Lead Dogs

[ole shep]

You got to be honest here. If your main dog is killed,sold or lost. Can you still catch as many.Or will numbers go way down. Three of us hunt together if you cut two out ,numbers would go down ,cut two more and you might smell a whiff of skunk in some places. Most are not fortunate to have four stike dogs and I'm sure some have a lot more and better ones. But think about the dog that always hunts in the right spots out a little farther and finds most of the pigs. Then watch how many dogs are hunting that dog knowing he will find pigs. When main dog is out others may step up. Hmmm maybe you got several maybe not.

[arrowbar]

One of my hunting partners who has hunted for decades told me that you should always rotate your dogs out, keep them challenged this way and when something happens to your lead dog that cause it to be layed up you wont be up a creek with out a paddle and eventually something will happen that you have to lay up your lead dog for a while. I try to rotate my dogs for this reason alone.

[matt_aggie04]

One of my hunting partners who has hunted for decades told me that you should always rotate your dogs out, keep them challenged this way and when something happens to your lead dog that cause it to be layed up you wont be up a creek with out a paddle and eventually something will happen that you have to lay up your lead dog for a while. I try to rotate my dogs for this reason alone.

I think that is some sound advice!  Make those younger less experienced dogs produce.  Let them know that if they dont find it nobody will.  You will likely end up with more good dogs and not just one good one and some help dogs.  I have seen dogs that hunt the lead dog hunted with other dogs and no lead dog and they will shine like new money, they knew they had to step up or go home empty handed!