4 year old AB?

[Peachcreek]

I have been working with a almost 4 year old AB gyp for the last week to see if I can get her to catch. So far I have just been getting her uses to the other dogs and doing long walks with them to hopefully get her to feel as one of the pack. I showed her a 150lb sow the other day with a bulldog on the hogs ear and she just stood there looking at me like WTF. Anyway do any of you guys have any tips on getting a older dog fired up? This dog is from some good AB blood but has always been a brood dog and had never been off the chain.

[Caseydejohn]

Stock trailer and a big mean sow. One that will meet it at the gate when you put it in there

[hogdoggintn]

Put it on the dog trade as a finished catch dog!   

[Logan-99]

Stock trailer and a big mean sow. One that will meet it at the gate when you put it in there

X2 sow won't cut her up just turn that switch on in her head to either catch or be caught!

[Miller Lite]

get something smaller that will squeal let her hear that an feel that vibe ... she'll turn on .. i actually had one a little younger doing the same thing an we got her catching tonight an i'll be using her this weekend

[uglydog]

Peachy, build on prey drive. not knock it down. that does work as a last straw in some cases but I hate that tactic. I like to be able to let them run and chase around the outside a pen on a running hog along with a dog that is bay crazy.

At my house I let the dogs run the (outside) pen perimeter and and I have hogs that run non stop, this is also how I am able to keep younf dogs intersted and others in condition when I am not able to hunt but works on alot of dogs to be able to let the just run at their own leisure without expectations or pressure. They dont have a  human breathing down their neck worrying if they are going to get in trouble. i just allow them to be dogs. I totally ignore other behaviors and when they show any intrest then I praise them and walk away. this is done repeated until they can pick up that when they get it right and want to go after the hog I will come and join/reward them in a pack situation, and if they dont do it. I dont do anything.

This is a NO PRESSURE method. They either make it or they dont, totally prey/pack DRIVE inspired.

It gets intense when they are ready for the next level they let you know.

Before I started this method we always used the Squealers first

[GAhunter]

I had a 4 year old pet bulldog that I wanted to see if he'd catch. He had a ton of prey drive so I thought he might. We got the bay dogs baying a small sow. I turned him loose and he kinda stood there and would run in like he was going to grab a bay dog. My friend told me to walk him up in the hog's face so I did and turned him loose. He went nose to nose, sniffed the hog, the hog hit him pretty good, and the rest is history. He grabbed an ear and locked down. Put him up for 10-15 minutes while we worked some more young dogs. I brought him out, turned him loose, and he went straight in and caught like a pro with no hesitation. It might take her getting hit a time or two to flip the switch.

[tnhillbilly]

Hows your male out of spider doing?

[chads7376]

My current bulldog actually bayed then caught her first few times in a pen. She got roughed up a little and now she goes straight for the catch.

[Bryant]

I've used the stock trailer / mean sow approach a couple times but it was a last ditch effort.  A method you could easily ruin a dog by, but might work with a dog that may seem already ruined anyhow.

Usually a hog squealing will trigger prey drive if there's anything to trigger.

[tnhillbilly]

Just shoot her and start all over. J/K  (inside joke)

[Miller Lite]

Just shoot her and start all over. J/K  (inside joke)

lol x2 an x3 an x4 ... if its 4 years old why waste anytime on it ... get a younger fresher dog that wants to hunt

[cujo72]

I had the same situation I bought a 3.5-4 yr old AB gyp that had never caught a hog in her life. I took her to the baypen and put three bay dogs in it and left her on the outside. She started going crazy when they were baying so I put her in there and she flew across the pen and bulldozed a 250 boar hog Knocked him clean off his feet! all ear the first time. I spend some time training her to go to a bay in the woods while I was training my pups and less than a yr she is one of the best catch dogs in the woods. This is what worked for me.

[Peachcreek]

Just shoot her and start all over. J/K  (inside joke)

lol x2 an x3 an x4 ... if its 4 years old why waste anytime on it ... get a younger fresher dog that wants to hunt

Because its my time to waste...

[INABs]

Just curious when you say good blood, what blood are you talking about?  Not to put the dog down because I was not there and did not see her or what she did but for me they either have it or they don't.  I think if at any point you have to help a dog catch and get over their fear or try to build up drive then at some point down the road you might run into problems with a nasty hog.  Drive and self preservation issues to me are more genetic with some enviromental influence in there.  Now with some you see the want and drive but the lack of knowing just what to do with that drive and that is different. Not a bad thing but I don't like that either but that is just me.   Had a three year old AB gyp from PA that came straight off a chain into the truck to Tx and straight onto the ear of a hog.  She had never seen one before but the second she saw that hog move it was on.  But to be honest it is really hard to say without being there and seeing just how she responded.  Good luck with her.   

[Peachcreek]

http://www.pedigreedatabase.com/american_bulldog/dog.html?id=713616

I am by no means a bull dog guru but was told it was a pretty good pedegree.. To you it may not be but I trust the fella that told me it was a good one

[jdt]

i wouldn't trust that guy any farther than i can throw my horse !

anybody that would drive 6 hrs to hunt with somebody they never met , walk 15 miles leading a bulldog on a dry run then give the guy a GOOD catchdog just aint right in the head!! 

[tnhillbilly]

YEAH,.........WHAT HE SAID^^^^^ 

[GAhunter]

Dang that's Spider. LOL! Here's her son off her first litter. He caught the first hog he saw at around a year. I just got him on his first in the woods the other day and he did ok. Still got some more work to do but I think he's got it in him to be a pretty good one!

[INABs]

My old man Reign is actually is out of Roscoe's brother, the sire on top in that ped.   Don is a great guy and dog man so if he bred that dog then it should be a good one.