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Title: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 04:02:23 pm So I am down to one decent dog and some pups. The one decent dog almost seems like he lost his hunt. I can drop him on hot sign and catch hogs but he was a 800 yard dog in no sign cast hunting. He is around 4 years old. The only thing I can think of is last year I had alot going and didn't hunt a whole lot but still went and caught good hogs with him. How did you guys handle this and line them back out? Thanks in advance.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: hillbilly on February 08, 2016, 04:16:43 pm May be something wrong with dog. Worms or some other sickness to make him feel bad. I would get him checked out to start with. Did you use to hunt the dog with another dog? He could be missing his partner.
Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: hoghunter71409 on February 08, 2016, 04:24:05 pm You said "I am down to one decent dog and some pups".
Did you have other dogs last year when he was doing good? Could it be that he hunted hared or followed the other dogs and he is a bit lost with only two younger pups? Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 04:35:53 pm I keep them healthy and the dogs he hunted with he trained. And him being a lose dog several times he was the only one healed up to hunt. I think I will go ahead and take him to the vet and have him checked out tho. But he acts fine.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 04:36:54 pm And he has been a nice dog for 3 almost 3 years
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 04:37:53 pm Sure is frustrating.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Mike on February 08, 2016, 04:45:41 pm Get his blood checked... Lyme, erlichia, heartworms, brucellosis, etc... anything like that will sure take the hunt out of one.
Title: Re: Post by: justincorbell on February 08, 2016, 05:02:07 pm Has he always hunted with other dogs, even if he was the trainer? Are u hunting him solo now? Some dogs like havin a partner
Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: The Old Man on February 08, 2016, 05:10:16 pm If you get to always dropping them in hot sign or walking them into sign it will knock the hunt out of lots of them, they get to where they depend on you to find them hogs. Sort of like too much baypen will do a lot of them. If you want one to hunt cast them don't walk them or "road" them.
Title: Re: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 05:42:03 pm Has he always hunted with other dogs, even if he was the trainer? Are u hunting him solo now? Some dogs like havin a partner I have hunted him by himself and with several. I prefer 2 maybe 3 curs on the ground tho. But solo is no big deal because he is a fast and run em until they bay dog so he ends up miles away solo alot.....or use toSent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 05:43:05 pm I appreciate y'alls help. My first instinct was to get him checked out so that's what I will do first. Hope it pans out
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: chipolariverman on February 08, 2016, 06:22:36 pm If you get to always dropping them in hot sign or walking them into sign it will knock the hunt out of lots of them, they get to where they depend on you to find them hogs. Sort of like too much baypen will do a lot of them. If you want one to hunt cast them don't walk them or "road" them. I have figured this out in the few years I have been hunting. We hunt them in front of 4-wheelers and I have noticed that it will change the way a dog hunts in a dozen or two trips in my opinion. Done this to a dog I got last year after my lead strike dog got killed. He was hunting out real good and would roll off, he done got used to hunting in front of that wheeler so I am trying to sit still a lot more and let him go find the hogs instead of me putting him in hot sign. Seems to be getting better. Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 06:53:26 pm If you get to always dropping them in hot sign or walking them into sign it will knock the hunt out of lots of them, they get to where they depend on you to find them hogs. Sort of like too much baypen will do a lot of them. If you want one to hunt cast them don't walk them or "road" them. I have figured this out in the few years I have been hunting. We hunt them in front of 4-wheelers and I have noticed that it will change the way a dog hunts in a dozen or two trips in my opinion. Done this to a dog I got last year after my lead strike dog got killed. He was hunting out real good and would roll off, he done got used to hunting in front of that wheeler so I am trying to sit still a lot more and let him go find the hogs instead of me putting him in hot sign. Seems to be getting better. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 06:55:08 pm Just really hoping he didn't just fizzle out. To much time invested to just be a dud. Lol.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: hoghunter71409 on February 08, 2016, 06:59:43 pm I don't believe dogs fizzle out; not at such a young age anyway.
Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Reuben on February 08, 2016, 07:20:29 pm all good points so far...the very best dog I have owned changed on me when he was about 7 years old...back in those days quite a few of the places I hunted the hogs moved through and weren't always there...and him having a few old battle scars I think he just changed his strategy...it took me a few hunts to figure what was going on with him...when I cut the dogs loose he would make a quick loop and if he showed back up in less than 10 minutes or so you could bet you bottom dollar there were no hogs in the area...in the mean time the other dogs were out hunting...a mile on down if he rolled out it meant he could catch a scent of hog and he would roll out...in a while you would hear him baying a hog...9 times out of ten he struck first and he was a fairly cold nosed dog...
it is possible your dog could be doing the same... I know when roading dogs if they get interested in some hog scent and we keep moving sometimes the dogs will learn pass up tracks if they aren't hot enough if we just keep moving along...I will wait until they either strike or give it up before I move again...this causes some dogs to only take the hotter tracks...this can be an issue especially if the places are big and the hogs few... Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 08:21:47 pm all good points so far...the very best dog I have owned changed on me when he was about 7 years old...back in those days quite a few of the places I hunted the hogs moved through and weren't always there...and him having a few old battle scars I think he just changed his strategy...it took me a few hunts to figure what was going on with him...when I cut the dogs loose he would make a quick loop and if he showed back up in less than 10 minutes or so you could bet you bottom dollar there were no hogs in the area...in the mean time the other dogs were out hunting...a mile on down if he rolled out it meant he could catch a scent of hog and he would roll out...in a while you would hear him baying a hog...9 times out of ten he struck first and he was a fairly cold nosed dog... I will say he was a nice dog but I don't think he is that level. Hahaha.it is possible your dog could be doing the same... I know when roading dogs if they get interested in some hog scent and we keep moving sometimes the dogs will learn pass up tracks if they aren't hot enough if we just keep moving along...I will wait until they either strike or give it up before I move again...this causes some dogs to only take the hotter tracks...this can be an issue especially if the places are big and the hogs few... Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: hoghunter71409 on February 08, 2016, 08:36:08 pm Rueben has a point. My 12 year old Cat does one of two things. Shots out (in old or fresh sign) and bays- almost like she has a sense that the hogs are their. Maybe she can see the tracks (LOL).
Other times, she makes a small loop (200 yds or so) and comes back. Meanwhile, other dogs are 600-800 yds and it always seems like they come back with nothing. Maybe some dogs just have a sense if hogs are in the area or not (whether sign is fresh or not). Maybe your dog has developed a "sense". Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: tomtom on February 08, 2016, 08:40:06 pm Is this happening in the same area? Could be something there making him nervous. Just sayin.
Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 08, 2016, 09:09:42 pm Is this happening in the same area? Could be something there making him nervous. Just sayin. Nah. He hunts like a yard dog everywhere. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Shotgun66 on February 09, 2016, 06:09:04 am Sounds like a tough one Skrag. Once you have ruled out any health issues, you might consider evaluating his feed. He might need a higher octane feed at this point in his life. I had a dog act similar one time and figured out that he wasn't drinking water because we were putting Clorox tabs in it to keep it clean. He was chronically dehydrated. Stopped the Clorox tabs and he got better.
- I have seen solid dogs that decided they were not gonna waste their time huntin with silly acting pups. - You might also consider leaving him at home a few times and hunting without him. Come home and make sure he smells hog on you and knows you went huntin w/out him. You could haul him and turn the others loose and make him watch. Maybe it would relight his fire. - It is my opinion/observation that certain dogs can be very intelligent/complex creatures and require us to out think them. Intelligence is a common trait in the good ones. It sounds like you have a good one. - Just a few ideas to consider. Hope you get him figured out. Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: l.h.cracker on February 09, 2016, 06:28:37 am Did he get on a bad hog prior to this new behavior? One of my best dogs got whipped up pretty darn bad by a rank boar hog last summer and I believe that he broke a rib or two it took him several months to come round again and get back to his old self.He got cut which was nothing new but long after the cuts healed and there were no visible problems he was still off.I had an idea that his ribs were an issue and put him up for a while.
Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 09, 2016, 07:20:53 am Did he get on a bad hog prior to this new behavior? One of my best dogs got whipped up pretty darn bad by a rank boar hog last summer and I believe that he broke a rib or two it took him several months to come round again and get back to his old self.He got cut which was nothing new but long after the cuts healed and there were no visible problems he was still off.I had an idea that his ribs were an issue and put him up for a while. He is a lose baying dog and always has been. He may have gotten a poke a handful of times in his life bot not recently.Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 09, 2016, 07:22:59 am Sounds like a tough one Skrag. Once you have ruled out any health issues, you might consider evaluating his feed. He might need a higher octane feed at this point in his life. I had a dog act similar one time and figured out that he wasn't drinking water because we were putting Clorox tabs in it to keep it clean. He was chronically dehydrated. Stopped the Clorox tabs and he got better. That's the puzzling part for me. He acts the same as always. Full of energy and ready to go. Always ready to load up. - I have seen solid dogs that decided they were not gonna waste their time huntin with silly acting pups. - You might also consider leaving him at home a few times and hunting without him. Come home and make sure he smells hog on you and knows you went huntin w/out him. You could haul him and turn the others loose and make him watch. Maybe it would relight his fire. - It is my opinion/observation that certain dogs can be very intelligent/complex creatures and require us to out think them. Intelligence is a common trait in the good ones. It sounds like you have a good one. - Just a few ideas to consider. Hope you get him figured out. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: lacrash on February 09, 2016, 07:53:08 am did u change his dog food?
Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 09, 2016, 09:01:19 am did u change his dog food? Went from Rex to sport mix a while back. If vet checks out good my next step will be going back to rexSent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Goose87 on February 09, 2016, 10:21:00 am It could be a number of things, everything mentioned already makes good sense and is a good place to start. My question is, is that a known trait for that line of dogs or the yard it came off of or one of his ancestors, my reason in asking is, I once hunted with a group of me who had a family of dogs they had bred up over the years that were all known to have a slump around 2.5 years, it usually lasted around 3 months, I always heard them mention it, well a man in the group give his son a dog that was very good at a young age I hunted with the sucker and was impressed, about 6 months later I went hunting with them and you couldn't have give me the dog, well the son kept complaining about him that he had been like that for a month, one of the men told him to sit him up for a couple of months, well instead of doing what they told him he give the dog to some people for a yard dog, about 6 months later my friend gets word of the dog being a pet so he calls the guy who give him away and ask he if here ok with him trying to get the dog from the people, he agreed and long story short he went and got the dog and he wound up making a phenomenal dog, ole boy would always just shake his head and kick himself in the butt every time he hunted with him, so I guess in all that rambling might want to look into his background if you don't already know it.
Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 09, 2016, 10:37:51 am It could be a number of things, everything mentioned already makes good sense and is a good place to start. My question is, is that a known trait for that line of dogs or the yard it came off of or one of his ancestors, my reason in asking is, I once hunted with a group of me who had a family of dogs they had bred up over the years that were all known to have a slump around 2.5 years, it usually lasted around 3 months, I always heard them mention it, well a man in the group give his son a dog that was very good at a young age I hunted with the sucker and was impressed, about 6 months later I went hunting with them and you couldn't have give me the dog, well the son kept complaining about him that he had been like that for a month, one of the men told him to sit him up for a couple of months, well instead of doing what they told him he give the dog to some people for a yard dog, about 6 months later my friend gets word of the dog being a pet so he calls the guy who give him away and ask he if here ok with him trying to get the dog from the people, he agreed and long story short he went and got the dog and he wound up making a phenomenal dog, ole boy would always just shake his head and kick himself in the butt every time he hunted with him, so I guess in all that rambling might want to look into his background if you don't already know it. Yeah no idea about his line. But I can assure you he won't leave this yard. Hahaha.Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: Skrag on February 12, 2016, 04:05:07 pm Just an update. Vet said internal hemroid. And it is probably causing pretty good amount of pain in his whole back end. The particular dog has almost no pain tolerance as well, what i mean is i have seen him carry his leg due to a big thorn in the pad of his foot. Script of antibiotics for 10 days.
Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: l.h.cracker on February 12, 2016, 04:14:54 pm Good news glad vet was able to diagnose the problem.
Title: Re: Re: How to handle a dog quit hunting? Post by: Skrag on February 12, 2016, 04:27:10 pm Good news glad vet was able to diagnose the problem. Yeah not 100% sure that is what is going on but that is all he found. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: hyan on February 12, 2016, 06:41:32 pm Has he ever bin worked over by a pig I have seen top shape dogs get worked by a hog and run the other way from a pig after that
Sent from my SM-G360T using Tapatalk Title: Re: Post by: hyan on February 12, 2016, 06:46:23 pm Never mind just read I.h crackers post
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