Training cur's

R

rwarren482000

New member
What is the best way to train a cur for tolling? I have 2 Kemmer/mountain cur cross pup's. I am wanting to train them and don't know how old they need to be. I run them everyday and they already use their noses great. They have chased a couple squirell's and they are only 12 weeks old. Any help would be great....
 
Take them hunting, kill a coyote and let them play it. Rent a few dogging coyote movies for pointers and go hunting lots. Hounds pick up the game quickly. Train them to come to you on command. Read this forum and use the search engine to go back through a few years of posts. Look for stories with Bubba in the title in the hound forum and hunting forum. After you've read the volumes of information available on our site, send myself or Duanne@ssu an email. We both hunt coyotes a lot with dogs and I'm sure we could answer any questions you may have.

Oh, and welcome to Predator Masters. Call me biased, but we're the best predator hunting website on the internet.
 
Thank you for the help. I will probably be asking you guys a lot more questions like now. I took the pups out the other day with me, and one of them barked like mad. should I leave her home until she is a little older? And will it scare away the Coyotes with her barking like that?
 
I'll answer you with a few ?'s,
How old is she?
what was she barkin at"
will she shut up when told?
No the barking won't scare yotes,but you don't want her right beside you when she's doin it.
Have patience,and work with your dogs,till you develop a style of huntin that suits you,then train your dogs to work to your style,or compromise,and work to their style if it works.If you followed Mikes advice,and read some of the old post you now I do some things that most dogmen would never do.The reason for that is that ever dog is different,and every hunter is different.If you want a silent dog,that is easy to do.I personally want a "voice,"and breed for it.
But I don't let my dogs sit or stand near me when I am callin,they need to be ranging,or if bringin a yote back,they need to "go behind" There is no big secret to training, you just have to know what you want and be consistent with the dog.They will get it,some just take longer than others.
 
Be patient, they're still mighty young pups. Pups like playing more than anything. Bubba wasn't hunting until 8 months. He would walk around, sniff a few things and go in no particular direction. Sometimes he was in front of me, sometimes behind me. He would lay beside me when he tired of the game. That was fine as a pup. I never let him do it again after 11 months. By then he knew the game and didn't want to lay around anyway.

Eventually they'll see which direction you and the gun are facing and concentrate their efforts likewise. Bubba watches me a whole lot. He's always looking back to see what I'm doing. If he sees I layed down or facing another direction, he'll come running back and get in front of me. He's learned that I always face an incoming coyote. Helps him see them coming.

I wouldn't worry too much about the barking. Bubba goes nuts when coyotes are getting close and they don't seem to mind at all.
 
Mike, that all makes sense except,"he gets in front of me"
I will not allow that,can you explain?
I make all my dogs"go behind",and start them on this command as small pups.They learn that when they come back,"behind" me is where they belong.
Just curios as to your theory,or how you make this work?
 
I looked back,and see the pups are 12 weeks.
WAY TO YOUNG FOR DECOY WORK.
Do as you like,but I can tell you from experience you will be much more pleased,and have much more solid dogs if you wait until at least 6 months,and that is pushin the limits.
Granted you are there and can "try to watch the dogs" If one gets whipped,they are lucky,killed is unlucky.I run my young dogs with finished older dogs,and I don't decoy pups until at least 6 month ,and that is for the very best prospects.
For the next 3 months spend time playin with the pups,drag a fresh yote hide,teach a come back,and be sure it is solid,you can even shoot a yote and drag the dead yote so they get an idea to "blood trail", but trying to force the "decoy" now you are asking for a wreck,or at the least two dogs that will have a hard time reaching their full potential.Not trying to be a "fun hater",just trying to help you out.But as I said in the begining do as you like.
 
Duanne, Bubba will go to the front of me, several yards out, stop and once he sees the coyote, takes off in it's direction. Many times the coyote is several hundred yards out when I lay down. Bubba uses me as a vector to spot them. I have no problem with him doing so, but that's also why I hunt alone. I always look for my dog before pulling the trigger. Can't say that would be the case with someone else in the heat of action.
 
Thank you for the help Duane and Mike. I took the pups out the other day and tied them down. I just wanted to see how they would react. I didn't get any coyotes in but it was neat watching the pups. I also had my 2 boys with me. The one that barks none stop is Ginger. Beatiful yellow color. The other is KitKat. she is brindal. Great little pups.

I am pretty sure that there was something in there because the deer went crashing thru the trees like I have had before and KitKat was looking hard at the tree line. But I never saw a thing. It could have easily been a bobcat but I will never know. They are great little pups and a lot of fun. It is going to be a learning experience for us all. Thank you so much for the help.
Rick
 
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Mike I was just wantin to know "why, and how you make it work" My dogS work "ahead",but once the yote is coming they get behind.I also keep a keen eye on my dogs.I thought you might have some "secret" why you do it that way,and was trying to get it out of you. Haha.
 


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