hound training??

V

vt coy caller

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I have a 1@1/2 year old female, American fox hound (muzzy). I do a lot of running (coyotes) with a friend of mine who owns the parents to my pup. The trouble im having is getting her to run alone, she will run with the other dogs but she is always following and runs silent. If I start her on a track alone she will track it for up to 200 yards and turn around and head back to me. Does anybody have any training tips that may help me with this problem or is she a lost cause? This is my first coyote hound, I've had beagles before for rabbit hunting and they were a breeze to train.
Mabe just more time running with the other dogs will get her going but im starting to have doubts, any tips would be greatly appreciated thanks.
 
That's a tough one. At 1 1/2 yrs she isn't mature and could very well turn into a great dog. But, the longer you have her the more you become attached and if she doesn't turn into a good hunting dog do you have just another pet or do you send her down the road?

I would try to work her a bunch more with other dogs and see if she picks up the traits you need in a hunting dog. Some dogs just won't hunt on their own and then you are faced with the age old dilemma: "what am I going to do with this dog"?

Good luck.
 
Mike nailed it, i would try keeping her in the box until you have a screaming hot race going, then put her in. Try to get her in on some catches, or let her chew on some shot coyotes if you dont catch coyotes regularly. See if she has any interest in the coyote. A hound should be going pretty strong by a year old. She could still come around, but if she doesnt show any interest in a coyote in front of her i would have say you got a dud.

You may also try running her with just one other dog. Try to get her in a pen with just her and an older dog. Keep trying, but you cant make a dog hunt that doesnt want to, it is up to you to decide when you cant do anything more for her.

I always look at it as there are too many good ones out there to waste too much time and energy on a cull, and every litter has its culls.
 
My nephew had the same trouble with his running walker, we have run it with my hounds. It is over 2 years old now and this winter its like flipping a switch, hes running real good now and looks like he will be a good one. I think one of the main things is to keep dumping her on a lot of coyotes. Some hounds are slow to learn. Good Luck
 
Not a hound guy, but I do have hunting dogs. What I would do if I were you is assume she is not going to turn out, and start looking for another dog. I would look for a 2-4 year old started hound (female) and put them in a pen together and make them become best friends. If they bond and the new dog is a good one, there is a very good chance that your other dog will start to follow out and be more comfortable on the chase as she will see a familiar face at all times. It sounds like you have a dog that is pretty attached to you, and while I am not saying she doesn't have hunt drive, it sounds like not getting separated from you is more important than catching a coyote.

If she doesn't turn out, and you can't afford 2 dogs, then at least you are ahead of the game with a started mature dog and can start thinking about a pup down the road.

I know it is frustrating when they just don't turn out, but like someone else said in this thread, you have a yound dog that may just be immature. Give here some time and you may see her turn the corner here shortly. I got a dog about 2 years ago for deer tracking. He was jumping and baying crippled deer at 4 months old... he just hit the ground like he had been doing it for years. The owner of the parents kept a female out of the same litter for hog hunting, and couldn't get her to go to a bay for the first year and a half, but in the last 4 months she has turned into a machine. Same litter and 2 totally different learning curves.

Good luck.
 
Thanks guys, I'm gonna keep working with her the rest of the season, got about 3 more weeks. I might have a chance to get her in a pen this summer for a few weeks with her brother copper, he's been running the [beeep] out of the yotes this season, he's nipping at there heels all day but won't speak a wimper. My buddy even went as far as to put a bell on his collar, pretty funny but it gave us about 100-125 yard heads up when he was coming around!
Norcalkyle you hit the nail on the head, she's definitely worried about where i am more than giving chase, im sure this is why she'll only run with the other dogs. So ill just concentrate on dumping her in once there up and going and hope she comes into it soon. Id really like to get her going, she's got great legs under her, super fast.
 
Running hounds are pack hounds. A lot of them will run better with company. Dont get me wrong a lot will also run solo. She is young and could come around yet.


Vargy
 
American fox hound, or do you mean something else when you say "breeding"? Not sure, im kinda green with the hound hunting still. (obviously right)!!lol
Here's a thought I just had [beeep], and maybe im way off wit this but last season when she was just a few months old id shoot a coyote off my baits and leave it there then go get her, I'd bring her in the woods and put her on the track where the coyote came out and have her go find it. Is it possible she thinks she only has to go a couple hundred yards to find the coyote, and when it's not there she comes back??
gonna try to do like one of the guys said and try to drop her in once we got a good run going, I've hoped i could do this for a while now but always get to caught up in trying to kill the coyote. I know, i know train first kill later! Guess it's time to get my priorities straight! Lol, thanks again guys, im really enjoying reading some of the other dog posts here.
 
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Yeah i meant blood line, its really not important, i was just curious what stock she was out of, just being nosey lol.
I wouldnt worry too much about what you did last year. She should figure things out if you do your part, but she isnt going to learn anything in the box.

The only thing i would worry about if it was me would be the silent running. I have never seen a dog that runs silent start to bark as it grew up. I have one here that gets pretty tight lipped from time to time and if he wasnt so good a hound in all other regards i can assure you he would be in a hole by now.
 


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