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Starting dogs

50 years ago we didn't start dogs until they were at least 1 and sometimes later. Do you think it hurts them if you try to start them to early or they shine and then all of a sudden they don't get any better or seemed to get burned out.

By far the best 9 month old I ever seen wasn’t worth a bullet at about a year and a half

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Philippians 2:9-11

Re: Re: Starting dogs

quote:

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Originally posted by elenagilbert
Hi buff1978, I’m curious about your thoughts on early training. Have you seen cases where dogs started too young shine bright at first but then hit a wall, either losing drive or not improving, compared to those started later like they did back in the day?

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Regarding how much or how hard you hunt young dogs. I always want to end a hunt with a young dog while they’re still wanting more!

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Dan

quote:

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Originally posted by DL NH
Regarding how much or how hard you hunt young dogs. I always want to end a hunt with a young dog while they’re still wanting more!

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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...

There have always been people that start their pups young and older alike. The jet line Bluetick are a prime example, they start young naturally in my opinion as well as most blueticks. I’ve seen walker dogs that will go either way, some start young & others not turning on til they are a 1 1/2 or older even. Burn out usually is a result of an owner pushing their hound too hard not because you started them too young. You have to pay attention to the dog on the end of your leash, that’s the dog you train. If you don’t know your dog then you can ruin a good hound quick fast & in a hurry. I personally get my dogs going young as possible on tracking, using quality scent. I also get them in the woods right away, day time first then as confidence builds we start night excursions. During this time I’m also watching & learning my pups. If you do this right then you’ll know which dogs to start early & which ones may take a little more time. No one way is better than the other (starting young or older), what’s important is knowing your dog

Excellent post BluedogIid…its like giving a kid all you can ice-cream every day and you will see him turn away from it after a while…give him a little bit twice a week and he will be ready for more the next time…we analyze the pups progression each time out and adjust accordingly as needed…

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Training dogs is not so much about quantity, it's more about timing, and the right situations...After that it's up to the dog....A hunting dog is born...