what is to young ?

My pup (goose) I started outside the pen when he was bout 8-9 weeks old - on a shoat. Put him in the pen bout 16 weeks and he went to town on the shoat. He's now bout 8 months and he got roughed up pretty good by a sow in the river - the sow latched onto his front leg and took him under the water, when he popped up he whined and swam back to the hog and got a mouthful of hogneck. Even though I might of started him early - he is making a hell of a hand for me now - stays gone with the strike dogs and gettin gritty on each hog they bay. My opinion, if a dog has hunt in him - gettin roughed up a little just makes that hunt a little stronger, and makles the pup a little smarter... Here's a couple pics of him early and now...