What is a pack?

[merlo_105]

My pack is built with the Football analogy in mind. Anything from 2 and above could be considered a pack I assume. I do have dogs that can do it on there own but for the rest they play a role whether it be starting or locating or swinging looking for the game the list is long. Some of mine I'm sure people with few dogs or individuals looking for a well rounded hound wouldn't own but I wouldn't give them up for anything. A lot of times there the one that keeps the pack under the cat or there the one thats turning the cat back into the pack. And so on... Anyway's hunt what you like your the only judge

[mondomuttruner]

I don't get much out of running a single dog, or 2 for that matter. The pups get turned in with 4 to 6 other dogs right from the get go so their all used to hunting together. I hunt alone 90% of the time but if someone else turns dogs into mine, they seem to turn into idiots on a circling critter, be it a cat or a coyote. Their young dogs and they don't act normal with the new scent that their unaccustomed to. Hopefully they will get better with age.

[david]

...
Now lets talk snow, you have midwest snow, mountain snow, lake effect snow and I'm sure there are others. Scent holds different in all of them, different moisture content, how it was made, temperature it was made in...I can drive up a 100 miles into lake effect snow and the scenting conditions are totally different than the central part of the state.

That's why I love this place.

I read that Eskimos have 50 different words for snow. And skiers have a few. Good to hear this from some one who hunts where I have hunted.
It just struck me as profound. I guess I never thought of each of the 50 types of snow as having its own scent personality.

Great point.

[U.R.E.]

David, I agree totally with the individual dog having a "role" to play in a catch. I often hear handlers suggest that a dog needs to "build confidence" or needs more "confidence". I have given this subject thought for what it is worth, and conclude that a dog doesn't really need confidence builders or we might just set down with them each evening and read positive affirmations to them until we see some self confidence bloom. I feel a dog needs to find its role in the pack and know it has permission from me and the rest of the pack to fit in that role. Provided it has the ability to fill a role (breeding).