dealing with a skittish pup

I guess I am different than most folks. I dont buy into that mess that you are going to ruin a dog by petting it and hauling it around. I pet on my dogs all the time. pups, I like to take them with me when I go somewhere. I believe that a dog will either make a dog or not, and my dogs hunt just as hard as any. If they dont they get culled. It is the same as any other working dog. Police dogs live in the houses with the officers. I dont bring hunting dogs in the house (although I have brought puppies in to play on ocassion) Honestly I think that most all shyness in dogs is genetic. There is a very important window when a dog is 8-12 weeks old. this time in a dogs life is the most important time. you cant socialize a dog too much during this time period.

Hoghunterdfw, my opinion is that your pup was not socialized properly in that window. If it were me I would spend every second I could with the dog. If you have kids, they are the best at getting a pup over that. You will probably never have an outgoing dog but that will not matter in the woods. Right now my buddy and I are hunting two airdale X BMC pups that were real shy when we got them. they are still shy, but not around a hog.