most hound people only follow their hounds. ?

[houndnem]

I've never ruined a pup by hunting them. I start them at 3 months old. I turn them out on every race, and they either make it or they don't. I don't put alot of pressure on them I let them chase whatever they want, which is usually whatever the bigg dogs are chasin. If I had one that got ruined by hunting I would finish ruining him with a "lead pill". you ought to see what happens when I try to leave my 6 month olds in the box, I won't have a box left and they will be at the tree before me.

[Redwood Coonhounds]

I gotta agree that I don't believe in having just one "lead dog" I like feeding a whole yard of dogs capable catching game, alone or with company, and not just pop ups or hot tracks. But dogs that can do it truck to tree consistantly. Now of course some dogs are gonna be better at some things, but they should never have a fault which would prevent them from catching game alone.

I have two "main" females that I use on bear. One is almost 6, and the other just turned 4. The 4 year old has been my dependable "go to" dog since she was 15 months old. The other female is a top dog with some outstanding qualities, she's just one of those hard headed dogs that at almost 6 still likes to kill skunks and strike deer on occasion - so she's plenty capable of catching game, I just sometimes tend to trust the other female more

I also like early starting natural dogs. If a dog gets ruined by hunting it, it's not the right dog for me. These dogs aren't made of glass, and I'm not gonna treat them that way. They either get tough, or they don't stick around.

[fargo]

Thanks Mr. Leonard I agree Houndem I don't dispute it takes hunting to get them going and it sounds like you give your pups all the chances it takes to make a top dog and that is great how many pups are we talking do you keep a whole litter?? and how many do you end up with and if you have a high percentage then my hat goes off to you I don't want to come off as a smarta?? I am only asking because if I broaden my way of thinking and examine the way I do things then I am not against jumping ship If you can tell me your results are far greater in what you breed and raise I am all in. I know cream rises to the top but would like to know how many lie at the bottom of the barrel

[Nolte]

fargo,

I like the questions you're asking. How many photographers show you the stack of pictures that look like crap, instead of the one that turned out awesome.

My suggestion is to hunt that pup as much as you can, but don't force it. It's OK if you leave it home a bit or hold it back if you think. I just wouldn't try to find the bottom of a young dog by pounding it.

It all depends on the game you're chasing, conditions, age of the dog, and temperment of similiar lines. If there was a silver bullet, the stuff tied out in everyone's yard would look the same.

[BARTAMENKO]

Fargo. I usually don't touch these but since i was born in fargo. HERE IT GOES.
I try to keep the better part of each litter and the rest go to hunters if they do not turn out for them, by a year of age i will give the money back but i also want the dog back to check and see if he is a cull or, it was a hunter problem.
now with that said I start all the dogs I keep very young at 6 months old they better be able to stay with the old dog on coon and when they catch mr. coon they better have the heart to mix it up with him. does that mean they will be a lead dog? some do and some don't but at the age of 1 year they better be going and baying a bear and making every race if not there out of time. at one year of age they should be picking up there fair share of loses on a fox. on a bobcat they should be able to locate at the tender age of 2. if the young dogs can't do any of these things he will not have the chance to be a lead dog in my kennel. I also believe that pups, are pups till there 1 year old then they become young dogs. a finished lead dog can happen between 4 and 5 years old if it is hunted correctly. it should be something you can trust almost. jmop.
CREAM ALWAYS COMES TO THE TOP FIRST THE FUTHER DOWN YOU GO THE MORE SKIM MILK YOU GET. LOOK FOR NTHE BEST CULL THE REST.

[houndnem]

fargo, I usually only keep 2 -3 pups from each litter. I keep close tabs on all of them though. if they don't turn out I want to know why. so far I haven't had to worry about that. I don't think that my breed is any better than anybody elses, I just start em a hell of alot younger and I don't worry about tramatizing them. I know alot of people that don't even run a pup on the real thing till they are a year old or better. Mine had better be able to tree their own game on snow by a year old or I will cull. I have caught loads of sh*t for saying this on passed posts, but it is true and anybody that has bought or ran dogs with me knows. the two pups I kept this year are 6 months old right now. I started running them when they were 3mo and they have made every tree this year. I have put up plenty of pics of them. I actually got to watch all my dogs trailing across a big open flat last month. it really surprised me to see those pups trailing and playing leap frog on the track. we bayed the cat on a rock and they were face barkin it when I got there. .I really belive that those two 6 montholds on a fresh snowy cat would tree their own, and if I find that track soon I will find out. this year I am gona experiment and keep more and sell less. it will be a hand full, but if I could get em all to start by 1 I'll have a bunch of well started dogs going into next season. keep huntin your pup hard and he will surprise you. and nolte if I were hunting bear I know it wouldn't be so young, I've had bears tramatize my older dogs.

[BuckNAze]

fargo, I usually only keep 2 -3 pups from each litter. I keep close tabs on all of them though. if they don't turn out I want to know why. so far I haven't had to worry about that. I don't think that my breed is any better than anybody elses, I just start em a hell of alot younger and I don't worry about tramatizing them. I know alot of people that don't even run a pup on the real thing till they are a year old or better. Mine had better be able to tree their own game on snow by a year old or I will cull. I have caught loads of sh*t for saying this on passed posts, but it is true and anybody that has bought or ran dogs with me knows. the two pups I kept this year are 6 months old right now. I started running them when they were 3mo and they have made every tree this year. I have put up plenty of pics of them. I actually got to watch all my dogs trailing across a big open flat last month. it really surprised me to see those pups trailing and playing leap frog on the track. we bayed the cat on a rock and they were face barkin it when I got there. .I really belive that those two 6 montholds on a fresh snowy cat would tree their own, and if I find that track soon I will find out. this year I am gona experiment and keep more and sell less. it will be a hand full, but if I could get em all to start by 1 I'll have a bunch of well started dogs going into next season. keep huntin your pup hard and he will surprise you. and nolte if I were hunting bear I know it wouldn't be so young, I've had bears tramatize my older dogs.

+1, I agree totally

[DC DOGGIN]

There seems to be a tendency among hound hunters to use one dog to do most of the work hence the term "lead dog".That practice usually means you have one kick ass dog and a box full of mediocres.If something happens to old Ace,your in trouble.A friend of mine taught me a few years ago that the best method is to go to the woods with the intention of making dogs not catching game.The result will be a box full of lead dogs.

VERY NICELY PUT!! I like to give all my dogs the opportunity to become lead dogs!!!

[007pennpal]

Lots of good info guys. Thanks for all the comments. I can see that with all the different ideas that mine are fitting in just fine.
Sean