re-running a fox

[muttman82]

The old timer that taught me to run hounds re-runs the fox after he is treed. It is how my dog learned to run fox and how he has taught all of his dogs for over 50 years I know a lot of people in my area do it and i see it as a very affective way to train young dogs, especially when the fox has become dog wise they really make for a good race. He or myself do not harvest fox and never shoot anything one out to the dogs, don't even carry a gun. Does anyone see how this could cause bad habits for the dogs ? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.

[Patrick]

Biggest issue I have experienced are "run a ways". The dogs get used to the varmint coming out and it doesn't take much for one dog to think it came out, the rest think he is going to get away with it, and away all of them go leaving you there at at the tree looking up at a fox.
Now this can be prevented by tying up the dogs real quick before getting the fox to come out. (Also helps prevent those savy dogs from being in just the right place when the fox comes down). Sometimes when the brush and rocks are thick, and the fox has all the advantage he needs I won't tie them up.
To deal with the runaways, I always talk to the dogs and if I see the fox leaving out I hollar one way, if i can tell the dogs think he has left but I know he hasn't I hollar a different way. Most dogs are sharp enough to start listening to me.
I also think it can make some young dogs a little loose on the tree sometimes, but once they really start locating and figuring out what is going on it isn't a problem. If getting more than one race out of a fox is beyond a dogs abilities to figure out, he needs to be culled anyway.

Pat

[muttman82]

Thanks for the advice, that is kinda why I asked I think he trees a little loose and has let the fox come out the past two times the same thing has happened he is treed for close to am hour and I couldn't locate him in time to get to the tree before he leaves out of there running again, it has also been pretty windy which makes me think he is back treeing off the tree and giving the fox a chance to get out of there. I just started running him alone and started off good he treed 3 the first two times out with little to know wind. Also dogs are tied up every time the old man wouldn't have it any other way and would kick my butt if I didn't do the same

[Patrick]

hunting that dog by himself is the best thing you can keep doing at this point.
keep getting to the trees as soon as you can.
tying him up at the tree is a good move during the training season.
When you chase the critter out, don't turn him loose unless you are sure he sees it leave out. If it sneaks out and he misses it, lead him away from the tree and go catch another one.
I used to hollar at the dogs a certain way if I saw the fox slip out and they didn't (esp at night). They got to where they would then start hunting for a track, but I decided that doing that caused more problems, esp with young dogs, and quit doing it.