Picking pups

I'll tell an instant start tale or two where they had no prior exposure or training. Had a litter of pups kept 3 of them they were within a day or two of 8 months old, hot weather, but I decided to go down the creek here with them and a couple of older dogs struck a really cold track and the pups were opening on it with the older dogs, they got it jumped and swam the big creek found them 2 miles over bayed hard on a 150 lb boar caught him tied him down and drug him to the nearest road.

Next day decided to see what their brother would do so took him and the same two old dogs same story struck a cold tack got it jumped and when the older dogs got to the creek they crossed and went over the hill out of hearing, the pup had hung up at the creek, continually barking, I sat there 15-20 minutes hoping he would cross and go on but when he didn't I gave up and rode up to where he was, I was quite disappointed in him but to my surprise he had a hog bayed by himself. Caught it and leashed the pup up and led him to the top of the hill where I could hear the others bayed and cut him loose he went to them and bayed with them.

Started a young female a year ago at 8 months had raised her running loose here until 5 months and put her on chain, never showed her game of any kind, decided to take her bear hunting with me. The dogs rigged a really cold track they were having trouble getting out of there with and weren't barking much at all but this pup I had kept in the box because I thought it was too much track for her was driving me crazy wanting out finally I said well girly if you want to go that bad I'll turn you in, she went the 300 yds up the mountain to the cold track and put in with the others they got it up over the top and left getting better all the time, when I finally drove round to where they were that pup was treed solid with them and unless there was a split race she never missed another bear tree or bayed hog for the next year until I sold her. The guys that bought her have been very pleased with her.

Started hauling two this spring at 7 months old, no exposure what so ever, and led them in to a bear tree, they didn't know what was going on and were just looking at the other dogs barking treed, the bear was way high but it got to moving around and though the pups couldn't see it they winded it and went crazy just screaming and turning flips on the leash but still didn't know to look up the tree, I got the older dogs back and pulled the pups and waited on the bear to come down, when it hit the ground they saw it and I turned them loose they left like their tail was on fire, I let them go a half mile before I cut the older dogs loose they made the tree on that race.

The last set of Cowdogs I started were 7, 8 and 9 months old out of 3 litters I hauled 5 of them to a set of cattle. They had ran loose here and bayed everything that moved (no cattle) until 5 months old and then were chained. They could see the cows from the box and were whining and barking I cut all 5 loose without an old dog they left running as hard as they could went all the way to the front of 60 pairs and went to baying then circled the cows up, 4 of them done great one just ran the other pups, I caught her and left the others bayed for 1.5 hours then had some trouble catching them all off (lack of training) had to go round and round getting between them and the cattle. Shortly after that (just a few days) I took the 7 month old and an 8 month old to the Dog Trials the younger one had been turned loose 3 times (she had sored her feet up so I left her home a couple of times) and the older one had been turned loose 5 times they placed second and the judge told me they would have won first place and outstanding dog had the younger one not gotten her front leg broke and though she continued working she was slower to get to the front when the cattle would shuffle and that counted against her enough to place them second. a number of people asked to buy that female after the run was over. I kept her and she healed up fine.
None of these dogs had ever found a weeny or a piece of hog meat but were all from generations of good solid line bred dogs, held until an appropriate age and then furnished a ride to the woods. The one that chased the other pups did not make it home that day.
I never worry about starting pups together, if they had rather play than work "when the opportunity presents itself" it is a strike against them. All the training they get here is what not to do.

I don't now know nor have I ever known anyone that breed dogs as consistently as coyotes, and no one trains them they have what it takes instinctivley and learn a little bit from their mom and dad until maybe next breeding season and yet they are the most consistent k-9's I know of for the traits required.

I have probably responded to this thread more than I should have, but raising and starting dogs just does not require a 10 step program (that is for alcoholics) haha and the difference in success ratio of our dogs and the success ratio of the coyotes is us and our interference which is more often than we like to admit biased. So keep it simple just let it happen naturally and keep the gooduns. I PROMISE NOT TO RAMBLE ANYMORE