Nightstalker2A wrote:
Hi, Toe cutter! I have a problem with my 4 month old pup. I have been working my butt off with drags on him. I've went through 2 bottles of coon trailing scent with him and he pays it no mind! I've even used a coon tail as a drag and again he want work it! I've gotten fustrated and showed him a caged coon. He loves a caged coon and works him into a frenzy! I let each coon out into pasture, an let them get into a tree! Then turn him loose, he shoots off like a rocket for them! But stops where he lost sight of them! An starts hooping around like a freaking rabbit, lol. Looking for them, not even using his nose! Its like his nose is broke, what and is there anything I can do to get him using his nose?
i dont try to start pups to get after a coon till they are 8 to 10 months old or older. many people do start them younger. i just have an easier time of it when they are older because they are more mature and ready.
you have to walk up in there and help him. walk the way the coon went and encourage him to find it.
one thing that will help alot is if you let him run and play and burn off some energy for awhile before you start your training session.
i would not let him see you release them any more. if he finds the scent with his nose first, now that he knows the scent, he will probly figure out he can smell them and maybe try to track them...he gets excited when he sees them and his first re action is to look for where it went with his eyes when he can no longer see it.. you got to trigger him to use his nose. try letting him find it to begin with with his nose. smell it and not see it.
with him only 4 mths old, i think you are pushing him too soon.
i can do more with a one yr old dog in 3 weeks then i can with a 4-6 mth old pup in 3 mths..