old dog back tracking

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Thornbusters
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:12 am
Location: Aurora, IN

old dog back tracking

Post by Thornbusters »

i have a very good hunting dog and he is almost 7 years old....i bought him last year and ran him several times through the summer he did great and ran the rabbits well without a problem....then a few weeks ago i took him out to actually hunt and couldn't figure out why he was having problems then i saw him coming up on a trail but he kept backtracking himself as much 20 yards then coming up on the fresh trail again and continuing then he would backtrack again...i though this was just a bad day because the other dogs were having no luck either..then last week i had him out with a couple of different dogs and they jumped a rabbit and ran him for about 25 minutes before the rabbit came back around and i killed it ...it took the dogs (2 of them) about 10 mins (about 125 yards behind the rabbit) to get back up to me and the rabbit and as they approached the old male started backtracking again by as much as 20+ yards then coming forward again..while he was in my sight it took me 5 mins to get him up to me (i also had to use the toner on e-collar) to get him up to me and the rabbit) the other dog came up almost instantly when i called her to the rabbit she seemed more confused by him than me calling her to the rabbit?

anyway is there some way i can break him of this or is it just that he is getting old?? very confused and still very new to this sport....i really am wondering too how it is that he ran fine all year and now that hunting season is on he is acting differently than he did before..


any help is much appreciated thanks :D

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Lance
Posts: 427
Joined: Fri Aug 16, 2002 3:59 pm
Location: Northern Ky

Post by Lance »

Could be age, could be too much pressure from the younger dogs. Solo him and that should tell you what is causing it. I retired a good seven year old dog this year because of some backtracking when run with younger, faster dogs. They're just not getting enough track. I can't stand backtracking...even if it just a little bit and I sure don't want my young dogs learning from him.

Thornbusters
Posts: 55
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:12 am
Location: Aurora, IN

Post by Thornbusters »

that could be likely sounds like a good idea to solo....thanks :D

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