Posted By zackb on July 28, 2008 01:06
Question viewed 240 Times     1 Answer Posted

i want to train my red bone to hunt fox but have no idea how.

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Posted by Salieri on July 28, 2008 01:06
Hello.

All the below is before the actual hunting training.

1. Make sure the puppy is kept up to date on vaccinations and wormings. If you purchased your puppy from a reputable breeder, your puppy will have come to you with at least one set of shots already but they will need a series of 3 at about 3-4 weeks apart in order to be properly protected.

2. From day one of your relationship with a redbone, you need to monitor his ears. No, not just in how irresistibly cute the long floppy ears are but how healthy the insides of them are. All dogs with long, floppy ears are at higher risk for ear infections due to the dark, damp conditions with limited air circulation created by it's very design. However, it's easy to keep tabs on and there are many commercially available ear cleaners available out there as well as some nice homemade recipes to make your own. Just be sure to research the ingredients or get it from a reputable coonhound fancier.

3. Keep your redbone in a fenced in yard when not involved in some other activity such as hunting. There is an old saying for coonhounds which is "When the nose is open, the ears are shut." Being a scenthound, this saying has validity.

4. Understand that a redbone is a hunting breed. Having one may cause your cat, ferret, pet bunny or other similar pets to be chased or worse. These encounters or friendships should be monitored.

All the below is for the actual fox hunting training.

When he is still a pup you must take him into the woods so that he will get familiarized with the environment. When the dog reaches 8 or 9 weeks he must learn how to lead. The best way to do it is to chain him up and leave him. Although this method might seem cruel at the first sight you should know that it won’t be long until he understands that he can’t evade the chain. After he has learned this, now it is time to teach him how to “come”. One way to do it is to put your dog on a 20 foot rope and let him walk until the end of the rope and then call him.

Before training him to be a fox dog he must learn the fundamentals that is why training starts at such an early age. Now, regarding the hunting aspect, the best way to train your dog for the future fox hunts is to take him into the woods and expose him to the game, let him walk around and gain the valuable experience that he needs. The best places to take him are city parks and campsites around lakes. In these locations your puppy will observe the foxes and probably chase them until they evade.

Once your dog does this, the groundwork is completed. Remember this: you must kill everything your young dog trees and always avoid killing anything else the dog doesn’t tree. Never help the dog find foxes because he will lose his efficiency. Make the dog think that you don’t know what to do and that you rely only on his instincts. Remember that when you are out working your dog, the important thing is not to kill foxes but to work the pup as best as you can so that he will end up being an efficient fox dog.

Hope this helps.

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