BigGameHoundsmen.com

Anybody know? They are born with them, get moved to the puppy pen right next door to them, and play with them during the day/evening/whatever way more than you. So why the hell are they underfoot when you are hunting?

Just depends, they might not be comfortable enough to range out and hunt yet. How old are they? I'd almost bet they aren't used to being out and about yet, and has nothing to do with wanting or not wating to be with the other dogs.

I am having a similar, yet different problem. I have two 13 week old bitches, I took them out the first time the other day. My older hounds all mind and check in good. Those two brats took off and did what THEY wanted without a care in the world what anyone else was doing, and sure didn't care what I had to say. Independent to a fault for sure. Those two are gonna make me pull my hair out.

Not any pups in particular. Just asking. Seems like pups or young dogs get in the woods and rather than the dogs being their comfort zone people all of a sudden are. Why does it take a pup reaching a certain age to honor a dog even in the beginning? Seems like when a dog reaches the appropriate age to "start", all of a sudden when they hear the dogs they go? Like they knew all along the dogs were hunting and just didn't want to participate. Sorry. I'm on this trying to understand how a dog thinks kick and that is just something that never made sense to me.

It is all about gaining confidence in themselves and believing in their abilities.

Al

Tomtom,
You are the one that provides their food, water and a good asskicking when they are noisy or out of hand. They may be kennel pals with the other dogs, but when it comes down to it you are the pack leader. They are still looking to you for that protection and leadership. At some point they figure screw you and do their own things, but until that confidence in themselves gets built they tend hang out where they feel safe and that is with you and that nice warm dog box. Also, I think that is why it is good to let a pup run solo if you have the acreage and it is safe. Even if it means they only venture out 200 or 300 yards from the house they build confidence with their little adventures. JMO. Happy hunting, Casey

I agree with Lost River. Especially so if you've taught the pup any obedience before taking him hunting, like here or load up or kennel. That has him looking to you for instruction. He'll hunt it if it's in him...in time. You're doing the right thing by trying to get in the dog's head, IMO. Some people cull too quickly when there is a problem instead of trying to figure out why the problem exists. JMO.
Derek

My self what i do with a pup that wont run with older hounds is make short drags in thin timber so the pups can still see the other dogs 3 to 400 yards let the pup or pups go with them 3 to 4 times after that put on a lead and wait let the others go out about 100 yrds then let the pup go. Pretty soon the pup wants to go and gets used run with them because its fun a the tree with all the loven up they get . Thats work well for me makem think its there idea to run not yours.

one thing i can suggest is not putting more than one pup in the equation at a time they always team up and dub off.the second is to walk it in . always being where they left you if they decide to go hunt for a bit helps also if they have seperation anxiety .im talking pups 6 months plus.anything younger than that starting is in the very early starters percentage . giving them time and opportunity to mature .i have seen guys haul pups 6 months plus old around an entire season without actually training them or giving them opportunity for them it was all about the kill so the pups got sidelined . you have to put all else aside and help the benchwarmers(pups)if you want them to be your future biggame dogs.

Your probably running a slow bunch of pups...might wanna change the blood of dogs your hunting.

Best thing I've done is let "one" pup go with the old dogs cold tracking off a bait. Pup being from 3 months to 7 months old. The tracking off a bait is a little slower paced so the pup can keep up. Never had a problem with the pups not going. I don't over do it on the drags, maybe 3 or 4 , thats it. I haven't trained a dog to tree in 10 years, if they want to see a critter in a tree they have to follow the old dogs, they learn on their own just fine. "Never" had a slick tree or a problem locating doing it this way.
Went a little above and beyond but I said my peace, take it for what it's worth.

Thanks for the replies. It seems like everybody agrees on this one.

I totally agree with Lost River. I think his comment is "right on". One of the things that has worked for me (a hog hunter) is to let my young pups follow another dog on a lead rope when I take the older dog walking beyond my property line. I let my pups range free on my property as much as possible, but they don't typically leave my property. So what I do is I take my bulldog (who does not pull me on the lead rope the entire time) and I walk him beyond my property line and we go around the 1 mile loop that I live on. Since he is not going to run away, the pups follow him. Wagging tails and checking everything out the entire time. If I were to try to get my pups to follow one of my older dogs in the woods, they couldn't do it. My older dogs would run away from my pups and my pups would be coming back to me (just as Lost river said they would..or implied they would because I am the pack leader). By letting them walk around the block with my bulldog on a lead rope, they gain confidence in leaving there territory and they also learn the new smells along the route. Eventually we end up back home where they know they started. In October, my Plott pups will be 9 months old and physically close to ready to run with my older dogs. By that time I''ll be ready to hog hunt and I think my pups will follow....only because they have the confidence to leave a familiar area.