Just Curious!

[tlewis_2003]

Hey everyone I am new to the board. I am new to hog hunting. Just need a little info. We have 4 pups right now. In the process of getting a finished dog. But we have a pen with small hogs right now. My first question. We have a 10 month old Heinz 57 out of hunting lines. If we take him to the pen sometimes he will bark sometimes he wont. He never goes absolutely nuts barking, But will bark sometimes. Do you think he needs more time or should I just cut my losses? Questioin 2 I have two 4 month old Cat/Cur crosses. If I take them by the pen they will watch the hogs. But that is it no barking at all. Is this normal? I know they are a little bit young. Just wondering. Now on a good note we had a mutt given to us the other day think pitbull lab mix. Had about a 70 pound sow get loose. That dog is 5 months old and bayed her head off. She was just a yard dog. Thinking she will get tried as a hunter. And other advise other when what I asked about is greatly appreciated. Just getting in and would love all advise. Thank you all for your time.

[wanchese]

the two that are catching the hog are gonna be great, just keep letting the other one mess around with them in the pen. a lot of times we will put one of our bay dogs on a lead and let it bay so the young dogs can get an idea of what they are suppose to do

[doghunter]

Baying a hog in a pen and hunting a hog in the woods is a totally different animal. I think once a dog learns what a hog is in the pen you need to finish him in the woods. I have had dogs that do nothing but catch in a pen but won’t catch a 20 pouder in the woods. And some of my best dogs would not hardly bay a hog in a pen but they would snatch the nuts out trying to stop one in the woods and bay for hours getting him every time he breaks.
If you are training them to bay in a pen it is fine but if you are looking for great woods dogs you need to get them in the woods as soon as you show them what they should be looking for. I have seen a many a hog hunter waste their time on a dog that will bay a hog in the pen with the best of them, but once in the woods and the hog breaks he may never stop him again. It is harder in my opinion to find a dog that has the nose you need and the drive to get the hog once you are on him. I don’t mean bay I mean go get him through the thick and stop him so you can put your hands on him.
The worse feeling is when you see a hog run across the road and put your dogs on him and they come back In 20 minutes acting like they done something. (The point is the drive is hard to come by and even harder in a silent dog.) I think some dogs can be ruined in a pen because they never have to work to get the hog.
I only train my dogs in the open woods now. But I am not against a pen at all. Just get them in the woods as soon as possible to keep them from getting pen sour and I think you % will increase for great dogs.
Good Luck and keep up the hard work.


I guess all in all what i am trying to say is you never know until you put them on a hog in the woods.