Great idea fishing_ bobo, wouldn't have thought of that! Where can you get hog scent? I think I saw some in my nite lite book.
MOM4HOGS,
I tested for nose and winding abiity and then tested for trailing. I used beef liver for my tests and it worked fine...used hunger to my advantage. When the pups are young the test needs to be for which pups to keep for hunting and breeding... Of course hog scent would be better if sprayed on the liver. When they are young I think that the liver would be the reward at the end of the trail but the hog scent would re-enforce the training for hog hunting...in other words you would be killing two birds with one stone...
above mentioned is first step... second step is to let the pups bay a pig and/or stage a mock hunt like setting a pig out or have the pups wind off the rig just make sure you mark the place where the wind is carrying across the road where the pups can wind the scent...
Also take the pups to the woods when they are fresh and let them out and see who rolls out and leads., Once you know this leave the lead pup at home and find out who is the next lead pup. If none others lead but they follow the lead pup then at least you know you will have good me too dogs...
The idea is to make sure you select the best pups and not to sell them and this will up you hunting dog power as well as your breeding program... Wrong selection equals to failure of a breeding program or at the minimum a set back...you might not be selecting for breeding but you need to make sure the selection process is right for keeping the right pups. when training the pups do not over do it or the pups will get bored, pull them still wanting more.
