at what age?

sweetman6924 · Post by **sweetman6924** » Fri Apr 04, 2003 2:18 pm

at what age would you be able to call a dog finished?or at what age should you be able to tell that the dog isn't going to get any better? if i was to run my year and a half old female 3 times a week in the summer and once every two or three weeks in the winter.
i need some info please.thanks
jon

bluegrass · Post by **bluegrass** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 12:07 am

I don't think that the age of the dog has all that much to do with whether it is a "Finished" hound or not, I think it is all about how much the dog has learned and the experience it has accumulated. Some dogs progress at a much faster rate than others, while some seem like they will never reach their potential. I wouldn't give up on a hound as long as I was still seeing some progress when I was taking it out. If after several months of no noticable improvement, I might think it had reached its potential, but I have also seen several dogs that wouldn't even start a rabbit at a year old turn out to be excellent hounds. On the other hand, I currently have a pup that started at 4 months and I can't wait to see the finished product!!! So, since I have confused you enough, I guess it all depends on the dog!!! Good Luck, Tony

sweetman6924 · Post by **sweetman6924** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 12:36 am

well my dog started at 4 months too, and she has good days and she has bad days, and when she has good days there usually really good! the only problem that i hope she grows out of is that she rather go only about 80 yards away from me sometimes at the most to hunt. she is a great summer hound. im not sure what to do becuase this is her first season. but she has been running since summer. when she's with another hound she is really good because she will go in the woods no matter how much snow, just to be competitive. now i try to take her just with other hounds because she does the best then, because she trys to be competitive. i also have 3 other dogs i just got, 2 are 6 months old,and a 3 month old, and one of the 6 month old i just got running, and i wish i got her when she was younger because, wow!, she is good! she really impresses me, her first time she ran a rabbit she circled it 3 times with only about 7 total checks! and thats in the snow. she still doesn't even know what a rabbit looks like, she has some speed too. i can't wait to run her this summer. she will be awsome next season. i can't get my other 6 month running yet and i don't know what to do. i don't have any running pens and its sometimes hard to find a rabbit.
thanks
jon

bluegrass · Post by **bluegrass** » Sat Apr 05, 2003 5:14 pm

I wouldn't worry too much about one that hasn't started at 6 months, keep taking it out and it should turn on soon...all dogs are different. As far as one being competitive, that can be a good thing if you get a couple others that run with her. Having three or four dogs that you own that will compete with each other can be good unless they develop bad habits in order to outdo each other. Some hounds will cut and slash the line in order to get in front, and that is NOT GOOD. But all dogs have good days and bad days...goes with the game. Tony