are u training rig dogs or not

[coastrangecathunting]

when your dogs rig a cat and you let down your start dog or dogs, do u make the other dogs shut up or do u let them keep barking in or on the truck. do u think that if you let them keep barking they will make a rig dog . do u think if u shut them up u are training them from becoming rig dogs.

jc

[U.R.E.]

Good question J.C. let me start by saying this is a general question with a general reply. In other words there are exceptions.

In my humble and limited experience I feel that rig/strike dogs are born not trained. However, I do feel you can "un-train" or "hamper" a dog with natural ability be it rigging/striking trailing or treeing or any other natural ability. So "yes" I feel you are un-training a dog by negatively consequencing the dog for desired behavior (backing rig dog) followed by not providing positive consequences by not letting the dog down.

I mean no ill intent by asking but I question why you would have a dog on the box if you don't intend to let it start a track. I'm assuming it's to encourage the young dog to rig? Why not encourage it to start a track as well?

Don

[coastrangecathunting]

Thanks for replying don. I try to give all the dogs the same chance. rather it be rigging or starting a track. most times I have around 10 dogs with me. I have 8 tie downs on my box and have been tying 8 dogs to promote them to strike . I used to leave all the dogs loose on the box . I think that tying them will help them be more apt to rig . when the dogs rig a track I will let go a couple down . while they try to find the track the others are barking . should a guy let them bark or shut them up. I shut them up. Am I making a mistake by doing this . What do you think.
jc

[1bludawg]

Let me start off by saying i like a dog that never barks unless it smells a cat .I don't always get that.I've found that youngsters that strike trash from the box usually make good rigs dogs but i never correct them in or on the box.Let them out to run the trash before you zap them.My old Hunter was mouthy on the box as a young dog and i couldn't stand it .I set out to break him from it.I started shocking him but only when he was blabbering.I broke him from it.Trouble was i also broke him from rigging.It took a full month to get him to striking again but he also started babbling again .I learned to live with it.Some dogs are natural rig dogs,some will learn it with time and of course some never learn to do it.I will sum this up by saying NEVER DISCIPLINE a young dog on the box while they're learning to rig !Once they learn it you can correct them but be cautious not to overdo it.

[cobalt]

I agree with everything and would just add that having so many dogs with you deters greatly from the teaching/training of any one of the dogs. It seems to me that there is a greater loss of control and assessment when dogs are feeding off each other. If you have one or a couple seasoned dogs with one young dog, you can get a lot more done. I often am able to quite an enthusiastic prospect after I've let another dog down by climbing on the box with that dog and holding and gently but firmly telling it to be quite and listen.

[curtj]

I only hunt three to four dogs at any given time. When the main dogs strike most of the time its either a piss post or a scratch. I want the young dogs to be smelling cat every time they strike. a lot of the time they get down and eat a cat turd, but they start getting the idea of why to bark on the box to begin with. A lot of dogs are not natural rig dogs for bobcats, however with a lot of hunting and being on a lot of cats they will sometimes make rig dogs.