How to Train a Coon Dog

InstructionsThings You’ll Need:Coon DogRaccoon ScentRaccoon Tail/CarcassRope or Dog LeashLive TrapsBaitGunAmmunitionHow to Train a Coon DogStep 1:Decide what kind of coon dog you would like to have. Although many breeds of dog can be properly trained to perform as a coon dog, there are four specific types that thrive on this form of hunting. These are the English Coonhound, the Black and Tan Coon Hound, the Bluetick Coonhound and the Redbone Coonhound. Any of these types of dogs makes an excellent hunting companion.Step 2:Teach your puppy basic obedience. Your puppy should begin learning from an early age what is and isn’t allowed, and should begin to understand the commands sit and heel. Do not use brute force when training your puppy, as this sends the wrong signal to your companion. Raising your voice slightly is enough to communicate to your puppy that it has done something wrong. This training should ideally begin when the puppy is 5-6 weeks old, and be patiently developed over the first several months of the dog’s life.Step 3:Take your puppy on long walks in a wooded setting. Your coon dog should become acclimated to the woods from a very early age. Feel free to let him stray some distance away from you to explore. In fact, you should encourage it. Let him build his confidence in the woods and learn how to navigate nature’s obstacles. This will not only help your coon dog become a more confident hunter, but a fast and more proficient hunter as well.Step 4:Get your coon dog use to the sound of gunfire from a very early age. You are, after all, training this dog to hunt, and firing a weapon is simply part of the sport. Begin taking your coon dog on regular target practice trips from the age of 8-10 weeks old. The dog may be timid around shooting at first, but will quickly become use to the noise to the point where there is no reaction at all when you fire your weapon.Step 5:Research various raccoon scents from hunting supply vendors. Some scents are made a particular strength to suit the training needs of a specific breed of coon dog. Identify which scents are made for optimum training of your dog’s breed, and stick to that formula during your training.Step 6:Start training your coon dog with scents at around 10-12 weeks of age. The ideal scenario would be to have a raccoon carcass or rag saturated with a raccoon scent. Drag the scent from a tree in the area that you expect to be the end of the course, and drag it towards the beginning. This will make sure the trail gets hotter as you move towards the target, and train your coon dog to follow the trail towards raccoons instead of away from them. Start with short, heavily scented paths, and then move on to longer, more complex routes. Always end with your saturated carcass or rag in a tree, teaching the dog that raccoons will go up trees and the dog should stay there until you arrive to shoot.Step 7:When your coon hound has progressed to the point where he can wind around obstacles and follow the scent from cold to hot, introduce him to a live raccoon. Catch a raccoon using a live trap and keep it caged. Keeping the raccoon in the trap, set it in front of your coon dog so that the dog can investigate the contents and the familiar smell. If your dog does not take interest, do not worry, it's just not his time. Continue training and try again another time. When you dog beging to react to the live raccoon, you will know it is time to progress to the next level of training.Step 8:When your coon dog begins barking at the caged raccoon, he is signaling that he is ready to progress from using a scented carcass to tracking a live raccoon. Drive to a location with a small clearing and a few trees at the far end. Release the raccoon, wait a few minutes, then release the coon dog. Follow him as he tracks the scent and trees the raccoon. Providing it is legal shooting, it is often a good idea to shoot the raccoon so that the coon dog can have a taste for the prey and develop a thirst for the hunt.Step 9:Continue trapping raccoons and going on simulated hunts as part of your effort to train your coon dog to hunt. Every few hunts, move your hunt to more wooded areas and give the raccoon slightly more lead time before releasing the coon dog. This will increase the difficulty level for your coon dog so that you can evaluate his skills. You may also sometimes try to start your hunt from somewhere near the middle of the scent trail, to keep up on the training of following the scent the right direction. Make sure to always reward your coon dog every time he trees a raccoon.Step 10:As the training progresses, start to spend more time in the woods even if you have not trapped a raccoon. This provides a transition for your coon dog to begin searching for raccoons on his own. It also affords you a chance to train him to only run raccoons up trees. Sooner or later, your coon dog will pick up the scent of a squirrel or other animal and call you to a tree that does not have a raccoon. Walk over to the tree and inspect it to make certain there is no raccoon. If there is not, tell your coon dog “No” in a firm voice, then walk away without reacting to the tree. The coon dog will quickly distinguish between treeing a raccoon and getting rewarded versus no reward for other animals.Step 11:By the time your coon dog is 6-7 months old, his training should have progressed sufficiently to the point of being allowed to hunt with other dogs. Take your coon dog on regular hunts with more experienced coonhounds so that he can benefit from their experience. Coon dogs learn exceptionally well in this manner, but it is also important to take your coon dog on solo hunts as often as possible, to prevent him from becoming an animal that relies on the pack too much.Tips & WarningsIf at all possible, acquire your puppy from an individual who uses her own dogs for hunting, as opposed to being pets. This will increase your chances of obtaining a puppy with a strong instinctive desire to hunt.ResourcesAll About Coon HuntingHunting Dog SuppliesPhoto/Video CreditSuperFantastic, Flickr.com Creative Commons License