hog dog training

how do you train a dog to hunt?

 

In my area Hog Dogging is really big, and everyone I know basically started out as a tag-a-long on the hunts with a buddy, learning how things were done and what commands were used. Teaching your dog to keep in a safe zone from the tusks and work with, not compete with any other dogs that may be there is also important. You are relying on your dog to keep you safe while trapping a very dangerous animal. I wouldn't recommend getting into something like this without going on many hunts (without your dog), getting to know the people and their dogs, and have an experienced "hog dogger" assess your animal. If you don't you can get the both of you killed.
I Personally don't care for any aspect of it because it's just not my thing, so I can only speak from what I've learned from friends of mine that hog hunt, not actual experience. There are a lot of really reckless people out there who hog dog, so be careful who you go hunting with. It's still a pretty unregulated sport because the feral pig population is so out of control. I'd stay the hell away from anyone who doesn't have an organized way of doing things, and/or a definite training agenda for their dogs.
Hope that helps?

BETH

 

What are you trying to train, a strike dog or a catch dog?

 

i have pitbulls. three pitbulls. so i would like to train a catch dog. i met a guy at work who hog dogs and he offerd to let me tag along on a hunt. so im just going to watch for a while to see how its done. he hunts bear there arent any hongs around here.

 

Sounds good. Just don't send a bulldog in on a bear. Bear dogs are of the hound or cur variety.

 

Its still legal to hunt bear with dogs?

 

Yes, but it depends on the state...

 

Wow, that sounds like a hoot!

 

yeah the guy i met at work said my pits would make good catch dogs for the bear. he said the he didnt think pitbulls could run the bear long enough though. he tells me to get hounds to run the bear then send the pits in.

what do you think? could pitbull run long enough to tire a bear out?

 

Depends on the weather....hot or cold...and how long is the trail.Wich terrain?Altough I think the pits are able to run the bear down, the hound idea is not that bad because its better to put fresh fighters on the bear.Or put 3 pits on the trail and if they find him send 3 more in.

 

I've never hunted bear before, but from what understand from those that do they use hounds or curs to bay'em up and then shoot them. I believe a bear could do more damage to a dog than a hog (a bear can use mouth and claws). If you're gonna' use them on bears, be prepared to lose a few.

Just my .02

 

Sounds like your friend, wants to use your dogs. Always nice to use someone else’s dogs doesn't matter what happens to them. I've never hunted bear but seems like the bear would kill the pits?



BTW I've hog hunted all my life but if you don't have hogs in your area I guess you can't go hog hunting? So, how does your friend hog dog? Am I misinterpreting the term hog dog? I live in south Florida maybe you guys have different terminology up north.

 

I'm with you paranoia...I just can't see how you would dispatch the bear with catchdogs on it. Seems to me you would still have to shoot it. And if that's the case why bother losing good catchdogs on something that you're going to have to shoot anyway!

 

I hunt bear, but not with dogs. I do know some people who have hunted bear with hounds before and they all say that all that happens is the bear usually gets treed and then they shoot it. Sometimes the big bruins aren't scared of the dogs so they stay on the ground in which case many dogs are lost before u can reach the bear to dispatch it. I understand APBT'S were used for bear baiting before but this is totally different the bear has the advantage.

 

I wouldn't take my catch dogs bear hunting. Good catch dogs are getting harder to find due to breeders stupidity.



In a fair game catch hog hunting is in no way cruel in fact the hog has the advantage and can kill your dog allot faster than your dog can kill it not that you would let it go that far.



A dog that catches a couple of hogs should not be considered a catch dog. I would consider a dog that has caught 50-100 hogs a catch dog if he still catches as hard when he started. I've seen dogs start out as good dogs and catch a big hog that’s beats and cuts him up pretty bad. If this dog hesitates next time he is not a good catch dog. Note this is my opinion some people don’t want catch dogs like this because hogs can kill them faster.



There are many ways to train a catch dog for hog hunting. Everybody has their own methods and some are better than others. I have been hog hunting for about 20yrs and I personally have my own methods and even this has evolved over the years. As for discussing it I don't think it’s appropriate on the forums. The problem is that PETA and human society types will explain the worst most disturbing ways then the hood rats and idiots read this and try to train their dogs this way it's a shame. Normal people also read it and think hunters are sick people.

 

Wow. I didn't even know hunting bear was legal AT ALL. I live such a sheltered life LOL. I've been thinking that one day I'd like to get into hog dogging, so I guess I should look into it a little more.

 

All I've heard of bear hunting is that the bear is chased up a tree and shot down also, I don't see another way of doing this... black bears of course, I don't know if there are other methods for grizzlies. A hog hunter goes in and kills the boar, do you think you would go in and stab the fighting bear?

I can't understand any good reason to use a bulldog on a bear. The reason for this is that a bulldog grabs and holds on, this works well for boars and bulls, but these animals swing their heads, all four legs on the ground. A bear will defend itself entirely different, it rears and swipes, bites and claws. If a dog grabbed hold of the bear anywhere, the bear can and will defend itself. You can see how a bear and dogs would fight just by watching the nature channel. Wolves and bears will sometimes fight and the tactics the wolves use to fight a bear or a cougar is not at all, what a bulldog would do. They strike and draw back, strike and draw back, over and over. A bulldog grabs and holds, trying to bring down the animal. I'm sure some people will use bulldogs for bears, but it sounds like a dumb idea to me. Especially since there are so many other breeds that were created for this kind of work.

I used to live near a man in Maine who hunted for a living, trapped and escorted hunts. He bred and trained hounds and beagles, never bulldogs.

 

can you guy's put some pic of bear hunting by dog's it look really interesting

 

I was unaware it was even legal anymore, I do believe most people probably tree the bear and shoot it. If you are talking about an actual dog on bear fight you may want to search google images or similar for "bear baiting" I know its still practiced in some middle eastern countries (albeit with other breeds). It is illegal in America, so we will not post pictures of it here.

 

I'm such an idiot! I should have never posted on this thread because I'm no hunter and I don't much about this! So, here's some info I've dug up that might inform others... including myself.

A debate
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2003/04/18_julinc_bearsndogs/


someone's paper?

http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-31798-22010/unrestricted/FRNTMATR.PDF

How it's done
http://gaga.essortment.com/bearhuntinghou_psd.htm

According to what I ran across, Bear hunting with dogs IS indeed legal in many areas of the US in certain zones and during certain weeks but is under constant debate. I haven't found any other dogs being used but hounds and they seem to all tree the bear and shoot it.