EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I decided about a year and 1/2 ago that I wanted to get into this sport and start building a pack. I didn't want to go buy a bunch of started/finished dogs though. I got one pup at 5 weeks old and raised her until it was time to get her started. Now that she is on her way I got another pup who is now 4mths old. I figure at this rate it will take me a few more years to have my pack. Me personally, I enjoy raising a dog and seeing them develop.
Fortunately I've met a few people on this board that I can hunt with and keep my one started dog going.

My question is, how many others took the route that I did?

X2 Brother. I do it pretty much the same but with a couple pups at a time. I think my days of buying started dogs are over. I too enjoy training and watching pups develop.

I bet it is nice to watch them develop guys, I just don't have the patience or time for puppies.

Ya'll don't get super attached to dogs you raise from puppies?  hell, I'd almost be too protective of them to even hunt them in the woods. haha

Got my first hunting pup given to me at 8, by family, so they let me and my dog tag along for a few yrs, by 12 I had 2 ok dogs, and started hunting with others.  The others would allow me to go with them beacuse my 2 dogs would find a hog.  That is a sure way to get invited to hunt.  By 15 I could go hunting buy myself, and that was before we caught and tied them, just bay and shoot one with my single shot 22, not real successfull, but I learned a good bit hunting like this. And I continued to hunt with others, and learned what type of dogs I liked, and how I wanted to hunt.  When  I was in collage I only had one dog, and hunted occasionaly.  Put my self in a couple bad spots, hunted with a few shady folks, but learned from this!  Then I went and bought a couple of started dogs, and have hunted hard ever sence, And now the few I hunt with I respect and trust very much.  Long story short 30yrs.

I decided to go this route a few months ago when I purchase my first puppy, Belle. Good luck...

I also started about a year and half ago with my BMC who is on his way, has been fun to watch him from the first time I showed him a pig (12 weeks old). Since I've had him I've bought,sold and traded 6 dogs trying to find the right one. Impatience probably had lot to do with that but I have a 12 week old lacy now and I have a good feeling hes gonna be a keeper. Realistically i think I have another 5 years before I have a complete pack . Good luck

It's a long process but I truly enjoy watching a dog do what it was bread to do. I was lucky in the fact that my first dog is making the cut and I have high hopes for the next one. Good luck to everyone starting the way I am!!

Hows Daisy doing?

She's doing good Joe. She's starting to range out a good bit. I figured out that she won't get out and hunt far with a vest on (as weird as that sounds). We need to go hunt again soon.

I'm going about it the same way. Became a member here, bugged lot's of folks to hunt with(and still do so :)) trying to figure out primarily what kind approach I want to take but also learn technique and possibly make new friends. It would be hard for me to pay the initial cost of finished dogs despite me needing one terribly bad right now. It sucks to spend more time internet hunting than doing the real thing, but everone's has their issues I suppose. Mine may soon be my boss looking at my hours logged in to ETHD! What has killed me is being so apprehensive about buying pups or young dogs. It seams nothing in this world is correctly represented and I'm tired of being hosed and this makes establishing a pack time consuming. I think alot of folks don't realize the positon some newbies are in sometimes.  :'( where is my hankie

once I decided on a breed I still wasn't happy buying those pups. So started breeding my own...much happier that way...

Yep feel its always the best way.

Older dogs are almost always someone elses problems. Hence FOR SALE!

Its always better and more enjoyable to build your own lego castle instead of buying it preassembled.  ;)

i started with one pup that i got for free just as a yard dog then i got a six month old pit and my free yard dog just jumped in there and started working that pig in a pen. been hunting them two together ever since....BTW my free yard dog just turned 2 yrs old and has been hunting since about 6 -8 months old and this past weekend was her very first time to find her own pig. So yea be patient.

be faithful to your dogs an yourself .. hunt the p iss out of them an cull hard you'll get some good ones before its all said an done

I have done both. One of my best dogs right now was a stray, and the other one I raised from a pup. He was given to me from a good line of dogs. I have been searching for a female that might prove herself to be worthy of reproducing for a while now. So far I haven't found her, but once I do I hope to never have to buy a pup again.

I ve been at hog hunting 5 years , hunted the first year with others , no dogs , I just didnt get to go enought so I bought a dog off craig loftin [ female BMC]  he didnt really want to sell it but in a couple of weeks he called and said come get her , I trained 2 pups behind her and purchased another dog from craig that was seasoned and then finshed his line breeding with the first dog I bought and kept a pup which is now 2 and looking good , It has taken me 4 yearsto get a pack that finds hogs on a constant basis and thanks to meeting a good man that took me under his wing, taught me hog hunters edicate  and let me have some of his pack  at a fair price , I feel very lucky , I luv my dogs and have learned a lot , I wish you all the best , GOOD DOGS GOOD HUNTING AND GOOD FRIENDS

YBM...you said what I was thinking...Especially about that older dog...

and then even though I like a certain breed does...does not mean I like the average dog from said breed...

TexasLacy
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Re: How long did it take?
« Reply #2 on: Yesterday at 09:00:39 pm »
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I bet it is nice to watch them develop guys, I just don't have the patience or time for puppies.

Ya'll don't get super attached to dogs you raise from puppies?  hell, I'd almost be too protective of them to even hunt them in the woods. haha

* I am changing something about the way I hunt because if this new strategy. I use to only run collars on my hunting dogs but now I'm gonna run vests as well. Not because attached as much as because I don't keep the number of dogs I use to. I can't afford a train wreck where I get a couple cut down for a few weeks.

its the struggle and bs that make it worth it, if it was easy it wouldnt be for me. Just be patient lol easier said than. Im right with yall trying to get started.

that is so true...one day you are on cloud 9 and think highly of your dogs and the next 2 hunts you go home wondering what you need to breed in to your dogs so you can catch a pig? ??? :-\ ;D

Yep... its rough! LOL! It takes time and patience... lots of it! Oh, and being in the woods on hog signs a lot too!  ;D Can't teach a dog about hogs without hogs...  ;)