Genetics And Socialization Is More Important Than Training

I just got a call from someone who I gave a puppy to a couple of years ago. I won't mention his name for privacy and security reasons. This customer was impressed with the puppy from the get go.

But let me tell you what is happening now.

He got this daughter of C Arrow Patch and Scarlet O'Hara to be a family pet,



and with three young boys, and horses, and a rural lifestyle, the puppy was well raised and properly socialized.

My friend also had a hunting lease with wild hogs, and this is where it is getting interesting.

He got her to be a family pet and a blood tracking dog on the lease.



At 12 months old she found her first deer.



She is doing well in both areas, as a family pet and a blood dog, but her natural hunting abilities are kicking in and he is worried that she is going to turn into a hog dog. I advised him not to worry, because she was born a hog dog, and he can't change that.

Right at two years old, without any training or desire on the deer hunters part, his family pet wants to hunt wild hogs. She is fast, fearless, gritty, long range, and long winded. As a young puppy, she liked to ride the ATV, now she wants to run!

I am mentioning two years old because I hear a lot of hog hunters tell me if a dog is not hunting and baying by 8 or 9 months old, they are "getting rid of it".

But what if it is a "late bloomer" which is typical of the breed? Starting to hunt at 2 or 3 years old is not uncommon for Catahoulas. Ohhh, we are impatient?

Now to the issue of it being a family pet.

Many people believe if a dog is made or allowed to be a pet, it won't hunt.
Now where are they getting this, I don't know, but it appears to be a common myth.

Here is a puppy I sent to a man in Florida last year to work as a blood dog on a large deer hunting lease. as you can see in the photo below, it may well grow up to be a lot more than just a blood dog.

A Catahoula is a social animal and if you don't allow them to bond with you early on, they may never be your friend and hunting buddy. If they are not your hunting buddy and part of the team(or family), they won't hunt for you and I don't care how well bred the dog is.



I have a lot to say about the importance of socialization, but right now, I am thinking of all the well bred dogs that I watched get screwed up by hog hunters through the years, and I will leave it at this.

If you are interested in my dogs and would like to call and qualify to buy one of my pups, I can be reached at 337 298 2630

www.catahoula.ws

To see a litter of puppies just born from a litter mate sister of the dog in this post click here: http://catahoulapuppies.blogspot.com/2012/01/little-ann-and-cutty-dark.html