Difference between revisions of "Train a Coon Dog"
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Dogs have accompanied hunters for thousands of years. Coonhounds as best known for their scent tracking, and make great hunting partners for small game like raccoons. Training a coonhound to hunt raccoons is a multi-step process that involves acclimating your dog to raccoons and practicing scent tracking. | Dogs have accompanied hunters for thousands of years. Coonhounds as best known for their scent tracking, and make great hunting partners for small game like raccoons. Training a coonhound to hunt raccoons is a multi-step process that involves acclimating your dog to raccoons and practicing scent tracking. | ||
| − | [[Category:Training Specific Dog Breeds]] | + | [[Category: Training Specific Dog Breeds]] |
[[Category:Dog Breeds]] | [[Category:Dog Breeds]] | ||
== Steps == | == Steps == | ||
===Strengthening Basic Commands=== | ===Strengthening Basic Commands=== | ||
| − | #Understand the breed characteristics. Coonhounds refer to a group of dogs that were all bred to hunt and tree raccoons. There are a number of different types of coonhounds, including redbone, black and tan, American English, blue-tick, treeing walker, red-tick, and the plot hound, that range in weight and size. Because they were bred to hunt, coonhounds have a strong prey drive and are eager to please their owners by working.<ref>http://www.necoonhoundrescue.org/All_About_Coonhounds.html</ref> | + | #Understand the breed characteristics. Coonhounds refer to a group of dogs that were all bred to hunt and tree raccoons. There are a number of different types of coonhounds, including redbone, black and tan, American English, blue-tick, treeing walker, red-tick, and the plot hound, that range in weight and size. Because they were bred to hunt, coonhounds have a strong prey drive and are eager to please their owners by working.<ref name="rf1">http://www.necoonhoundrescue.org/All_About_Coonhounds.html</ref> |
| − | #*Coonhounds are the breed of choice for many small game hunters, especially in North America. They respond well to training and bred to be excellent hunters. They are hard workers and need daily exercise to satisfy their energy levels.<ref>http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/black-and-tan-coonhound/detail/</ref> | + | #*Coonhounds are the breed of choice for many small game hunters, especially in North America. They respond well to training and bred to be excellent hunters. They are hard workers and need daily exercise to satisfy their energy levels.<ref name="rf2">http://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/black-and-tan-coonhound/detail/</ref> |
| − | #*Coonhounds hunt by scent and are expert trackers. They tend to hunt almost entirely relying on scent before they tree or corner the animal.<ref>http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/tips-for-training-scent-and-sight-hounds</ref> | + | #*Coonhounds hunt by scent and are expert trackers. They tend to hunt almost entirely relying on scent before they tree or corner the animal.<ref name="rf3">http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/tips-for-training-scent-and-sight-hounds</ref> |
| − | #Teach your coonhound to walk on a leash. Coonhounds are notorious for following scents and ignoring the calls of the owners when they’re on the trail. Unless your dog is well trained, you should not let them off-leash in unsecured areas, like the open woods.<ref>http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/coonhounds.html</ref> [[Leash Train a Puppy|Leash training]] can be more difficult with coonhounds than with other dogs, this will be an ongoing process.<ref>http://www.necoonhoundrescue.org/Training_Tips.html</ref> | + | #Teach your coonhound to walk on a leash. Coonhounds are notorious for following scents and ignoring the calls of the owners when they’re on the trail. Unless your dog is well trained, you should not let them off-leash in unsecured areas, like the open woods.<ref name="rf4">http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/coonhounds.html</ref> [[Leash Train a Puppy|Leash training]] can be more difficult with coonhounds than with other dogs, this will be an ongoing process.<ref name="rf5">http://www.necoonhoundrescue.org/Training_Tips.html</ref> |
| − | #*Attach a leash to your dog’s collar and let them become acclimated to being on a leash. Begin walking with your dog and reward them with a small treat when they stay by your side. If they attempt to pull on the leash, stop walking and do not move until the dog returns to you. This way, they learn that the walk will only continue when they behave on the leash.<ref>http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/how-to-leash-train-your-active-puppy/</ref> | + | #*Attach a leash to your dog’s collar and let them become acclimated to being on a leash. Begin walking with your dog and reward them with a small treat when they stay by your side. If they attempt to pull on the leash, stop walking and do not move until the dog returns to you. This way, they learn that the walk will only continue when they behave on the leash.<ref name="rf6">http://www.animalplanet.com/pets/how-to-leash-train-your-active-puppy/</ref> |
| − | #Strengthen the come command. The come command is one of the more difficult commands for coonhounds to learn. As scent hounds, these dogs are bred to smell and are known to wander off and ignore commands whenever they pick up a scent.<ref>https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-to-Train-Your-Scent-Hound-Dog-to-Come-When-Called</ref> It is absolutely essential that your coonhound respond to the come command and return to you when they are called. When they do not know this command, you risk losing your dog to whatever scent they pick up, even if it leads them into dangerous areas. | + | #Strengthen the come command. The come command is one of the more difficult commands for coonhounds to learn. As scent hounds, these dogs are bred to smell and are known to wander off and ignore commands whenever they pick up a scent.<ref name="rf7">https://pethelpful.com/dogs/How-to-Train-Your-Scent-Hound-Dog-to-Come-When-Called</ref> It is absolutely essential that your coonhound respond to the come command and return to you when they are called. When they do not know this command, you risk losing your dog to whatever scent they pick up, even if it leads them into dangerous areas. |
#*Practice the come command by calling your dog’s name once and then rewarding their good behavior with a small treat when they come. Avoid yelling their name out over and over again when they don’t respond; this teaches them that it’s alright to ignore your call. | #*Practice the come command by calling your dog’s name once and then rewarding their good behavior with a small treat when they come. Avoid yelling their name out over and over again when they don’t respond; this teaches them that it’s alright to ignore your call. | ||
| − | #Train in appropriate conditions. Coonhound training should start when the puppy is about 12 weeks old and have received their shots. Ideally, training should take place either early in the morning or after it has rained. The wet ground helps the coonhound to follow a scent more effectively, and it gets the dog used to walking in water and through puddles.<ref>https://www.cuteness.com/article/start-coonhound-puppy-hunt-raccoons</ref> | + | #Train in appropriate conditions. Coonhound training should start when the puppy is about 12 weeks old and have received their shots. Ideally, training should take place either early in the morning or after it has rained. The wet ground helps the coonhound to follow a scent more effectively, and it gets the dog used to walking in water and through puddles.<ref name="rf8">https://www.cuteness.com/article/start-coonhound-puppy-hunt-raccoons</ref> |
| − | #*It is recommended that you train your dog just prior to meal times, when they are hungry, rather than after meals.<ref>http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/tips-for-training-scent-and-sight-hounds?page=2</ref> | + | #*It is recommended that you train your dog just prior to meal times, when they are hungry, rather than after meals.<ref name="rf9">http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/tips-for-training-scent-and-sight-hounds?page=2</ref> |
#Know when your puppy is ready to hunt. Coon hound puppies are ready to hunt when you are certain that they will follow your obedience commands. Any puppy that struggles to come when called or heel, even 10% of the time, is not ready to hunt. You can start acclimating them to scents while they are still in obedience training, but they should never be allowed to track off leash, track a live animal, or go on a hunt. | #Know when your puppy is ready to hunt. Coon hound puppies are ready to hunt when you are certain that they will follow your obedience commands. Any puppy that struggles to come when called or heel, even 10% of the time, is not ready to hunt. You can start acclimating them to scents while they are still in obedience training, but they should never be allowed to track off leash, track a live animal, or go on a hunt. | ||
===Training Your Coonhound to Follow a Scent=== | ===Training Your Coonhound to Follow a Scent=== | ||
| − | #Use a scent drag. Scent is the sense that coonhounds rely on the most during the hunt so you want to begin to acclimate a puppy to following a scent early on. You can purchase raccoon scent from an outdoor or sporting retailer, or online. Apply the scent to a drag, whether it is an old rag or a retrieving dummy.<ref | + | #Use a scent drag. Scent is the sense that coonhounds rely on the most during the hunt so you want to begin to acclimate a puppy to following a scent early on. You can purchase raccoon scent from an outdoor or sporting retailer, or online. Apply the scent to a drag, whether it is an old rag or a retrieving dummy.<ref name="rf8" /> |
#*You can also use a fresh raccoon carcass, but be aware that scent training is an ongoing process and you’ll need to procure new carcasses to train with as the old ones begin to deteriorate. | #*You can also use a fresh raccoon carcass, but be aware that scent training is an ongoing process and you’ll need to procure new carcasses to train with as the old ones begin to deteriorate. | ||
| − | #Acclimate the dog to the scent. Let the puppy play with the scented dummy so they become acclimated to the smell. Reward the puppy with a small treat for showing interest, but take the drag away before they lose interest in it. This is called “putting them away hot” and helps you to control your puppy’s interest in the scent.<ref | + | #Acclimate the dog to the scent. Let the puppy play with the scented dummy so they become acclimated to the smell. Reward the puppy with a small treat for showing interest, but take the drag away before they lose interest in it. This is called “putting them away hot” and helps you to control your puppy’s interest in the scent.<ref name="rf8" /> |
#*Repeat this process for at least three days, continuing to put the drag away while it’s hot. | #*Repeat this process for at least three days, continuing to put the drag away while it’s hot. | ||
#Drag the scent across your property. Attach the scented dummy or coon hide to a line or rope. Pull the line across your property, creating a scent trail. Do this while your dog is inside and cannot see you pulling the line. The trail will ultimately end at a tree, where you'll hang the scent drag or carcass. | #Drag the scent across your property. Attach the scented dummy or coon hide to a line or rope. Pull the line across your property, creating a scent trail. Do this while your dog is inside and cannot see you pulling the line. The trail will ultimately end at a tree, where you'll hang the scent drag or carcass. | ||
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#Tie the carcass or scent drag to a tree. This way, your puppy will begin to associate the smell of the raccoon with trees. This helps to link the two in their mind, so when it comes to tracking a real raccoon they know that the trail will ultimately end with them treeing the animal. Each scent trail should end at a tree. | #Tie the carcass or scent drag to a tree. This way, your puppy will begin to associate the smell of the raccoon with trees. This helps to link the two in their mind, so when it comes to tracking a real raccoon they know that the trail will ultimately end with them treeing the animal. Each scent trail should end at a tree. | ||
#Repeat this process, varying the route. The coonhound is now beginning to associate the scent of the raccoon with the hunt, and with the tree. Repeat this process of dragging a scent throughout your property several times each week. Vary the route each time, but always end at a tree where you’ve hung the drag or the hide. | #Repeat this process, varying the route. The coonhound is now beginning to associate the scent of the raccoon with the hunt, and with the tree. Repeat this process of dragging a scent throughout your property several times each week. Vary the route each time, but always end at a tree where you’ve hung the drag or the hide. | ||
| − | #*This process should be repeated at least 2-3 times each week. The first two years of your dog’s life are integral to training them to a good scent hound, and this is the best way to strengthen their skills.<ref>http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/11/a-primer-on-hunting-with-dogs/</ref> | + | #*This process should be repeated at least 2-3 times each week. The first two years of your dog’s life are integral to training them to a good scent hound, and this is the best way to strengthen their skills.<ref name="rf10">http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/09/11/a-primer-on-hunting-with-dogs/</ref> |
#Reward your puppy after tracking. Every time your puppy successfully tracks the scent to the tree, praise them and offer them a treat. This helps them to associate the hunt with positive things, though they will likely find it inherently enjoyable. | #Reward your puppy after tracking. Every time your puppy successfully tracks the scent to the tree, praise them and offer them a treat. This helps them to associate the hunt with positive things, though they will likely find it inherently enjoyable. | ||
===Acclimating Your Dog to Live Raccoons=== | ===Acclimating Your Dog to Live Raccoons=== | ||
