The start of a hunting dog
I was just wondering, for those who have hunting dogs, how do you get started with your pups, training wise? Do you work on recall/off leash-ness first? Or do you work on them fetching, getting things that resemble animals? In addition, how do you teaching them how to bay or catch without another hunting dog as an example?
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I'll let them play with pelts of the animals I hunt from a young age, mostly so that they are used to the smell. Wild animals have a very pungent odor, and it can put some dogs off at first. From day one I'll also work on off leash training with them, as a hunting dog can give you loads of grief and heart attacks if they're not at least semi controllable off leash. I also take them on short walks through the mountains so that they can get used to the terrain, learning how to maneuver, and pay attention to where I am.
As the pups get older and more confident, I'll introduce them to dead or live caged (small) prey to see their reaction, and to encourage them to be curious about it.
I agree working with being good off leash is very important don't want a hunting dog that runs away and never comes back at all..
I look forward to seeing more tips on this subject.
Also, at least with my dogs, the seemed to know what to do right away - how to grab the groundhog, etc. Or they learned very quickly after only 1 or 2 bites from the ground hog. They also got more determined and mad when the ground hog bit them and instead of backing down, would go in harder (unlike a friend of mine's Rottweiler who gave up after being bitten by a groundhog).
My male especially is neat to watch, because if he cannot get a good position to bite and pick up the ground hog, he immediately switches to very loud high pitched barking at the ground hog within about 5 inches of it. Very determined barking. If you can distract the groundhog, he will go in and grab it. So he switches between detaining and catching depending on the ground hog.
Now that is not a boar or anything, but I have seen some pretty tough groundhogs that fight back pretty hard and bite.
I agree groundhogs can be pretty mean when cornered.
Do you do this on purpose or your on hikes and they find the groundhogs?
Once he was about 9months I purchased piglets for him to bay and catch. I did this for about 15 minutes max every other day or about 3 times a week so that he didnt get bored. Unfortunately where I live, I'm pretty much the only hog dogger around and not much people doing it these days north of me so every thing was trial and error deal. I think if Riki was younger, he would have pulled Taro along much faster but Taro has grown into a great pig dog.
Its all about giving a dog that has the drive as much face time with a hog as you can. In general it will take a few years for a hog dog to become a "finished" dog but I have noticed more that the Kishu ken will hunt harder as they mature some where between age 2 to 4. But it all depends on the dog.
On a side note, I had a great day today with the new Yushoku Kishu pup Nami (aka reiko but will probably have a different name soon). Hana the lab found a live partridge and I used the live bird to see what Nami would do. Well I was blown away, she gave chase right away, bayed it up, barked at it for a little, and then jumped on it and held it. She decided it was her trophy and did not want to give to anyone. Koyuki took Nami in as if she is one of her pups and finally the pack has come together in harmoney.
Is there somewhere online I can buy boar hides with smell still on it? I think Saya would have lots fun chasing it as a flirt toy.
She has a squirrel pelt that I have her chase and she will bring it to me too.
Being on a farm, my husband dislikes groundhogs because they make holes in his fields and can break a tractor axel and I dislike them because they make holes in my horse pastures and break a horses leg.
And they are rodents and produce a lot of babies!
Thanks a lot I doubt Saya would be a match with a boar coarse I don't think there any in Indiana is any not in my area I only seen deer, fox, coyotes, and badgers..
Most places local only has raccoon, fox, coyote, skunk and squirrel pelts.
@shishiinu I sent you a email.
Here's picture of Saya with her favorite toy the squirrel she will even bring it to me when I tell her to she loves it.