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Have read often where laying up a young ptospect that has stopped preforming will help. What is the theory behind this how can this help have never had a great prospect stop advancing with just constant exposure. Andy

I am not sure about some, but I think they will miss being able to go. I know if I leave a dog home, its always pissed. And they figure it out?

Andy been a long time since I read John Wick/s advice, recall he talked about young dogs falling into bad habits and not responding to correction from trainer. His theory was to lay them up and often they would forget about thier bad habits. Now as I stated sure did not make sense to me, but when I laid that young hound up for breaking track and running deer, don/t know anything else that broke him from that, sure had exhausted all my efforts. Never planned to hunt him again but sure glad I gave him another chance & only did so because could not give him away ( after telling other hunters what his problem was ) and have no heart for ending a life. Also wife demanded don/t leave that barking dog home again. The dog was from a very good cat catching line and went on to make a dog that sure helped on a running , duckin, cat. As luck would have it the dog died young from lung cancer, a problem the vet thought could have been caused by running in areas sprayed with herbicides. The only thing I can think of with your question might be over hunting a young hound and the rest restoring thier desire to hunt. Just an experiece in life gained by accident. Thanks Al

Al, do you think it was the laying up for sure that fixed him or do you think it was just his time to mature and start making things click on his own? I believe there is nothing better than proper exposure if a young dog is screwing up in my eyes it needs more attention not less. I just cant see the theory behind laying a dog up, I dont believe a hound forgets things they have to be taught not to do and to do things. Like Kim said about a kid eating icecream (wicks theory) if he eats to much he does not want it that stands for a older person as well so if this theory is true one should not hunt older broke hounds everyday, as they will get bored also and not stay focused. Now we all no this is not true the more an older well started or broke dog gets to be put on the proper game and catches it, just gets better and better the more he or she is exposed to the game. Just something that has had me wondering for years! Need to get some snow so I can get the dogs out got to much time to set and think. Andy

Sometimes it helps, sometimes it makes no difference. Depends on what the problem or behavior is. Also depends on the dog and the age of the dog. In order to figure a dog out and why they are doing things wrong, sometimes one has to change the program in which the dog is used to.
I think when it works, it's like hitting the reset button.
Years ago I got a dog from a friend who had a lot of natural drive and tree at an early age, about 6 months. The owner was having a lot of frustration becuase the dog was very hard headed and it was tough to get any good training done with him because it seemed to make him digress and his hunting drive and ability began to deteriorate. The owner was frustrated with him I think in part because he had high expectations of this dog and was contemplating getting rid of him. He was around 8 months old and I told him not to get rid of him, I would house him for a while to see if he came out of it and to give the owner and the dog a break from each other. I had a couple nice dogs I was hunting and wasn't really interested in training on this dog, just wanted him to hang around the house and be a dog. After a month or so I started taking him roading with my dogs. I roaded dogs a lot back then just to get the dogs out with no real intention of running any game. I did end up doing a bit of hunt training with him and he started to participate and act more or less normal. I think I had the dog til he was around a year old when the owner took him back. He continued with his training and at about the 2 year mark, the dog really came into his own becoming a good game catcher, most notably on bobcat. My point of this story is to illustrate that this dog was probably put into situations that, at his early age, his natural hunting abilities exceded his mental processing abilities and if kept on the same program as he was started on (fast and furious), he would have probably ended up being culled. I think putting him up saved his life.
This dog was a Southern Oregon walker hound named Bodie.
If you've never tried it,...

No Andy, do not know for sure that extended lay off is what made that 18 month old hound stop breaking track and running deer. Can tell you for sure that hound had started that habit at about 14 months old & I had tried every thing I knew to break him from it. I had two older hounds that would stay on the cat track so I knew when he pulled the deer thing. Coarse had couple other younger dogs that sure were better deer broke when I gave up on the deer hound. This dog got progressive worst to break track and run deer or so it seemed the harder I tried to break him. I knew he was going to be a real asset if I got him deer broke, but when I laid him up thought that would never happen. Now I/m with you at that point my thinking was a dog can/t be helped with a trash problem by leaving them at home, only way to solve that would be to keep them in the brush and bust them on # 6 every time they trash. Believe me that did not work for this hound, so I tried every thing I knew. And by this time had broke a few hounds so he was not dealing with a greenhorn. So I have no other explanation why that dog stopped running deer off a cold cat track other than the extended lay off. But I was in disbelief when he gave me no more deer problems & was a hound that I sure hated to lose at about three years old. This hound hunting is something one never has all the answer for, we have opinions and educated theories. Hope it snows for you soon. Thanks Al Cobalt I have heard a lot about Bodie and his offspring will write about another well know hound in this area sometime, sure some will be surprised by the story. Thanks Al

Twist
I'm not sure with hounds, but i know with a young colt if you turn him out for a time he'l
clear his mine and pay more attention to what you ask when you start him back .
Just a thought .
Dick

thats a good story bret, as that dog mentoined was one hell of a dog and the guy who owned him( with all differnces aside) was no doubt more then capable of making some fine hounds. but even the best get stumped from time to time