Pup catching on the butt.

[mod93dirt]

I am currently raising my first two hog dog pups, and both have been in a pen 5 or 6 times with a pig. My question has to do with one pup in particular. She is almost 10mos old, and the first few times in the pen she would bay good and tight, right in the pigs face, but not want to catch the pig. The last two times in she keeps nipping at the head or ear, but wont latch on. But when the hog tries to run, she grabs hold of its back end and wont let go.  She'll spin the hog in cicles until the hog gets free or she lets go, whichever it is, then gets right back in its face.

To me, being new to this, I am pretty happy with it as this seems like a good thing to stop a runner. But my concern/question is if this will get her hurt in the future. She is just on a little 60lb pig right now, and when she has hold of it rear the pig keeps turning and hooking her. What will happen on a bigger pig with some teeth? Last time in the pen, we put one of my buddies older dogs in with her, and as soon as my buddies dog caught ear, my pup latched on the other ear. Do ya'll think she will learn to catch ear with some more age and experience, or keep going for the back end, or both? She looks like she really wants to catch the front end, just not sure about doing it yet. I realize she is young, but was wondering if dogs seem to do the same things, or change their ways as they get older.

My buddy that I got her from said he is happy as can be with her, but I am just looking for some different and unbiased opinions. I have a short video clip if anyone is interested I can PM the link, but I didnt want to post it here.

[BA-IV]

Sounds like the pup is doing great.  Only time is gonna tell on how rough she will be in the woods, but you really can't be one that's grabs some back end to get them runners stopped.  If I was you, I'd talk sweet to her and tell her to forget the ear, and keep on with that rear end.

[adamt]

I am currently raising my first two hog dog pups, and both have been in a pen 5 or 6 times with a pig. My question has to do with one pup in particular. She is almost 10mos old, and the first few times in the pen she would bay good and tight, right in the pigs face, but not want to catch the pig. The last two times in she keeps nipping at the head or ear, but wont latch on. But when the hog tries to run, she grabs hold of its back end and wont let go.  She'll spin the hog in cicles until the hog gets free or she lets go, whichever it is, then gets right back in its face.

To me, being new to this, I am pretty happy with it as this seems like a good thing to stop a runner. But my concern/question is if this will get her hurt in the future. She is just on a little 60lb pig right now, and when she has hold of it rear the pig keeps turning and hooking her. What will happen on a bigger pig with some teeth? Last time in the pen, we put one of my buddies older dogs in with her, and as soon as my buddies dog caught ear, my pup latched on the other ear. Do ya'll think she will learn to catch ear with some more age and experience, or keep going for the back end, or both? She looks like she really wants to catch the front end, just not sure about doing it yet. I realize she is young, but was wondering if dogs seem to do the same things, or change their ways as they get older.

My buddy that I got her from said he is happy as can be with her, but I am just looking for some different and unbiased opinions. I have a short video clip if anyone is interested I can PM the link, but I didnt want to post it here. Rear end stoppers , a desired trait some hunters,breeders over here in oz and nz breed for,southern parts of oz are very thick and steep, this is where these dogs excell

[hoghunter71409]

I'd be happy with the situation you are describing....I'd let her do what she is going to do.  Being a young dog, she will find what she likes and she will learn from her mistakes (as most dogs do).  If she lives through her mistakes, she will make adjustments.  Some behaviors are correctible, this is a behavior I would let play out and just see what happens.  As far as getting hurt with a bigger hog, that may happen, may not.  My personal opinion, is I would not put her in the pen anymore, it sounds like she is ready for a decent size hog in the woods.   She may be getting comfortable with the hog in the pen, when she notices the fact that she is in front of a new hog (unfamiliar hog), she may go back to baying.  Good luck and you will here a lot of opinions from the "old guys" and the "newbies".  I'd tell you to go with your gut feeling.  I cant tell you how many times I've asked for opinions only to stay with my own gut feelimg and turns out my gut feeling is usually right or prettyl close to it.

[T-Bob Parker]

Get her out of the pen and into the woods.

[halfbreed]

moddirt , i'd cull that dog over to my house , let me know where you live and i;ll drive over and get it .     

[charles]

Sounds like the pup is doing great.  Only time is gonna tell on how rough she will be in the woods, but you really can't be one that's grabs some back end to get them runners stopped.  If I was you, I'd talk sweet to her and tell her to forget the ear, and keep on with that rear end.

X2

[skunkhounds]

sounds to me like shes going to be a hog working machine love a dog that will bite them in the ass and spin the hog around

[jon]

moddirt , i'd cull that dog over to my house , let me know where you live and i;ll drive over and get it .     

x2

[Critter Catcher]

I don't know guys sound like a terrible thing, tell you send her to me and I'll see what I can about it..

[mod93dirt]

Thanks for the encouraging words everyone. Like I said I dont mind her latching on like that. I just had my concerns about how she kept getting hooked by the little pig while she was caught on. Hopefully with some more real world experience she will figure out how to stays out of the pigs way. And their time in a pen is pretty much done. The pups are going to the hog baying in Coleman Ok in two weeks just for the heck of it. Then after that, and as soon as the deer hunters are done doing their thing, the pups are gonna be running the woods with the big dogs. They have already found their own pig in the woods, but couldnt get it stopped. Hopefully running them with the big dogs will get everything to click.

[pigrig]

we have been selectivly breeding our dogs to hit on the arse for 25 years preferably on the nuts this will give you alot more sucess and prevent good pigs breaking so much until back up arives good luck with your pup

[BIG CHRIS]

ur pup is locked down on a small hogs butt! when it gets on a big one it will be nuts its pullen on, or hamstrings. this is the kinda dog i like. if a man had him a good pair of this style dog all a boar could do is turn circles or sit down to protect it`s rear.

sounds like u have the right medicine for rough hogs that like to run!!! I would`nt change a thing. If she has good hunt to her, and will work a hog like that you got urself a sure enough dog in the maken.

[ROCKIN ROO HOG DOGS]

Sounds like just what you need here in north east Oklahoma,so many people dumping less than average dogs in the woods around here for years has created nothing but educated hogs that know to run as soon as a dog barks. Trust me,ive had my fill of it,and until i started using my staghound i didnt think i would ever get them stopped. Sounds like she is confident enough on that little hog to set it down and thats a good thing,the fact that shes not catching solid all the time will reduce her chances of getting hurt drastically. Let me know if you need any help getting them going,ive got some finished dogs and live in bristow,jimmy.