Hound Training

[PaulJames1]

Any advice on training my hound to hunt on coons?

[cobalt]

[muttman82]

just keep going with your friend who has dogs that tree game eventually your dog will either come around or he wont if your friend knows dogs he should tell you when its time to give up on yours. Also every dog is different, from my little experience not all dogs will adjust to hunting with a pack right away. Just keep at it and ignore the negativity from the people who don't want to give advice to a fellow houndsman !

[PaulJames1]

Thanks muttman82. Then I'll do that. So I should shoe him any CAGED COONS?

[bearsnva]

In my opinion if the dog is two he doesn't need caged coons. Time in the woods is what he needs and the more the better. Any way you could let your dog be kenneled or tied with one of your friends dogs? That way he would be used to them and more likely to go with them.

[PaulJames1]

okay. I don't know if I could because he goes out to Nevada to hunt bears. It would be nice to though. So do you think this is common for a dog's 2nd time hunting?

[papa]

I had pup that wouldn't look at a coon until he was 2 years old. Every other pup in that litter was treeing before a year old. One night he was tagging along behind his daddy and I heard him and the old man fire off. They had ran onto 2 coons on the river bank and it did something in that pups head. They split treed about 50 yards apart and the pup had a coon in his tree. He was a world beater after that night. Point is, you never know when the light will come on. If your pup comes from good hunting parents, then he is probably worth giving him some time. Of course, that is one mans opinion.

[PaulJames1]

I don't know his pedigree because he isn't registered, yet. Hopefully that will happen to my hound soon. How many nights of hunting before all of this happened. Do you have any advive for me while at it.?

[papa]

The only reason I kept that pup that long was because my daughter loved him and wouldn't let me get rid of him. I took him along on hunts just to give him a chance. No one was any more surprised than me when he fired up! He treed 3 times that night. I can't take any credit for it...I guess my daughter should get credit...apparently she was a better judge of dogs than I was!

[muttman82]

i would have to agree no more caged coons he has already seen smelled an fought your desired game now its just a matter of him putting it all together like papa said every dog fires up at different times and exposure levels. just keep going with your friend as much as possible there is no better training for your dog than another dog, eventually he should get comfortable enough with the other dogs to " pack up " with them. Just remember to be patient at the end of the day they are all only dogs and they will make plenty of mistakes. like i said before your friend that has dogs that tree game should lead you in the right direction. I am a rookie in to the sport too compared to most so i know where u are coming from, but i am a lucky one and have a mentor with 50 plus years of running hounds he keeps me patient and grounded !

[PaulJames1]

thanks papa. Muttman82, I was thinking of releasing a coon and then seeing if he will track it. Do you think that would be fine? Or is this really going to mess him up?

[tman308]

one thing you can do is while at the tree and you have him tied up give the other dogs that are treed attention petting them up and telling them good dog if he barks go to him and praise Him he may not start barking at the first tree however he will want your attention and this may help. If he's trailing the ones you've let go then no more trainers, just hunting.
A

[PaulJames1]

Ok. Then Ill diffidently do that. What I want to know is this NORMAL for a hounds second time out to react like that? Also, do you think that it would be okay to show him a caged coon? Or would this mess him up? Thanks again.

[cobalt]

[Cowboyvon]

I'm with you Cobalt something about this guy is just not right.. sent me a pm and I don't even hunt coons...told him what I thought and never even got a reply.... He posted a picture of his hound and if you look it up it belongs to a 15 year old girl, some avaughna on instagram?