I am gonna start hunting hogs with dogs and i dont have any older dogs for my pups to learn from. Since i cant put them in with experienced dogs and let them learn by doing, i would like some pointers on training them. Should i just get a hog and turn it out with the dogs in a pen and let them learn on there own?

catch a hog in a trap and take the pups to the trap....let them run on the out side and get them to bark at it. smaller pigs work the best to start out with. you do not want to put young pups in with the hogs because they can get hurt and will likely be scared of hogs.

let them bark at the pigs every day. once they get the point and get bigger you can put them in a pen with a small 20 lb pig and let them bay it up...

how old are your pups? what breed?

If you're wanting them to catch. Just make the pig squeal, they will jump right on it after that.

There are just young pups. I had no thoughts of putting them in with a pig yet. The two catahoulas are about 3 months old and the pit is just 6 weeks. Its gonna be a while before they are ready for actual contact with a pig. Thanks guys.

if you put them around pigs at that young of an age they will lose intrest quick. wait till they are about six months old and then get them around pigs. pigs on inside of pen, dogs on outside. you will find out pretty quick which ones have potential and which ones dont have intrest. dont cull the ones that dont want to hunt like other A holes do. you can easily adopt them out to families who want a dog. i know i'll hear a bunch of crap from people about that. i can understand getting them out of the bloodlines but their is more than one way to skin a cat.

I didnt start mine until they were about 6 months old. I didnt start my catch dogs until about 12 months. Didnt want them to loose any teeth. I started out by baying my pups on hogs that were caught in traps. Then I put them in a pen thats about 6 acre and let them learn to find them. Once they were doing good there I started to trash brake on cows, deer etc. Once you start hunting you need to run with someone who has some finished dogs. You also dont want to go out with just one young catch dog. He will get wrecked quick. You need to let your pit pup catch with a finished catchdog. I would buy a finished catch dog if it were me. Then when you feel they are ready its game on. Just my thoughts to each his own. Also if a pup doesnt show any signs that he wants to bay or catch. Give them some time. Alot of dogs will just flip a switch. Best of luck.

i know that some people will just get a small piglet and put it in a pen with pups.... they will "play" with eachother.... somehow it helps em become hog killers

good luck

After My pups (5 or 6 months) work with a hog in a trap or trailer. I like to take a 20lb to 25lb hog and tie it out on 10 to 15 ft. of rope.by the back leg. if the hog turns on the dogs they can get out of reach of it. We then we move to the pen when they show no fear.This takes a few times it is diff. with all dogs(work pups in pairs or more it helps get there nerve up) upgrade hogs in the pen if they start to get catchy.