southern coonhunter wrote:
I have a 15 month old dog that I am training. He has only see 3 cage coon in his life. I turned the second one loose in front of him and he didn't see it but tracked and found the tree it went up on. He give a few hard barks while up on the tree. I showed him the third cage coon just a couple days ago. He showed alot of interest and bawled and barked at him alot. Tryed to get to him while it was still in the cage. Last night I took him out and let him get after the coon again. Same result. Very aggresive. Lots of barking. I pulled the cage up a tree and he would tree but not as hard as he was on the ground. I turned the coon loose in front of him. When the coon got to the tree I cut my dog loose. He ran straight to him. To my surprise the coon didn't go up the tree. My dog got right up in his face barking and snapping at him. The coon was growling and snapping back. Luckily he didn't jump on my dog and finally got up the tree. The coon made it about 6 foot up the tree and my dog jumped up and tryed to grab him. He couldn't get him. After that he treed on him alittle but not real hard. He got down and was smelling around the tree. He would get back up on the tree but wouldn't bark. I leashed him up and got down with him and pet and praised him. He still didn't bark but was smelling and licking where the coon went up. I leashed him up and we went home. I think that I just need to take him hunting and keep fooling with him with maybe a couple more coon. What do you guys think? What about shooting the next one out for him? All suggestions welcome.
I WOULD NOT PUT THE CAGED COON UP A TREE AGAIN. GIVE HIM A COUPLE MORE RELEASED COON AND LET THE COON HAVE A GOOD LEAD WITH THE DOG NOT SEEING HIM LEAVE. ONCE HE CAN TREE SOME COON RELEASED LIKE THAT ,THEN HUNT HIM.STAY CLOSE WHEN HE IS ON TRACK SO WHEN HE DOES MARK THE TREE HE AINT GOT TO WAIT AROUND TOO LONG FOR YOU TO GET TO HIM THE FIRST FEW TIMES UNTILL HE IS TREEING AND DOING BETTER. AS LONG AS HE WILL MARK THE TREE WHERE THE COON WENT UP. IS FINE. HE WILL TREE HARDER AFTER HE GETS MORE INTO IT AND WANTS THEM MORE.I WOULD SHOOT THE COON OUT,BUT NOT LET THE DOG HAVE IT, JUST PULL HIM AFTER HE IS NUTTIN UP BARKING AND TRYING TO GET AT IT JUST OUT OF HIS REACH..THE MORE HE WANTS IT,THE MORE HE WILL TREE FOR ONE.