EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

when is it a good age to start taking one out in the woods. i got a pup that is about 4 months now and showed him a pig in a pen with a dog that barks at one and he kinda copied her. next i took just him and he didnt seem really interested, barked a few times but thats it. but get him out there with a dog thats barks its different. is this showing good sign.

yes thats showing good sign , i think four months is pretty young. dont over do it, keep it fun,and hell just get better. the biggest mistake is trying to make em grow up too fast. depending on the particular dog i like to start real work at 8-12 months. at that time their big enough to run with the big dogs. lol

The sooner the better for me, it sure doesn't hurt to carry them with you.   I wouldn't expect a pup to hang with the big dogs until he's been on a LOT of practice hogs first to educate him.

For my young dogs, once or twice a mnth, from the age of about 3mnths on, they get to bay a shoat in they're pen.  Gradually increase the size as the pups mature, building confidence and "firing them up".  Don't do too much, as it can bore them and they can loose interest.  When they've mastered the pen idea, move to the woods as soon as possible, but make it easy and fun(i.e. so they don't have to work too hard the first couple times).  Once they're hunting age(anywhere from 6-12mnths) make sure to back them off on a rough hog, which will teach a dog some respect, hopefully avoiding silly mistakes that could cripple/kill your dog.  I like a big rough hog about 200#'s (filed down teeth) that will beat one up a little... sort of teaching a dog how to avoid the "dangerous end" of a hog.  I've seen way too many good dogs ruined by skipping this last step... one or two sessions of this will really save some headaches ;)

Just my way, but I'm sure there's a million better ways to do the same thing ;D

thanks for the suggestions, i think ill just show him a pig in the pen a few more times with the big dogs for the next couple of months, and try to get him a little more interested. then let him start tagging along. i was just a little disappointed that he would only bay with the big dogs and not really by himself, just a few barks. also has anyone ever got a dog to find hogs itself and not running it with others. i am kinda faced with a little problem,my two buddies that i hunt with, one has dogs that bark a track when the hog is jumped and runs and the other is starting pups also and i have heard that if you take a bunch of pups together they like to play. i might have to get a little creative with this one. once again thanks for all the help.

If you can't run him with other dogs... start having some "staged" hunts. Take a pig, drag it and tie it out. Get further and further every time the pup finds it. Four months is still real young... so don't expect too much... make it fun for the pup.

I personally don't hunt a pup in the woods until they're a year old, but I do start them young in a pen and on "staged" hunts.