A few hopefully unique novice questions

there are lots of good dogs up around where you are at...I have 2 pups ordered from Ohio right now that are of a line of dogs I used to breed and are as good as any and are large enough to fight off a coyote or 2...

it is easy enough to shoot over a dog and if 2 dogs are breaking the bay then hunt one dog at a time...12 gauge with OO buck shot is a good choice when shooting through briars...

it is best to train pups to gunfire as small pups starting at 5 weeks...I use a 22 pistol with blanks and I shoot when they are all over me wanting to eat a tasty treat...just a little finesse is all that is needed...making sure that they don't cower at the sound and praising...then as they get comfortable shoot closer to them so they can smell the gun powder...do that five or six time over a 4 week period and they are about trained to it...shoot once or twice a month later just to re-enforce what they have learned...

shooting over a dog is a lot more laid back and less strenuous and you can take your time getting there...