EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Is there a certain way yall improve range on a pup? My pup will take a fresh track and find a hog, but if its not fresh, he is right beside me. I hunt him and one bulldog. I have no complaints about him, just want to having him get out and try to find a fresh trail other than me having to walk 4 miles to lead him to them. What would yall do?

I hunt with one cur and one catch dog. I have found that she stays close by at night and on new places. During the day she ranges out more. To be honest I like it better than standing at a fence waiting for a dog to come back. I don't have big places to hunt and I am not a fence jumper so it works for me.

I would run him with some longer range dogs and there is a good chance that he would start to when they are finding hogs.

Agree if he doesn't have the natural drive to do it himself.

If that doesn't work try the leather to rear trick and discard afterwards if neither do.

First get em somewhere you know has hogs, like a feeder. Then just chill and ignore them on purpose, they will wanna stick around at first but eventually should get gone. That being said, you can't train the hunt into em. If they got it, they got it, if not, recognize and cut your your losses.

  If he doesn't have it now, you can't train him to hunt. 

How old is this "pup"?  You can only expect so much from a pup.  Dogs can increase range based on age and experience.  Best thing to do is keep the dog hunting and see if you can get the dog to hunt with another dog that does range out some more.  Dont let anybody tell you that your dont wont have it.

I agree with Tbob...if the pup is already hunting some keep a close watch on him...if he wants to work a track stop and let him work it until he works it out or gives it up...he will learn that you are hunting with him and he will focus more on hunting and not on hunting you...this also helps in increasing his range...also teaches him to be more thorough and allows him to take colder tracks if that is what he wants to do naturally...

He's 11 months old

My opinion is he is still very young and will most like range out with more experience.  Give him a while; at two years old me by a 1000 yd range dog; you just never know.

Now when you say "right beside me" do you mean you can pet the dog? To be honest of that dog won't hit a track and go that dog don't want a hog. Forget range does the dog want to go find hogs?

Yes. You can tell he loves keeping a hog at bay, but just don't hunt the way I think he should

I got the same problem with some of my young dogs if it ain't fresh they want take it and they want range out at night

I'd be thrilled to have an 11 month old dog putting hogs at the end of any track

Maybe he's gonna be short range dog....11 months is very young , balls probably aren't even swinging yet..
I have 7 month old that goes to bays and is getting a good start..I run him with older dogs that range well to help him get the confidence to get out there, I think it's working well..I wouldn't run your pup with real short range dogs

My tree dog was real short range. Rarely got out of sight at 1 yr old. Now at almost 2 years he will get gone for around 10 minutes or so before coming back. He still  rarely goes more than 200 yards.

Best way to ensure range in a pup, is to get the pup from a family of dogs who have range.

I've yet to see anyone train range into a dog.  I've started an awful lot of pups, and I can tell you on the third fourth trip to the woods what my pups will become and be right 95% of the time.  The independant ones are born with it.

I agree 100 percent!!

give him a hog that you know will run its own feet off and take him to a huge field and let him chase it.  ;) ;D

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