what is a good age to look at yo hound
what is a good age to look at yo hound
What do you mean by "look at?"
There is starting them, schooling them, and testing them. I believe the test should be a match, unless you're just going to breed them.
Generally-speaking, 18 months to 2 years is when most knowledgeable dogmen first bump their dogs to get them started. This is when a dog goes from being a puppy to a young adult.
The schooling phase is between 2-3 years of age, which is when the young adult is growing into a fully-mature adult.
The match career should be between 3 to 5 years of age, which is a dog's prime adult years.
I will post my compete article on schooling soon ... but hope this helps in the meantime.
Jack
It did thanks
Whats the diffence between a bump and a schooling
A bump is like a kid going into the gym, lacing up the gloves for the first time, and sparring for a round or two. Just to see if he's into it.
With the dogs, that means seeing if the young dog will defend himself, and (if so) whether he appears to truly LIKE the contact or not.
If so, he can begin schooling on the next roll. If not, then pick him up and give him more time.
Schooling is taking the (now) started dog and putting him with different opponents, with different styles, one every couple of months, to "educate" him as to what he needs to do with varying opponents. A leg dog one time. A chest dog another time, A stifle dog a few months later. A head dog after that. Etc. This will take about 1 year (between ages 2 and 3), to recover from each roll and then move on to another opponent a couple months later, all the while they're maturing into a full-fledged adult.
By the time this schooling year passes, and 3-6 different schooling rolls are under his belt, your dog should have shown you if he has the ability to adapt to each style and win ... or not.
After he is schooled, either game test him or match him for real.
Jack
PS: Not every dog will fit this exact time table, but this is a general rule.
how long should a schooling be
what is your point of schooling? To learn something right? Then if you have a controlled schooling or least controlled to the best of your ability then you allow school to go as long as they are learning and still showing eagerness. You should also be learning about your dog, have they adapted to the different styles they faced or are they hard headed and refuse to change. How do they respond when they are on top, how do they respond when on bottom versus whatever style.. It's not a timing thing, some hounds can do in 3 minutes what others cant in 30 mins. It's about learning what you can about your hound while they are also learning different things. Some things you cant put a time on.
I understand
I agree with the general time line and approach. Very sound information.
However, few, very few, not many at all, have the patients to do anything close to this. It is what's ruining the breed.
I'm looking to hijack the thread, but rather, just point the obvious out.
Wish more would take this approach.
Originally Posted by No Quarter Kennel
You're not hijacking the thread, you're pointing out the dismay many experienced dogmen have.
In our right-click, fast-paced, "instant" society, everybody wants the best damned dog alive "instantly" and doesn't want to put in the time to make one.
The harder and more unreasonable a guy is in his demands, the "better" most dogmen think they are. Which, of course, is the exact opposite of the truth.
Most schooling sessions should be between :10 and :15 minutes ... same as most boxing sparring sessions are 3-5 rounds. Boxers do not go toe-to-toe for 12 to 15 rounds every time they spar, they just get in a little work and then go on to other exercises. And because dogs get holes put in their muscles, this is even more relevant. A dogman should NOT be rolling his dogs all the way out to the finish in school!
Too many people want to "stop something" every time they do a roll, but this is retarded. You're not trying to "stop each other" every time you set two dogs down, you're just sparring. That would be like fighting your friends to total exhaustion and quitting every time you lace on a pair of gloves. No one does this in boxing! You're just sparring, not competing. You're just staying sharp, not betting your entire life and career on each sparring session.
And the same mentality should exist for dogmen in schooling sessions, but too many retards want to turn rolls into "off the chain matches," which is a waste of time and holes on your dogs, resulting in more harm than good. These dogs can only go to the well so many times, and they should never really have to, EVER, unless it's their one (and only) game test ... or if it happens in a match.
Jack
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