Thank you for the very kind comments reloader. It means a lot to me. I am very excited about the new prospect. I think tommorow might just be a good day to introduce this little fireball !

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Introducing Stinger. Stinger is just coming 6 months old now. She has not been hunt trained at all up to this point. Stinger has been in the daytime woods a lot and has started to road some with the older dogs. She is use to wearing the e-collar but has not had it turned on. I have had her on lead a couple of times and she plumb hates it LOL. She is just now starting to look forward to loading and going. She has never done a drag or seen a caged critter. Stinger has a TON of energy and is enthusiastic about whatever it is she is doing. She has a HUGE mouth on her for a pup. Her Mother is Buzz Anderson bred and her Sire is Richard Casey bred. Both parents are top cooners owned by Raymond Caswell of Mo. What do you all think? Should we continue our project with this little prospect? I'm game if you all are!

HECK YEAH LCK! That will really benifit me as well you working with stinger. I have a (28.5 wk old) 6 month old as well. His name is shooter. I want to start training him to hunt so bad but I've been holding back. I let him do somthing the other day that some people will jump all over me for doing. It was his first time seeing a coon at all. My buddy had a caged coon in a roll cage. I let him with my 8 year old red bone and two other dogs mess with it. He probably was just copying what the other dogs were doin' but I dont' know. All I do know is that he went balistic on this coon. He was climbing, jumping over dogs, jumping up on the tree after and everything. I let him do this while we put the other dogs up with him there by himself. He was still going at it by his lonsome. He did not want to go back to the dog box LOL. That was the only time he has ever seen a coon or been messed with at all. That was about 3 wks ago and I'm trying to hold back in training him. So, now that your starting with a young pup like mine that will help me train him up right by watching your progress. Keep up the good work LCK.

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"Huntin and fishin ain't a pasttime, its a way of life!"

LCK - I say YES ! Your training Stinger will help a few new guys like myself with young dogs. Although my pup is 3 months behind yours it will be good information to have.

Good luck with Stinger

Look forward to seeing how this new training project goes. She looks like a fun handful! Have a Blast! HappyHunting and Training! Heather

So LCK, whats going to be the first thing that you do with this pup or better yet, what is your plan in starting this young pup?

I am going to start with basic obediance and begin collar conditioning. I am going to continue with the trips in the box and roading with other dogs. The most important thing to me right now with this pup is to give her ample opportunity to develope confidence and become comfortable being out in the woods etc. During these trips she will get some light corrections for showing interest in trash and a ton of encouragement to get out and explore. I am going to be very cautious with the obediance because I do not want her thinking she has to be carefull with every step she takes. It is more of a time to gently fold in the obediance as she grows and developes. I'm going to let her chase all the rabbits and squirells she wants. I will not introduce coons or coon scent to her for a few more months if that soon. I had to move her tot he kennels already because she was already becoming a real threat to the wifes cat LOL. She is a gamey headstrong little pup and it is going to be tempting to start her sooner than I should, but as most of you know patience is my motto and I think this one will benefit in the long run with an ample dose of patience.

Stinger had a big day today. We took her out with a couple of yearling pups for some roading and trash breaking etc. She finally had the chance to feel the e-collar on a few deer and dead rabbits. By the end of the day she was responding to the tone only on the collar and also was coming in when she heard the horn honk on the rig. All in all a good positive day of just being out and about learning the ropes. Here's a few pics.






She gave these deer a good old college try but couldn't figure out why that " pinching" feeling kept getting ahold of her by the neck so she gave it up and came on back in.

Glad she's learning the Pinch! It would sure stop me quick! I hope she progresses well! HappyHunting, Heather

the first time you let her feel the e-collar which setting do you use. i know most start light and work their way up, but how light do you start? do you start with the tone first?

I always start out with the tone first then just on up through the levels until I get a head turn or a sign that it is being felt. After that I go one level higher and warn with the tone then hit it on and off until they give to it. I like them to decide to quit instead of blowing them off the track if running trash as was this instance. You have to be pretty quick on the buttons to pull it off but I have found they break faster and it lasts a lot longer if done this way and before long the tone is all that has to be given to stop em in their tracks. When they are coming back in I also like to beep the horn. In no time they learn to come to the horn. This has saved countless hours and foot miles going in to catch and leash dogs.

LCK- Im glad your doing this. Syinger sopunds like my kind of pup. My only question is , why not start her now if she will go and do her part ? It only takes a night or two to find out. you can be months ahead and your smart enough not to burn out a hound, which in my opinion is very hard to do with the determined ones. trying to learn as much as I can, as you know this stuff ias never ending.

That is a valid question Tom, one that does deserve an honest answer. There are several reasons why I am going to wait a bit on her introduction to coons. Having trained dogs on a semi proffesional basis for the public to close to or over 25 years I have formed a few opinions. One thing I have learned is that pushing dogs at an early age will more often than not backfire in one way or another. Now having said that I know as well as most folks this is not always the case and some very special dogs actually thrive on early pressure but they are the exception to the rule in most cases. I have found by being a little heavy on the conservative side that my odds increase ten fold of finishing a dog out with fewer problems or faults that require specialized training to fix. I am talking on average here. When training a good number of dogs at one time it pays in the long run to maximize proficiency and minimize risk. I have also found through a good deal of first hand trial and error that it is really only a matter of a few short months which can and does make the difference in most cases. A few months of time spent in and around the woods and handling without the added pressure of actually confronting game usually pays safer dividends in the long haul without as much risk. I have done it both ways and have just learned that a few extra months on the front end being patient and holding back actually saves several months of problem solving and or culling in the long run. I know that most of the young hounds I work with will run, strike, trail and tree game right now if given the chance, but it is not right now I am interested in. I am interested in how this dog turns out 2 to 3 years from now.

Just checking in. I have not been able to do too much this past copuple of weeks due to 30 plus below zero weather and starting a new job. We should be back into the training here in a few more days though.

LCK,
First off, thank you for great pup training thread. Reading it really does add a dimesion of clarity for me, as to the "why's" of the methods of training you have chosen and are employing, and how these methods of training allow you to achieve the desired, specific, appropriate goals in mind.

One question I have, is when do you employ the tracking collar? As soon as the pup is in the woods walking and exploring at your side, or?

Looking forward following Stinger's progress!