Raising pups

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1whitedog
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Raising pups

Postby 1whitedog » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:05 am

So the world's current situation is allowing me a new experience of getting to raise and work a young litter of puppies more intensely than i have ever gotten to before and it has led me to a couple of questions for those who get to do it on a more regular basis. Pups are now 9 weeks old. Background: have a line of dogs that i have hunted for generations. All most all pups stay within our group or go to people we know well so i get to hunt with most pups out of every litter and have hunted with their grandparents etc. Usually due to family/ work/ hunt schedule one of my hunting partners would raise the litter and i would maybe see them 6 times before picking my pups. Getting to work these pups every day on game i definitely would pick a little differently. So my first question would be, how much weight do you give to what pups start first and show the most desire to catch early? Is there a difference at 12 months of age between the pups that were running to catch at 2 months old vs those that started at 4 months old? Any other drills or obstacles that you have tried that you really fill told you allot about a pup? I have been using boards and fence and seeing which ones can figure their way out of things. Looks like I'll have time to try a few new ideas if anyone has anything that has worked especially well for them. Thanks.
macedonia mule man
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Re: Raising pups

Postby macedonia mule man » Sun Mar 22, 2020 9:29 am

If you think about the age you are talking, 2 months translates to 8 weeks. That is 2 weeks older than normal weening . I don’t think I have ever seen a 8 week old puppy really running to catch because of desire to catch. Eight week old puppies will run behind anything that get in front. I never really started seeing what raised my interest until about 8 month old. I never really knew what I had until after the third hunting season.
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Re: Raising pups

Postby Guest » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:59 pm

I've seen it both ways, the first to do or figure out things has started and stayed at the forefront and I've seen them top out and the the pups that were steady in progression pass them up and make the better dogs. There are things that I feel like all the better dogs I've been around all possessed. I look for it in my pups from the get go. To me puppies start separating themselves physically and mentally at about 8 or 9 weeks old. By about 12 to 16 weeks you can have a real good idea of the dog that is gravitating towards your expectations the most. I watch to see who figures out who the first out of the box is, or who starts to recognize my voice first, but I try not to put too much emphasis on it. I really start my judging when they are moved out of my whelping pen into the yard where they can start exploring. I do this usually around 4 weeks old. I like that pup that isn't scared to lay off by itself and watch the others. I like that pup that when I turn them out of the yard to run around it isn't concerned about me or the siblings. I goes and explores and when it finds something that intrigues it, it is persistent in finding the end or the source. I like that pup that is over doing it's own thing while everyone else is elsewhere. When one or more of them barks or starts to give chase to a field rat, or a rabbit, or whatever, it joins in. If it determines there's nothing to it then it goes right back to what it was doing. I like the pup that bails off into the pond with no worries. I that pup that all the other pups seem to keep one eye on. I do drags just to play with them, I do mock hunts too. The mock hunts start simple and get progressively harder. I've raised this family of dogs for a while and if I didn't feel like I could reach in blind and grab a good pup I wouldn't own them. But, there's always a pup in a litter that has that ''it'' factor to me. The pup I just seem to have a different chemistry with. That's the pup I have to have and if I can't usually won't keep one at all. Sometimes there are 2 or 3 that I really connect with which gives me options. Not that the others aren't good pups, they just don't grab me like the ''it'' pups. Confidence is everything so I never do anything to break it. I try only to build it. I don't normally scold them for being trashy, whether it's the cows or horses or whatever. I just ignore them when they do it. Usually by 3 1/2 - 4 months I show them a pig and when they bay at it I do make a big deal about it and praise them. In no time that's pretty much all they seem to care about is hog and nothing else really interests them. If they should continue to get after other stuff after I know they are really liking a hog then I scold them for off game and if possible immediately let them see a hog and praise them for baying at it. It doesn't take much for smart dogs.

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lawdawgharris
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Re: Raising pups

Postby lawdawgharris » Sun Mar 22, 2020 12:59 pm

I've seen it both ways, the first to do or figure out things has started and stayed at the forefront and I've seen them top out and the the pups that were steady in progression pass them up and make the better dogs. There are things that I feel like all the better dogs I've been around all possessed. I look for it in my pups from the get go. To me puppies start separating themselves physically and mentally at about 8 or 9 weeks old. By about 12 to 16 weeks you can have a real good idea of the dog that is gravitating towards your expectations the most. I watch to see who figures out who the first out of the box is, or who starts to recognize my voice first, but I try not to put too much emphasis on it. I really start my judging when they are moved out of my whelping pen into the yard where they can start exploring. I do this usually around 4 weeks old. I like that pup that isn't scared to lay off by itself and watch the others. I like that pup that when I turn them out of the yard to run around it isn't concerned about me or the siblings. I goes and explores and when it finds something that intrigues it, it is persistent in finding the end or the source. I like that pup that is over doing it's own thing while everyone else is elsewhere. When one or more of them barks or starts to give chase to a field rat, or a rabbit, or whatever, it joins in. If it determines there's nothing to it then it goes right back to what it was doing. I like the pup that bails off into the pond with no worries. I that pup that all the other pups seem to keep one eye on. I do drags just to play with them, I do mock hunts too. The mock hunts start simple and get progressively harder. I've raised this family of dogs for a while and if I didn't feel like I could reach in blind and grab a good pup I wouldn't own them. But, there's always a pup in a litter that has that ''it'' factor to me. The pup I just seem to have a different chemistry with. That's the pup I have to have and if I can't usually won't keep one at all. Sometimes there are 2 or 3 that I really connect with which gives me options. Not that the others aren't good pups, they just don't grab me like the ''it'' pups. Confidence is everything so I never do anything to break it. I try only to build it. I don't normally scold them for being trashy, whether it's the cows or horses or whatever. I just ignore them when they do it. Usually by 3 1/2 - 4 months I show them a pig and when they bay at it I do make a big deal about it and praise them. In no time that's pretty much all they seem to care about is hog and nothing else really interests them. If they should continue to get after other stuff after I know they are really liking a hog then I scold them for off game and if possible immediately let them see a hog and praise them for baying at it. It doesn't take much for smart dogs.

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dwalton
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Re: Raising pups

Postby dwalton » Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:03 am

I have tried testing heart rate that I read about 30 years ago [working with a vet that raised dog also], I have tried about every way that has ever been put into print or heard about to pick out the best pup. Nothing really works as far as I see. Three of the best dogs that I have ever raised with not hunt or go with the older dogs until they reached a year old them were lead dogs by 1 1/2 years old doing it all own their own. That said by keeping track of the litters I have raised I feel I can pick a good pup most of the time. It is not the one most people feel at weaning age to be the best. Traits one needs for bobcat , lion, bear,coons,or hogs I feel require a different type of dog. The top breeders, hunters that I know keep the hole litter ensuring that they get the best pup. I had a old timer that was a professional hunter most of his life tell me behind any great dog is a great hunter. That is the best advice that I think I ever heard. There is no easy way, ever dog takes hard hunting, the right breaks and good breeding. They all don,t make it. Start with a smart trainable pup out of good breeding and hunt the hell out of him. Dewey
lawdawgharris
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Re: Raising pups

Postby lawdawgharris » Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:44 am

That's well said Dewey. One method I always heard was the method of the momma showing which pup was best. I don't know if there's anything to it but they say take the litter and move after she's had them. Do it 3 or 4 times and supposedly she will pick the best pup to take back to the nest first each time. Lol, I never tried it but that's what I've always heard.

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macedonia mule man
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Re: Raising pups

Postby macedonia mule man » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:55 am

The pack I’m running now is the dam and her last litter. Dam is a full runningwalker and sire was 1/2 running walker/ 1/2 beagle. Both sire and dam could find track, cold trale, jump and run game solo or with a pack. Both dogs would strike from dog box and have a runnable track.there was 9 pups in the litter7 males 2 females. One male died a day after birth another male drowned after weaning which left me with 7 pups. I didn’t pay any special attention to the pups other than keeping them tame till training time, I had them named but doubt if they all knew what their name was. Third time I cast them, they all Left with their mother barking, doubtit they were all smelling but they were running and barking. This went on for twice a week for about a month and I left their mother home to see what was happening. No difference, so I decided everything was smelling game. One male( Andy) was making the most pick ups and usually the first on a road crossing. All this on outside,they never been in a pen. I started leaving a couple at home to see what was happening,and found no difference. Had to put Andy down due to rubber jaw. The next dog to step up was Ike, and took over. Lost him to the the same thing, found out it was inherited. That left me with 5 pups, Jughead, Amos, Blaze, Sister and Sissie. Amos came up missing in action about a month ago,found dead on highway. Ran a couple of time since and the remaining four are running game as good as ever. I have no idea which one was or is the best dog. I do know all have been in the woods at least once or twice a week summer and winter since 6 weeks old except turkey season. Forget about picking the best pup, take them hunting regurllary and they may all do good.
1whitedog
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Re: Raising pups

Postby 1whitedog » Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:40 pm

Thanks for the insight.
scrubrunner
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Re: Raising pups

Postby scrubrunner » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:19 pm

Ive raised a heap of pups but I've never been able to tell much about which ones were going to be the best or if any of them were even going to work out until I start hunting them. Sometimes the one I like the least as a pup becomes my favorite or my favorite pup winds up a dud.

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