When to decide

i think a very important question has yet to be asked...what are you wanting to do with them...bay pen or woods dogs? if you are wanting them to be woods dogs i would just take them along with you when you go hunting and see what they do. if you are trying them for bay competition then i would keep exposing them to the pen with other dogs that are baying strong so they know what they are supposed to do.

my two i never put in a pen. from day one i just let them take them hunting with me. i give them the commands i want them to learn in the woods and when the other dogs bay and they bay also i praise them a ton. they catch on eventually. right now both my pups are hog finding son of a guns and will bay the hair of a hog(they haven't learned how to stop them consistantly..but this a whole nother can of worms). i would just give them some time and keep exposing them, maybe once a week, once every two weeks.