Starting pups

Starting a pup in a pen at 12 weeks has never hurt a pup I've owned. You don't want to bay them every week till they are woods age but once a week/every other week till they are ready for a mock hunt (4-6 months) doesn't hurt. Do a few mock hunts and when you think they are physically/mentally mature enough for the woods.....take them out. I use to wait till they were a year old but now I just base it on the individual pup.
I keep them in a box till we get a strike the first couple times out, seems to cut down on trashing. Doing this...the pup will typically walk to the bay with you...which is fine by me. By the third trip most pups are flying out of the box and to the bay.

I agree...you would rather not have a rank boar for the first hog the pup sees in the woods, but how can you tell if the dogs are bayed 400yards away? It's just luck of the draw to me.

Anyway....there are a number of ways to start a pup. Some guys don't even show their pups a hog period. Just start hauling them to the woods when it's time. That works too, lol. Ain't saying mines the right way or only way, just how I do it.