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Hey guys. Forgive me for the rookie question, but I’m having issues with my dogs loading into the bed of the truck. When it’s time to load up, they will put their front feet on the tailgate and wait for me to pick them up. I know it’s not too high for them because my 8 year old lab jumps in there like it’s a game.

This is the start of my third season. I have 3 hounds. Their ages are 4 yo, 3 yo, and a 9 month old pup. The pup jumps into the truck and loads in the box most of the time. She is starting to pick up on the other dogs’ bad habits and wait to be lifted into the truck. I figure this is partially my fault because when the older dogs were younger, I would help them into the truck and didn’t take the time to work with them on loading up. I have tried working with one dog at a time along side my lab to try and show them what to do, but I’m struggling.

So, I’m looking for suggestions. What have you guys done with older dogs to encourage them to load up correctly? Thanks guys.


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I have never had to teach this to an older dog. But for my pups, I try to make it easy, and rewarding at first, and eventually it is a command that they don’t have the option of ignoring.

I back the truck up to a mound or bank or put the back wheels in a ditch or depression so really all they have to do is walk in. I give the command, but It is a pleasant experience and I let them know it pleases me. Then gradually I give them less and less of a ramp, while gradually helping them realize this is not optional when I give the command. I hear most people say “load up”. But I have gotten used to saying “get in” and I use the same command for anything I want them to get into, like a kennel or a doorway or whatever. But you will use what you are comfortable with.

I used to leave a pickup in the puppy pen with stumps, blocks or a ramp so they could get in and out as part of their play. And put their food up there. Then gradually decrease the ramping. It works beautifuly, and I would still do it except for a $900 bill to replace all the wiring underneath.

Food is a tremendous motivator. Just quit feeding them unless they figure out how to get in the pickup for their food. I’m pretty sure they will figure out how to get in there when they get hungry enough. (Especially if they can see another dog eating up there).

Thanks for the advice. I guess I should have thought about backing the truck into a ditch to work on this. I have a ditch in front of my house so it should be very easy to work on.

I try to use positive affirmation on all my training needs so I guess I need to incorporate that into this as well.

Again, thanks for the reply.


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I should also say that I use the command “load up” to which the dogs come to the truck and put their front paws on the tailgate. So, they know the command, they just don’t fully understand what I want out of it, I suppose. More work, and time, ahead!!


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It’s great that you have a ditch already made. In the puppy pen, I had dug a couple holes to put the back wheels in. It helps tremendously to get the truck leaning backwards a little bit. Out hunting it’s usually easier and maybe not as risky (when wet) just to back up to a bank where the road is banked.

But I try pretty hard to resist lifting a dog in. I have kind of learned to recognize those moments when I am being trained by the dog. They still train me sometimes, but not as much as they once did.

If I tell a dog to get in, and he puts his feet on the tailgate; I will put my hand on his chest and push him back away from the tailgate and give the command again “get in”. (Meaning: “I told you to get in and that is NOT what you just now did”) At least now he has a chance of building the momentum he needs for the jump.
Sometimes a leash can be helpful to guide them into figuring out what you want. You can lead them back and get them running toward the tailgate.

If a dog refuses to load all the way in a hunting situation, look around for a safe ditch or bank, and if it is safe for the dog, drive until you can get to a place you know he will load all the way. Now you are teaching him you are not going to lift him in. Hopefully it’s a situation where he actually wants in and by him not loading he is getting left behind.

If he doesn’t want in, and you have the time, run him down the road alone at top dog speed until maybe he changes his mind about wanting to get in. This could take awhile depending on the dog and the situation.

Right now, to your dogs, “load up” means “put your feet on the tailgate so I can lift you in”. So if they do that, they are being obedient to what they trained you to do. If you want to use the same words, I would definitely change the tone or something until they make the transition. Once you have the truck lowered for them, make it a very firm command that can’t possibly be interpreted “please put your feet on the tailgate if you're not real busy right now”. Somewhere a little closer to “load up all by yourself if you value your life!”

It’s one reason I use “get in!” It can be a little more explosive linguistically. (The “low” in “load up” is not a “plosive” as the “g” and “t” are in “gettinn”).

When they know very well that your command means load all the way into the bed of the pickup or dog box, don’t be afraid to tone them if they hesitate to do it immediately. (But I would not tone a dog while his feet are on the tailgate. It is nearly impossible for him to get in from that position. Push him back).

I usually start training to load up at a pretty early age and by the time they’re physically capable of jumping up to the tailgate they seem to take right to it,especially after watching the older dogs do it.Like David mentioned I’ve found that using a leash at first to give them a little guidance helps quite a bit

1st let me say, I like my dogs to load themselves. More than that I like dogs who aren't afraid of the truck. I've culled dogs for seeing the truck and not coming, I've never culled one for not loading himself.
I know people who feed in their trucks, all kinda tricks. I dont do any pre-teaching, heck mine dont ride in a truck usually til its the 1st time I hunt them. Mine normally learn to load by watching the others, smart ones get it in a couple trips. As I walk back to my truck I normally tell them 'get on the truck', I get there half are loaded the rest milling around, I gotta tell them agian get on the truck. Then if one doesnt jump up just puts his feet on it, I put my hand in his collar, give him a little tug upwards and say Up, and he usually learns to help jump up when I grab the collar or he gets chocked by me pulling him up., this usually gets the desired results, I dont lift them up unless they are injured or completely spent. Of course i am not the houndsman that many people are on here but I do like to hunt and having dogs that handle does make it enjoyable.

**i guess my main question to you, or anyone is why must that hound load? eventually I will have to take 1 free hand to close the dog box and possibly the tailgate so ur gonna have to have one hand free anyways.
Hunting to me is about joy, and after a good or bad hunt it doesnt lessen my joy if one of my culls makes it back to the truck then decides he wants me to help him up by the collar.
JMO, but agian surely there are better dog handlers to get u exactly what u need, I try to look at it from the are they good enough on the ground I can put up with that fault mentality
Happy hunting
Perk

Well alot of it is desire. If they recognise the truck as their ride to hunt they will get in. I used to have a 4x4 flatbed that was high and a older bird dog that developed problems getting in after hunting. A 2"×10" piece of lumber made a decent ramp. Now days i use so many different methods of hauling hounds it can be a bit hectic loading up since they load themselves into the nearest thing. But for your situation ive noticed patting the tailgate vs throwing your hand in a clear gesture towards the box seems more likely to get them to stop with their feet on the tailgate.
I have heard of people jogging the dog to the truck and jumping into the bed with them while giving the command several times before asking them to do it on their own. But in the end its all communication. Keep working at it till you get the results you want.

I have usually hunted from 6 to 14 dog packs over the years. I have never had an entire pack to loadthemselves. Usually from 1 to 3 never will load. The best dog I’m hunting now is 7 and has never loaded. She comes to the tailgate and stands. As long as most load, i can load a few myself. If one is good enough, he can get away with most anything with me.

I’m glad some guys from the large pack fox hunting world showed up. I was going to try and describe what I have seen in that world, but I’m glad I didn’t try. I don’t know how many pups Perk might have started in the last year, but I am pretty sure That number of pups started is higher than the number of mature dogs in my largest pack ever. The first time I met Finney Clay he was starting six puppies, all the same age.
It’s a whole different world.

But even the fox hound world has changed a lot. Bookie Evans described to me that before they met Finney, everyone used to have to tackle their hounds when they crossed the road. Everyone thought that is what you have to do with hounds because they can’t be expected to quit a track and do what you say. Then they witnessed Finneys walker foxhounds under voice control and before long they all had their hounds under voice control.

I have always had a small pack. And maybe that is why, but I have Never had a dog I raised that would not load on command, and do it with enthusiasm. I can’t even imagine having a dog that won’t load. I guess we all get pleasure out of different things. I get a lot of pleasure out of dogs doing what I tell them to and not doing what I tell them not to do. It just makes the hunt nicer for everyone and more relaxing and enjoyable.

And it really does bug me to have a dog in the habit of giving me commands that I have to obey.

Think about it. When a dog puts his feet up on the tailgate and looks at me, he is giving me a command.

I won’t do it.

(not Unless it is a really old dog or an injured dog or a dog that is not mine or does not know the rules yet or there is a safety issue. i.e.there are times when it is unavoidable, but I will go to great lengths to avoid it if at all possible.)

I’m the hunter. He is the dog. I give the commands.

David, I agree I’m the hunter he is the dog. And because you know me you know that I like mine to listen. I like to get a rise out of my dad time to time by saying ‘your daddy didn’t hunt his turkey dog, that dog hunted him’ meaning he was wild and hard headed (which wasn’t the case, but it’s good for a rise!)
David, You are a father, did your children always obey your commands? You were a child did you always obey your fathers commands? As an employee did you always obey bosses command to the letter? You are a believer, have/do you always obey His commands?
Being in the position to give commands is nice, but our subordinates don’t always listen

And David when that dog is locked in in a tree with a cat up it he IS giving you a command ‘COME SEE COME HELP I GOT HIM!!’ surely that’s not a command that bugs you to follow

Where the red fern grows teaches that you are working in tandem with the dogs, they treed that coon, and he had to cut that big tree, even it’s his tiny hatchet. His daddy wanted him to come home, he says something to the equivelency of they did their part now i gotta do mine. (Of course that’s a movie or book)

Maybe our part after they provide enjoyment, and have ran hard for miles in rough conditions, without nice Nike or adidas, is to ensure they get home safe and is taken care of.

A good worker always takes care of his tools!

I’ve decided over the years that I must be a jinx to people that have complete control over their dogs. Every time I load up with them,about 10 min. In the hunt they are running up and down the road screaming, that dogs has never done that before. I’m sitting in the truck thinking, if he ever did that before he is a quick learner.

perk wrote:And David when that dog is locked in in a tree with a cat up it he IS giving you a command ‘COME SEE COME HELP I GOT HIM!!’ surely that’s not a command that bugs you to follow

Where the red fern grows teaches that you are working in tandem with the dogs, they treed that coon, and he had to cut that big tree, even it’s his tiny hatchet. His daddy wanted him to come home, he says something to the equivelency of they did their part now i gotta do mine. (Of course that’s a movie or book)...

Yes, I do see us as a team, and probably more so than most hunters I have known. I have my job and he has his. I try not to do his job for him and I won’t let him do my job for me. Part of his contract includes getting in the truck when it’s time to do that.

He usually knows when it’s time to get in without me saying a word. But if I say the word, that was my job. His job then becomes get in. And yes, they always did it. I try not to give a command I can’t enforce.

I will give a command I can’t enforce with a dog that I trust, because I know he will do it. But if I don’t trust the dog, I will not give a command that I am not able to enforce.
It has happened. I have gambled and lost. But If I have the time, and it is safe to do so I will spend however long it takes to be the one who is in control of that situation: and to make sure we all know that it doesn’t go well for any of us when we switch rolls:

Hunter, handler, decision maker: me
Best darn dog in the world: you

The example I gave of running a dog down the road until they are begging to be able to get in as they were told; might take a while, and it might be inconvenient, but dogs don’t just get to ignore me. And they are happier and hunt harder and with more confidence when all boundaries are firmly established. They don’t have to feel insecure about the rules changing on them. It’s more fun for them and for me. We all know just what to do, and that feels pretty good.

And you have to take this post in context with my other posts above. I am not unreasonable. I go to great lengths to make obedience possible and easy and fun and easy to understand. It is a process that starts with a little puppy. Have you ever seen a houndman kneel his truck down in a ditch so the dog could easily experience the joy of obedience?
I haven’t either.

I really feel when a young dog knows exactly what his role is, he takes great joy and pleasure and maybe even pride in fulfilling his role. I’ve seen them hit the pickup bed so hard and fast they can hardly keep from slamming into the cab. And then look at me like: “did you see that?!? I’m so amazing!”

David while u drove down the road waiting on that dog to decide to load, you made him the decision maker, now he is gonna decide when to get in the truck, he now has a say on when your going home, or when/if you can hunt another spot. You seem committed enough to him loading to not leave your dog there and go about your day, and come get him when your finished hunting other spots. So now he is deciding when he loads, when u go home or to a new spot, or to a chase your buddy has stared etc. you now have given him all the decision making power bc you are waiting on his action. Hand in the collar a small tug and he is in box and you are on your day, and still the decision maker, bc you decided he was gonna get in box Now, not when he feels like he has ran enough. That may mean you eventually win, but doesn’t mean your in control.

An example from work, I work with children with mental and behavioral issues in a locked facility. When a kid used to refuse to return to his section of the building, we moved him/her physically. Now, bc of liberal policy change, and liberal America, we normally talk and talk and talk, and stand and encourage and wait, and watch property destruction normally, until they finally (occasionally hours later) decide to go where they are supposed to, usually bc they don’t get dinner unless they get it back in their area, or they become bored sitting in hallway with no audience, or want to go to bed, etc. ....which way was i in control, which way was the child in control? Which way were clear authoritative roles clear? when they moved bc I said move or I move you, or when I plead and rationalize until he decides it’s time to do it bc he wants to?

Everybody to their own, but in the world of things to ruin my day hunting, helping a dog jump is low on the list, and isn’t gonna keep me from moving on. Summertime I gotta hunt before it’s too hot, so I don’t have 10 mins to waste on trivia, come to truck when I call so we can move, don’t come hear a tone feel a sting,