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I caught a coon in my live trap tonight so I took the pup down to the river and showed her the coon she went crazy she's five months old. So I tiped the trap over and let the coon out while my six year old held the dog I let the coon run about fifty yards and turned the pup loose. She went to the trap first and pup her nose on the ground and the race was off until she got to the last place she saw him. She then acted like she couldn't figure out were he went so in the long and short of it we lost the coon. I was a little discouraged is this normal for a pup or did I do some thing wrong. Any tips would be appreciated.

I think you let the coon get to far before turning here lose....JMO

I wouldnt let the dog see the critter run, your gonna get her using her eyes more than her nose...

Everyone has there own way of training.
I like to take along an older dog that has been on coon to run with a pup, monkey see monkey do. Works good to start them, also gives them encouragment. After they are going good try them by themselves.
If you cant do that and the pup has not been on coon before, then I would not hold the pup back as long when you turn it loose. After you get the pup firing good, usually takes a time or two, then hold the pup back longer so he has to use his nose to find it and work from there. The goal is to get them to use their nose. A mistake some make is to just keep turning them out in front of the dog. I have seen young dogs that have been ruined by this as all they want to do is sight run and fight, they would not put their head down and trail. When they are trailing, quit with the caged coon and get them in the woods.

i like teasing the dog with the coon then using a drag bag laying a track down and put the coon in a tree . another one of the problems with doing it the way you are is that one day you will get a coon thats not gonna be in a tree when the pup gets to it. that could be bad news for a young pup.

YOU NEED TO TRAP ANOTHER ONE OF THEM COONS, I'M FREE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AND WOULD LOVE TO COME DOWN. HAVE YOU BEEN USING THAT LION SCENT?