Training question

[FL hogdogger]

Ok, so I have 3 dogs 1 is 1.5 yr old male lab mix 2 cat x Bull 4 months and 8 weeks. the lab Riley has only seen 2 pigs 1 in the woods but didn't really have all that much interest. the 2nd last night in a kennel he showed a lot of interest in it but only had about 3 min with it because he was barking at it and it was 1 am lol. now this was not expected for a buddy to bring the pig over so bare with me. I also put my 4 month old in there as well and she went and hid in the corner. which is fine kind of a scary situation for her. The 8 week old I just showed her a pig in a box she sniffed and walked on lol! Now I was thinking about taking the pig in the woods and tie-in it to a tree and then going back and letting the dogs find it "if Possible". Now please give me your .02. should i let them all go at the pig and let Riley bark and may be the pups will gain interest or should I let them mess with it one by one? If you have an idea please share it with me I want to make sure i'm getting the pups off to the right start. Thanks in advance!

[charles]

 i would use 1 experianced dog and 1 pup at a time so just in case the dogs get a lil catchy u can take control fast n not tear the pig up

[Kyle0329]

i would tie the hog to a tree and let that reily dog bay it while the other two pups are chianed to a tree were they cant get to the hog but they can stilll see it, then when the pups start acting like they want in to help cut one loose and when you think hes baying his best pull him out and let the other go in...i have found in the past to turn young pups on is to make the hog squeel

[MDowns]

Your on the right track. Both Charles and Kyle gave good advice. I personally agree with Kyle. Let the other dogs enthusiasm get both pups sparked up. Dogs are pack animals by nature. Speakin of that, I got to go, one of my bulldogs has wifeys cat himmed up

[GenStonewall]

Along the same line of thought here: I have 2 catahoula's. 1 male at 3 months and the bitch is 2 months... how early is "too early" to get them in front of a hog? I have no other dogs so I ain't got anything else to work with.

[charles]

 Then if i were u i would try what mdown said, make the pig squeal and let them get a mouth full of pig or put them in a small pen or a hog trap and let the pig charge and defend its self and make the dog and pig fight and then pull the pup out and let them bay at it. that what i did with my young gyp and a male pup. i started both my gyp and male at around 3mths. if u could get a friend that has an older dog that will atleast bay the pig and tie the pups up for 30min or so while the older dog bays.

[GenStonewall]

OK, thanks for the advice Charles, I appreciate it. Like the picture of the deer mount!!

[firemedic]

One thing that you should keep in mind is that pups are all different and have different personalities and querks. Therefore, it makes sense to me and it's what I've always done, to plan the pup's training to benefit it rather than scare or hurt it in some way. What works for one pup may scare the devil out of another one and ruin it. A pup that hides in the corner is going to need to build it's confidence before you turn it loose with a pig. Just use your head and ask for help if you don't know what to do.......good luck and keep us posted.

[MDowns]

In answer to your question Stonewall, if I understand you right, the two pups are the only dogs you have? Charles is correct. Get the pig to squealing. Get the pups to showin interest. I don't recommend them getting contact with anything thats gonna hurtem though. Not @ 3mos. One good dose of pain might breakem. They need to get a little older in the head. Very controled though its ok to let them have contact. I love nothing more than to see pups workin on a pig. Get them interested now, work with them and develop them. Don't get impatient. Lots of people believe in hunting a dog when it will hunt, and there have been occasions where I have started them early. Where I start training a dog as early as possible, I don't believe you should actually hunt one in the field till they are at least 1. A dog doesn't reach mental maturity until 2 actually. There are exceptions to every rule, but I gaurantee if a dog is a jam up dog at 8 mos, he's gonna be 10x's that at age 2. In a nut shell what I'm saying my 35 plus years with hunting and game dogs has taught me is don't get in to big a rush or expect too much too soon. Give a dog time to grow. But its never to soon to get one interested and start training.

[FL hogdogger]

Man that is some great advice! I think that kyle has the right idea! let Riley Bay and make them want in on it and cut one out at a time! I'm not expecting to much out of them but I would like to see some interest... Now Riley on the other hand is 1.5 I'm hoping he has to defend him self and what not! He was a house dog but I'm hoping he can at least get a job in helping and not being a stick fetcher lol! but I will keep you all posted on the Training later today and tomorrow! Thanks for all the good advice!

[Kyle0329]

The most important thing is just to give them time it may take 3 or 4 time before they get in there and start baying good

[catchdog]

When they start barking or showing some intrest in a pig I always get a pig around 50lbs or so and tie a waight to one of his back legs. Let the pig go in the woods when the pig get just out of sight let the pup go and find the pig. Do this a time or two then let the pig go with the waight with out the pup wathing. That way he will have to use his nose. It has helped me a lot doing this. Good luck with them.

[MDowns]

You see Catchdog,, your the reason I love this sight. I never thought of tryin that and it makes Damn good sense. We use to use a pet coon to train our hounds, why not a weighted pig to train our hog dogs. That would put a young dog so far ahead of the game, and could have him striking his own when on his first couple hunts possibly. Even an old dog can learn new tricks I guess lol. Can't believe I never tried that. My hats off to you fella. Thanks a bunch.

[FL hogdogger]

HAHA Dang Man I never thought of that thats a great idea! Man you guys on here have some pretty inventive ways of training your dogs! So do you tie like 5 or 10 lbs to them? I have to tell ya if i keep reading up on your ideas on hunting I think the dogs and I will turn out to be pretty good hunter! 

[TxHogDoggin]

That is a great idea. I will have to try that with my pups also. Thanks for the info.

[DangerZone]

Over the last 3 months with my pup's I found that if I used the same hog more than twice a week They get a little disinterested. I got me some new hogs and only work the pups 2 times a week and switch out witch hogs and they allways seem ready to go every time now. could be just my pups though?

[catchdog]

I use  10lbs with around 6' to 10' of rope.

[t.wilbanks]

or you could use about a 3 foot 2x4 instead of a weight. If you let the hog go in some slightly thick underbrush, he will eventually get the 2x4 tangled and you wont have to worry about him getting away if you dont have a decent dog that you know will go find him. 

[Kyle0329]

we allways used a 20ft rope with knots and loops tied in it then at the end of it tie a bleach bottle....then as the dogs get older take the bleach bottle off and each time we would put less knots and shorten the rope so the hog would run farther, each time we give the hog longer and longer to run before we cut the dogs loose behind it

[GenStonewall]

Thanks everybody for all the great ideas!!!