EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

           this is a pup i got, my mom knew i wanted to start hog hunting and she said she had some friends that had some pups on the ground and that i could have one.so i went to see them and the fella said i could have this one i had to crawl under the porch to get him.i don't know what to do cuz i have had him for a while now and he won't come to me,i'm starting to get mad no matter what he won't come to me,can any body help me with this.here is a picture of him tell me want you guys think,he is really skiddish and if i cough or snease around him he takes off like lighting,and i have to pull him out of the dog kennel every time,he was baying my sister's cat but when i went to get him he ran away.i'm starting to think he is not for me,if i can't fix this,need help



(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/realdogs/DSCN4166.jpg)

Texas Tusker,

Being a pet owner takes a lot of responsibility.  Your mother obviously believes you are up to the task.  How long have you had the dog?

my brother has a pit/cur like that she is 9 months and got her for free when she was 6 months. she was very very shy. she didnt like to be even looked at by people.  she was severly neglected cause when my brother went and picked her up she didnt even have a name.  it has taken alot of time working with her and petting and positive reinforcement.  the main think is set him up to succeed when and spend as much time as you can with the dog.  now iam no expert but i have seen his dog make leaps and bounds by doing this.

Be patient, sit or lay down and let him eat out of your hands.
After a while sit some distance from him with his food and let him come to you. then after a while have him follow you for a short distance, sit down and let him eat from your hand. Talk to him a lot in soft tones. try not to get mad at him at this point. A pup like this is usually kind of soft and any handle you want on him as an adult comes easy anyway. What he needs right now is to grow to trust you. Anger or disipline he doese not understand will undermind this end. Shyness is usually genetic however you saying you had to go under the porch to get him tells me he had not been handled prior. early handling is very important especially if a pup comes from dogs that lean toward shyness.
I had a friend who had a dog like this. She wound not come to anyone but him, kind of. Some times after we loaded the other dogs after a hunt, we would have to drive down the road a ways and then stop again before she would load. The reason he put up with this is that she was a hog finding fool. If your pup is already baying the cat, and she had not been handled before you got her, I'd be kind and patient and give her a chance.

                                                          Bob Manning

How old is the pup? How long have y'all had him? With all animals coming into a new place takes time for adjustment. Food is always a big motivator. I would suggest alot of hands on activity. Try to be around your pup as much as possible and make him feel that he is part of the family. In his old enivornment he may have felt more comfortable. This could have been because of his brothers and sisters and of course because of  ma being around.
    Give him a good name and start using it. Try to get some sort of lead and start walking him around and get him  around people and things. When y'all go to the store or somewhere take him with y'all. Being skidish has another name. I like to use sensitive. So he may be sensitive but smart. Feed twice a day in equal portions and try to get on a regular schedule. Give some type of treat every once in awhile. Be fun and positive and let the pup grow mentally as well as physically. I do like the idea that he is baying the cat. Try to get with a buddy that has  some hogs penned and encourage him to bay at the hogs. Get him excited and then catch him and praise him for it. It only takes a minute or two. You want everything to be positive and fun. I hope that this helps. He is a nice looking pup. Remember be positive and gain from your experiance with this pup. Over the years you will be getting many different dogs with different personalities and hunting senses. Congats on the pup! 

I try to take my pups everywhere with me for the first 6-7 months, he will be yours after that.  In this time I would try to get on a schedule with him, that being you feed him at a certain time everyday, you go on walks everyday at around the same time, just do everything you can to get the dog familiar and comfortable with its surroundings.  Whatever you do be patient with this dog, He is very good lookin, and sounds like he has good instinct.  If all else fails you could always get a bobcat trap ;D

One of my dogs is hard to catch, I started carrying around weinies (cheapest treat ive found) with me when i want to put him back in his kennel, then i say "kennel" and give him his treat when he goes in. i tell him good boy and pet him.

itll get better the more the dog gets to know you, just be patient and remember these dogs was bred to run and hunt, so while your getting to know him start working with him

Spend as much time with the dog as you can.  Get a chiar and set in his pen with him so he will come to accept you as not threatening, you dont have to do anything just sit there and read a book or something.  Then teach him to lead.  It may be a challenge but once you do take him on walks and this will help him learn to trust you the most.  Also, dogs like all animals can read body language, so if you expect or think about the dog acting shy or skiddish then your body will show that, and the dog will read that body language and that will trigger him to act that way.  So always be confident, think positive and envision the dog comeing up to you to lick your hand.  If the dog was frightened when you pulled him out from under the porch then that could be the root of his shyness around you.  Just spend time with the dog, as that is what build the relationship.  Also be carefull about petting, if you pet when the dog is nervous and scared that encourages the bad behavior.  Wait till the dog relaxes before you pet him.  To Teach him to come, get a long lead like 15-20 feet long put him on it and walk out in an open area.  Then randomly ask him to come and if he does'nt pull him to you.  Eventually he will figure it out and when he comes give him a treat.  As someone else allready said hotdogs are good and cheap and dog love them.  This is just what I have done over the years it may not mean much to anybody, but I have turned lots of dogs around that were just like you described your pup to be with those methods above.  They were any where from very young to over a year old.  You should not have too much trouble with a pup.  Hope this helps and remember to keep a positvive mindset dont expect the pup to do the unwanted behavior because that will often trigger them to do it.

Waylon

        thanks everyone,well i tried the food thing we had swedish meatballs last night and i tried it when he got the meatballs out of my hand he still backed way up so i switched to the gravy and thats when it changed he was all around me then but when i picked him up he got real stiff and made a moaning sound with his mouth kinda open and soon as let him down he was real happy again and just stayed back for a while but its lots better now,he just don't want to be touched, but will come to you sometimes if he thinks its ok.i got some pictures of him now that are alot better but if he gets close to the porch he gets under it and don't come out and if i get him out he is yapping and trying to bite but i think when he comes out on his own he is fine anyways.(http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n293/realdogs/DSCN4180-1.jpg) 


 

what kind of gravy did you use? 

thats a good lookin pup, he aint no junk! just keep doin what your doin, dont push yourself on him,and dont let him bond to anything or anybody else. hell come around.