Training vs Genetics.

How do you train a dog to go out 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, a mile, looking for a hog?

First you must help the dog along with its prey drive. Build this and you will find that most dogs will hunt their butts off. Teach them to use their noses at a very early age. Personally I do not want a dog that hunts out over 500 or 600 yards. I prefere 200 to 300 yards out. I prefere dogs that stop the hog quickly but this is also because we have way to many hogs where we hunt and is one of the main reasons I have been slowly switching to all dogo teams. They track better, wind better, and very few hogs get away. I am compairing them to my curs.

How do you train a dog to take a track and stay with it until the hog is found?

Start out with short tracks and build from there. This takes much more time than most people will commit to their dogs to accomplish. This should be started at a very early age 3 or 4 weeks old. Constant reward for preforming this task corectly is a benafet. Food is probably the biggest assest I have. work the dog hard and then feed them. Make sure the dog is working for you.

How do you train a dog to stay with a running hog for many miles and many hours until it's bayed?

This is all about prey drive. Some dogs have it and some dont either way you can build upon what the dog has to make him better

That's all genetics to me, you can't train the hunt, drive and bottom into a dog.

I agree that genetics help but I have seen many great bred dogs that were worthless and I have seen many mutts that turned out to be great hunters. I will say that good bred dogs have a higher chance of becoming good hunters you are right but you can amplify these traits with how you raise (train) your dog

The problem I see most of the time is that people do not keep their dogs is great physical shape but they still expect the dog to perform at a high level every time. If a dog is not in top shape he has no chance unless he gets lucky to keep up with the hog much less stop him.