starting dogs

[Junior]

I need some proffessinal input on this.I own 4 young dogs 11 months to a year and a half.I own no older dogs are these dogs to young to start a track and do it with out an older dog to help out.All dogs have been on bear races and come from good breeding .Should I just put them down and see what they do or should I have older dog with them dont want to ruin them.How youg is to young?
Thnks for the help,
Junior

[krk hunting]

Junior,

My first recommendation would be to get rid of 3 of them it is to hard for someone new in this sport to train 4 young dogs. Get yourself a older dog or 2 to replace the 3 and start working them and hunting them together. They are definatly not to young to start, you are just in for alot of looses and some tough work.

Just my 2 cents

Junk

[twist]

I agree with krk. Way to many young dogs to start at once. DOWN SIZE on young dogs.

[sourdough]

I don't know at what stage your pups are in as far as can they track, trail, and tree on their own, I am not talking about a 12 to 24 hour old track, just a good track. You can make them into dogs it just takes a long time with out the aid of a good broke hound. I will agree that 4 young hounds is a hand full and can cause a ton of problems if you can't tell what they are doing. Can you tell when they start a track if it is good and they are not running off game? Do you have a good handle on them, load, come when called, basic commands? All that is important in making a good trusted trail hound. If they are going good and you can't afford the price of a good finish dog then I would recommend taking the two best and splitting them up and pairing with the lesser dog. Hunting two at a time you will have better control and the lesser dog will have to compete. Hunt and road your dogs a much as you can. Hunt with someone that has good broke dogs. Spend the time and pay your due's and after a ton of heart ache you will learn something and just might end up with a real game catcher.

Good luck have fun!

sourdough

[bency]

+2 w/ sourdough and krk

[LBell]

I started with pups the first two were six months apart then 7 months later got another did about all I could with them. It's a long hard slow road, not impossible but a ton more work then what has been suggested to you already. If you pull it off you have done something specail, and you'll have really earned every thing those dogs catch, and some respect to boot. As far as to young they should be alright, If you want to keep them all and you have room for one more get a GOOD older dog from a REAL houndsman and run it with one pup at a time on coons or somthing so they get an idea without all the comotion. If your not able to get an older dog run drags and use training aids with each pup by it's self away from the others. Pick the best one and try and get him going first this will take some time then work one of the others with him one at a time after a while turn them all out together. If while working them one pups becomes better then the others focus on him as the "lead" and hopefully it works out. not saying this is the right way but it's my opinion. Lance p.s. were abouts are you located?

[pete richardson]

tough to start pups on bear without an older dog -

risky even-- pup meets first bear and he doesnt cooperate ----pup can be set back or ruined
-- bear runs from dog and trees quick -- u got it made -- -

just dont know how you can count on it -

if you can live with them running coon - get them running and treeing coon first-- not so hard to train one pup at a time on coon or bobcat-
ive tried lot of things ,had best luck to get pups where they can tree a coon alone, not coondogs , but started well then switch to bear-

most no harder to break off coon then one that was never run on coon on purpose --- the ones that are coon crazy may make you wish you never showed them one

when ive run them on just bear , ive ended up with a lot of old pups not even started -




ive started bear dogs from nothing a few times- --i dont reccomend it -took me 5 years the first time and i had some help from friends -

- buy one GOOD broke dog --if you cant afford it ,

--

anybody got a real old straight beardog they want to part with
i could use one too

[Junior]

Thanks for the input guys.That is my biggest fear getting them on a mean bear by them selfs and getting beat up and possibly ruined.All dogs go good on a bear scent drag and are obedience broke.I believe my dogs have what it takes but after reading your posts I think I will be in the market for a finished dog to get these pups rolling good.I could be wrong but I would rather these pups didn't mess with any coons they have all messed with them a little as real young pups so I weened them away from them.
Thanks for your help,
Junior

[Rossco]

If you think they might be able to do it let them try. It does help to have an experienced dog. But it also helps your dogs to push them to be their best. As soon as I think a pup can put game up alone i let them try it. I had a pup that ran a one bobcat with an older dog. I took him out a few days later for his second hunt. Thought he might be able to do it alone, so I let him try. He got the job done. You won't own a truly good hound unless that dog has the opportunity to push his limmits.

Ross