Hello Bubba,
Thanks for taking the time to write. Your question is basically "I have 1 month old pups how do I get them started on their way to making above average hog dogs?" Well, I have a question for you. You say you have been hunting awhile with others, and your first dogs are pups. My question is "why pups". With that said, I think I know the answer. Most likely, one of the ones you have been hunting with has a dog you like and she or he either had pups or was the father of pups. And you want to raise and train him/her from the start. Am I pretty close? If the answer is yes, I want you to know I understand. Been there and still doing that. :-) If I had a suggestion, it would be--break down and buy/find you a started dog that is old enough and ready to go NOW. Its going to take about a year before your pups will be up and going. Some start a lot younger than a year, but on very very few occasions have I hunted pups unless I just see it's a truly early maturing/special dog. A lot of my friends are hunting them by 6 months. I just personally don't do that. If you can get you another dog that's started and spend your time and money getting him going like you want, by the time hes finishing out, your pups will be old enough to LEARN FROM HIM. Best method I have ever found of getting dogs started is having a training dog unless you have access to a bay pen. The one BIG SUGGESTION I want to make is you mentioned your buddy got a pup also. My suggestion is...when you start your pup in the woods, NEVER EVER turn another pup loose at the same time. Remember you want the pup to learn from an EXPERIENCED dog. But pups, being like they are, will stay together and hang around each other rather than paying attention to the older dog. Recently, heres what I did on a pup gyp I raised. I took her on her very first ever hog hunt. Since I no longer have access to a bay pen, she had never ever even seen a hog before. She was born in December and its Late October now. So shes 10 months old. I also have her litter mate brother at the house. I took her and 1 OTHER DOG out hunting. I put a tracking collar on the experienced dog and one on her. I turned the experienced dog loose and at the same time turned her loose. The experienced dog took off LIKE HE WAS TRAINED TO DO BY HIS MOMMA, and the pup gyp followed. The pup never returned. I stayed there waited at the 4 wheeler. NEVER CRANKING IT UP AND NOT TALKING. Because I knew If I cranked it up the pup would hear it and return, same with the talking. About 20 minutes later, I hear the experienced dog baying and then the pup. I drive to as close as I can get without spooking the hog. Both are baying, the pup sees me and comes to me... I DON'T SAY A WORD TO HER OR EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE HER. She sees im not going to give her attention and goes back to baying. Remember, ITS ALL A GAME TO THE PUP, ITS LIKE A CHILD, SHE WANTS APPROVAL AND A "GOOD GIRL". I don't praise the dog until its all over. Since I didn't have but the two dogs, I had brought a rifle along to take the hog. I knew the gyp would probably be gun shy when I shot. But knew the older dog wasn't. I disposed of the hog, but the older dog went to barking, biting an knowing on the hog. The pup soon followed suit. So, I hope you can pick up from what I just did with my own pup of my thinking of how to do it. I just know that the biggest mistake that Ive done in my past with pups and see my friends do with pups is hunting them with other pups at the same time. You don't get several trained very fast this way, but it's the best way I have found. Next time I go REAL HOG HUNTING with the pack and the catch dogs, I will probably take both pups with me. But I wont have them on the ground to learn to hunt at the same time. I have found it best in training pups, that its best to take them where there aren't any other dogs TO DISTRACT THEM such as what I mentioned above with the 1 dog. But, started a many a one when I had the pack on my trailer I pull behind my 4 wheeler. The main problem I experience is them hearing the dogs or knowing the dogs are there and coming back to the trailer to see everyone rather than staying out with the trainer dog. To get one above average? Well, that's up to the dog. Theres lots and lots of hog dogs out there that will find and bay and catch hogs, But the dogs that truly stand out as above average are far and inbetween. Some people hunt a life time and only have a couple. It kinda like me coaching football. Each year I have about 45 players, and after coaching for years and years, Ive only had a couple of dozen that were above average enough to get noticed by college scouts and get college scholarships and only 1 to my knowledge to make it to the pros. So I hope you can understand, the above average are hard to come by. Good luck with your pups.
Jim