getting a pup to honor a pack

[Dave Swiger]

,.,

[Crow]

And you can blow a pup sky high putting to much pressure on it. If a pup is going to run a rabbit with a pack then it must first learn to run a rabbit. If it doesn't do that then it is running the pack, not the track, different schools of thought on this one. I'd say if you wait the pup will progress. On the other hand if you go with Mr. Swiger's technique, I'm sure it will probably work as well as anything else you can do. It really is up to you & what you think will fit best. Mr. Swiger seems to believe in his tactic much more strongly than I do so maybe give it a shot. Like I said, either way, let us know what happens.

[Dave Swiger]

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[bluecollar beagler]

thanks guys, and i value all input. alot of this i hadnt considered to so i appreciate it. i am going to change things up a bit the next few times out and use the leash aproach but im going to take him out with an older dog i have as well that is much slower and see how he reacts. im definitely not giving up on him. ill try a few of the suggestions over the next few months and see how he is doing come nov and rabbit season starts. two good months of running should help i hope.

[Panther Creek]

I have a pup that was doing that. When we leave the truck, I follow the other dogs with her om a leash til the other dog/dogs opens up & gets the track going. then i wait til she REALLY wants to join them & turn her loose. If she leaves them, I go get her, leash up, & do it all over again. She's gettin better.

[davidc5936]

You said he was "independent". Have you ever thought that maybe he doesn't hear well? I had a dog that wouldn't pack up at times and fnally found out he was almost deaf.

[Crow]

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[windsplitters]

Kennel him with the dog you want him to stay with the most.

[bluecollar beagler]

i have since he started doing this. ive been working in the evenings trying to get our farms cleaned up so i havent been able to get him back out yet. Im hoping to take them with me tonight and finish up and have time to run for an hr or two this evening. ill see how the leashing goes. hopefully i can get my older dog to circle one rt by his face!!

[Greg Wells]

If you can find a dog that he can out check 3 to 1 that is not very fast and won't put much distance between them when it does get a check, that would be the type of dog I would run him with. Also, I would run along with them & if you see the pup hang up, catch him and run him up to the other dog that has the line. The leash idea will help also. I don't think I would solo him for a while.

[Greg Wells]

Also, like one guy mentioned, make sure his hearing is okay; make sure his ears are cleaned out good & he doesn't have ear mites. Good luck, Greg

[thornie]

Bluecollar, you said this in your post: i have been bracing him with my older more polished dog. First off is the more polished dog one that you run in feld trials and what is it's age. When I'm running pups, I use a dog that the pups can get the front of the track. When they are getting the front they are able to get more scent of the track. I only run a pup with a dog, not more than two,that they can keep up with. Ounce this happens, you need to expose them to other dogs of your friends, so they will be able to familarize with strange dogs. You already have one problem beaten, it can run a rabbit by itself. The thing that we all forget they are still pups, we can truly blow them up or make them better. I have to tell you that I've had the same problems, one time they would run with the dogs and the next time they wouldn't. I ended selling these to female to a rabbit hunter, just what he wanted. Don't get discouraged, keep trying new things, suggetions, and you know an old fart like me can learn new things also.

[bluecollar beagler]

yeah, already had the hearing problem checked.. he's fine on that front, no ear mites either, vet done a good thorough check on him at 6 months old and i always keep a close eye on there ears when im treating them for fleas, ticks..

as for the other dog im bracing him with, ive been running him with a 2.5 yr old male i have that is a very sound dog.. no extra mouth, good line control and tight check work.. i thought by running him with this dog that he would be less likely to run rough and no bad traits would rub off on him. my older dog definitely has good foot though which might be the problem..

i wasnt able to get out last night bc my wife decided she wanted to go out to eat but im out this evening for sure.. i have an old 10 yr old dog that is a nice rabbit dog 5 on speed if that lol and the pup should have no problems running off and leaving him on a track. im going to take this dog along tonight and let him get one up and hold the pup back until he gets it moving and see how the pup reacts..

[Kwarrior]

Did your pup end up packing up better? I have one almost 6 months that just started but does the same thing you mentioned with yours.

[tenntreedog]

I have a dog that I started by himself .Ran his own rabbit for 4 or 5 months befor ever being put with another dog .needless to say he did not pack up at first but slowly came around.I think that this was more because the other dogs packed to him than he to them.Will pack now but still very independant.He is going on 8 yrs. old now and starting to slow down some if he can`t stay up front sometimes he will still find another rabbit to run by himself.He has been my best jump dog and still is.
I would not worry too much about him now just keep putting him out there with dogs of close to the same speed and that will pack to him if he jumps one first. he`ll come along.