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Has anyone ever used the services of an outfitter to train their dogs for an extended amount of time? What has your experience been with this? Do you have any recommendations on outfitters? What should I expect to pay for lets say one month of training?

In case you haven't seen my past post I have a 1 1/2 year old walker, a 6 month old walker and pointer am. bulldog mix. I was thinking about sending one or both walkers off for a month next season. I've been told a hundred times to buy a trainer but I'm pretty much tapped on the number of dogs I can keep.

My hope is to have both walkers tracking well and at least on their way to being trash broke before I send them off.

Thanks for the help in advance.

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Get rid of one of your younger dogs if thats what you have to do to be able to buy a pup trainer. One month of "training" isnt going to do as much for you and your young dogs as getting a good solid older dog of your own. The outfitter might put your pups on a lot of game, but if your young dog is being let go behind 5 or 6 other dogs, how much is it actually learning?

A pup will learn from other dogs. One on one or in a pack. But theres starts and stops in every dogs learning. Bird dogs have plenty of practice and fairly simple jobs. Stock dogs have a lot of practice but more complex jobs. Lion hounds have a difficult job and less chance to learn. Trash breaking young dogs before they are seeing game can back fire. I dont mind getting them use to the idea certain times they will be told no. But a solid break can only be done with exposure. Just like a good dog is made hunting.
For hound training honestly its hard to pack a full education in a couple months. And for those that try training a hound themselves with no other dogs it can be a very lengthy process. Just things to consider. The prices i ve heard are high enough on training, buying a broke hound is a real deal in the end. Good luck

Agreed with the deal of getting a good hound to get them going--
now my thoughts about sending one to an outfitter for hunting-- You better personally know that outfitter before you do it.
I know there are some totally honest ones But I also knew of some cases where the wool got pulled over the eyes and the hound that was started good had "accident" or just plain disappeared .

driftwood blue

No truer words were ever spoken!!!!!!

As usual I appreciate you guys giving advice. I've thought about cutting my pointer loose but he's the dog that got me going on this journey when I trained to blood trail it really got the gears turning. A friend of mine just picked up an old trainer so I might have to bank on his dogs until mine get going.

I've heard a lot about not trying to trash break a dog to soon. I'm guessing the idea is to get them on good game with praise and once they know that's their target to start breaking them off trash?

Why not just train them yourself?

Bluedog88 wrote:Why not just train them yourself?

I've been training the hell out of my dogs. Drags twice a week and I hunt once or twice a week. My boat and other gear has been collecting dust. There's no shortage of trying around my place. Just looking to shorten the learning curve.

I’m 78 and hadn’t found any shortcuts yet. Sounds like you are on the right track when you say there is no wasted time on your part. I don’t think you will find anybody that is going to have interest in your dogs as much as you do. Regardless of the pay. Keep on keeping on and good luck. Forget someone doing it for you, it want happen.

My goal used to be tag out on bobcat when I started. Now It's the training seeing my dogs progress. Taking family hunting and Promoting houndsman. The whole drive is what's enjoyable not the destination.

A lot of the trash breaking will come naturally with a lot of dogs. I do not mean they will be totally trash broke, but a lot of dogs will stick with the track you put them on, especially if they are moving it good. At least thats my experience with it. I have only 1 dog that will not run trash, the other 3 will if i dont watch them, but all of them will stick with a bear or lion and not leave a good track for a jumped deer or elk.

Bluedog88 wrote:My goal used to be tag out on bobcat when I started. Now It's the training seeing my dogs progress. Taking family hunting and Promoting houndsman. The whole drive is what's enjoyable not the destination.

Wise words. I think the process with any outdoor activity is what it’s all about. I notice this most with people who don’t hunt and when you take them out they are expecting fire works. Appreciation of the process is an acquired taste.

Walkerdirt wrote:

Bluedog88 wrote:My goal used to be tag out on bobcat when I started. Now It's the training seeing my dogs progress. Taking family hunting and Promoting houndsman. The whole drive is what's enjoyable not the destination.

Wise words. I think the process with any outdoor activity is what it’s all about. I notice this most with people who don’t hunt and when you take them out they are expecting fire works. Appreciation of the process is an acquired taste.

Yes exactly .. I've been hunting a lot down in this desert .. tough tough conditions you have to love the process.. nothing like watching that young dog discover that lion scent and start trailing .. of course they aren't that young when they start down here lol


http://youtube.com/c/BrettVaughnCBVTV

Have a 4 year old bluetick and I can say I now know what that dogs doing 90% of the time. How are you going to get that sending a dog to a trainer?