Putting young in the woods

I would let a hog loose in front of him (in woods, not open fields) and see if he wants to chase and use his nose. At some point, the hog will get out of sight distance and he will have to trail the hog. By this time he should be several hundred yards out. Make him either find the hog or trail his way back. Don't go and get him as soon as he stops. Repeating this will lead to a better trailing dog and one day he will come across scent and he will start to trail knowing what is on the other end.

This is what I do to decide what hog will be the first for my pups. Medium sized sows and small boars with no teeth are ideal.