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Walking the dogs, no leashes unless we hear a vehicle coming then we hook them all up till it passes.






The dark pup is not trained yet he's only 14 weeks old, but it a few more weeks we'll start him.

I'm the first to admit that my dogs don't exactly fall under the category of "good handling", but they don't very often see the end of a leash. Really the only time I leash them is from the dog pen through the yard to the truck. The house cats are safe when I get home from hunting just not on the way to hunt. They don't come out of the box by name, but they damn sure stay in until they are told they can come out. When leaving a tree I just clap my hands and say "lets go!" and we are off. My brother in law's dogs are the same way. They aren't perfect but it's a hell of a lot better than getting drug around the woods on the end of a leash. I will never go back to that. We both can call the dogs off most tracks with out shocking them but I sure will if I want them to quit. As was said earlier in this thread, they hunt for me, not themselves. I'm never too harsh on them, just consistant.

Just my .02

Scott

Mike Kemp at threebearkennels.com has a dog handling video he sells. I've never seen it but you can go to his web site for info.

If a dog wont walk with you without a leash its not worth owning in my eyes... i drage them 100 yards from the tree then they will walk out... i start all my puppies at a very young age doing this so they catch on to manners before hunting. by about 4 months old all my puppies will free cast and walk hunt with me. the biggest thing is to spend time with your dogs...

Well said brian.

I can release mine and get them to load at the house. I can also call them out of the box by name one at a time, but I cannot call them off the tree. Sometimes I can't even drag them off the tree. If I ever did get them to follow me away from the tree, one of them would look over his shoulder and see bear coming down, and there would be no stopping them then (nor would I want to).

Borderpond wrote:We were discussing good handling dogs in a another subject post. several guys were telling about calling their dogs out of the dog box one at a time by name and calling dogs off trees and dogs following them out without leashes. I have never seen that but have heard the stories.It sounds pretty damn cool to me. Do any of you have videos showing this ? I would love to see them. Thanks

Having hound's that manner is also the key to succes and enjoyment. I Train hound's and Lab's and hound's can and do listen equally as well as my lab's. When i leave a tree I give the command Go Home or Let's Go Home. All my dog's listen to a whistle, lab's and hound's , 1- long whistle blast mean attention for the hound's then i will give the command to Go Home. If nessary i will repeat this 1 more time before you bring down the thunder. One key to training is to start sculpturing and training your hounds at a very young age and not to wait till they are 4-8 month's old. This type of training does take a lot of work and you have to be consistint ever time. It is a lot harder to be a hound'sman then a hound owner........... Scott

It is a lot harder to be a hound'sman then a hound owner........... Scott


Best statement I've heard in a long time!!

Wow, all these responses and no one ever posted a video clip showing them calling the dogs out of the box by name or calling them off a tree ???
Personally, I wouldnt own a dog that could be called off a tree from any distance. I like tree dogs with stick to them.I want them at the tree till I get there. Be nice to lead them out without a leash though. I am sure I have hunted with hundreds of houndsmen over the years.I have never seen one that had dogs that handled like some of the ones I have read about online. Maybe its just not something thats done here in the northeast ??

i dont have a video but I can call my cur of a tree have her walk back with me with no laed and tell her to go the truck and she gets there before I do of its the truck and all locked up she will lay their and wait for me or if i have the ranger i leave the tailgate down and she will load on her own in her kennel makes it easy after hunting all day lol

Borderpond wrote:Wow, all these responses and no one ever posted a video clip showing them calling the dogs out of the box by name or calling them off a tree ???
Personally, I wouldnt own a dog that could be called off a tree from any distance. I like tree dogs with stick to them.I want them at the tree till I get there. Be nice to lead them out without a leash though. I am sure I have hunted with hundreds of houndsmen over the years.I have never seen one that had dogs that handled like some of the ones I have read about online. Maybe its just not something thats done here in the northeast ??

Most guys like stay put tree dogs, and there is guys like me who also like hounds that stay put, and listen to there handler, trainer, owner, for the next command or what to come next. There is a difference in a good hunting hound and a good handling hunting hound. I prefer a good handling and good hunting hound. I firmly believe if a hound is started early in life with simple training, there is a big difference, along with knowing right from wrong at an early age helps keep the confusion down when being disciplined. DC