By TL Jones

Everybody loves puppies, but not everyone is happy with those puppies by the time they turn a year old. So, I’ll be blunt about the matter. There’s absolutely no fail-proof way of guaranteeing that you’ll get a pup that makes the dog for which you hope. However, there are some things that will put the odds in your favor.

Have a Finished Product in Mind

 Don’t just get a pup at random. Don’t just get a pup from the cheapest, closest litter. Have a specific standard for a finished hound either written down or in your mind, and then seek out a pup that at least has the genetic potential to become the type of dog you’re wanting. If you want a super cold-nosed hound for trailing up rough tracks, then don’t get a pup from a litter that has none of that in its bloodstream. If you want a gritty pup or a fast pup, some of that must be there in its ancestors. It’s not fair to expect a pup to be something that it’s not capable of being.

Don’t Settle

 Sometimes a person will get a pup that will never meet their standard because it falls short in a particular area, but they hope to be able to overlook it. For instance, some men are very breed-specific and hesitate to give another breed a chance. A dead in the wool Walker man may not give a Redbone pup much credit, even if it’s a great pup. Yes, I’ve seen this happen. I have a strong dislike for a hound with a curled (Huskie-type) tail. Even if the dog finished out well I would get rid of it, therefore it makes no sense to buy a pup with a curled tail. A pup deserves a fair chance and shouldn’t be subjected to a situation where it won’t succeed.

Pick the Breeder First

 Picking a pup comes down to trusting the man that’s making the breeding decisions. Does he have the kind of dogs you want? Would you want a pack of dogs just like his? Does he have a history of successful breeding? Is he catching game? Does he hunt similar terrain? Do you know anyone that bought pups from him? Does he have a reputation for honesty? Is he well-known because of a legitimate, successful hound hunting career or is he a self-promoting huckster? It may sound backwards, but in my opinion finding the right man means finding the right kind of pup.

Pick the Dam as a Priority

This is only a matter of opinion, and I wouldn’t spend five minutes debating it, but I consider the dam more important than the sire. Most pups are chosen based on the sire. If I’m looking for a pup, I’m going to begin by finding the right breeder with the right dam. If that female is a dog I’d love to own, then I’m willing to consider a pup out of her. Does she catch game? Does she suit my standards and preferences? Is her pedigree packed with similar females? What type of pups has she produced? If I don’t like the dam, I simply don’t want a pup out of her.

Pick the Cross

If you’ve picked the breeder and the dam, then the next decision is about the sire. And you’re not just looking for any sire, you’re looking for one that has the potential of mating well with the dam you’ve chosen. Look at the four grandparents of any potential litter. If you owned the four grandparents, what kind of pack of bear dogs would you have? Four solid dogs? One solid dog and three culls? Four culls? Does the breeder know anything about the grandparents?

Pick the Pup Out of the Litter

If you’ve chosen the breeder and dam, then I wouldn’t stress about which pup to pick in the litter itself. Notwithstanding some egregious defect, just pick the one you like the looks of compared to the others. At this point, your chances of getting the best one of the litter are just as good as the next guy.

Think Twice About Certain Negatives

 Pups will often surprise you, but don’t count on it. If a pup is excessively shy, I’d be cautious. A pup that is aggressive toward its littermates could get worse. If there is a health defect, don’t anticipate that it’ll heal. There are some people who love the runt of the litter but that wouldn’t be my pick if I were paying hard-earned cash. Unless you just really prefer a large hound, a pup that is abnormally larger than its littermates may not be the best choice. However, none of these things are absolute. Some of the pups I just said I would avoid may become the best finished hound out of the litter. I just prefer to put potential odds in my favor—sometimes you lose playing odds.

Disregard Old Wives Tales

 Some of the things people believe about dogs are mind boggling. I’ve heard it said that you should look to see if a pup has a black roof inside its mouth. Some promote the idea that if a pup has a certain protrusion on the back of its skull that it’s a “tree knot” and the pup will tree better. There are Plott fanciers who say, “No white, no bite”, meaning a Plott with no white on its chest or feet will not be gritty. There are many Old Wives Tales and they continue to persist, regardless of the facts. My advice is to avoid anyone giving advice based on superstition.

Pay Up and Drive as Far as Necessary

 If you can get the exact kind of pup that you want from your next door neighbor for free, you’re extremely fortunate. That’s not the norm. Getting the exact kind of puppy most bear hunters should be looking for is not common and it’s no longer cheap. If someone is giving pups away, it may be that they’re just genuinely gregarious. Then again, it’s also possible that no one wants their pups. Not always, but often the kind of pup you’re searching for is going to be the same pup a lot of other bear hunters want too. High demand and low supply push the prices up and many must get on a waiting list, sometimes for years. Let’s be honest, bear hunting is expensive, especially hound hunting. I’ve never understood houndsmen who will drive a $50,000 truck with a $2,500 dog box to haul dogs that couldn’t catch the flu in an emergency room. They’ll pay $5,000 for Garmin electronic equipment and carry a $1,200 revolver, but won’t spend a buffalo nickel on a quality hound. If you’re going to catch a bear with hounds, the quality of the hounds is the most important aspect of the pursuit. Pay as much as it costs, and drive as far as needed to get the exact pup you want.

 Give Your Pup a Legitimate Chance to Succeed (and Don’t Blame the Breeder if it Fails)

Puppies are a gamble. Even if you choose as wisely as possible, it’s still a gamble. After making the choice, it’s now the new owner’s full responsibility to give that pup a legitimate chance at success. Starting a pup is a vast subject, but what it boils down to is hunt it, hunt it, and hunt it some more. If for some reason the pup just can’t make a bear dog, then accept that and start over. Don’t blame the breeder. Remember, you picked him—he didn’t pick you. It’s a controversial position but I don’t believe in pup guarantees for many reasons. I believe in taking responsibility for my choices and that would be the end of it. I wouldn’t blame the breeder or expect him to give me another pup.

When you do your homework and the pup you pick turns into a fine bear hound, it’s a joy like no other. Even though there’s no guarantee, you can put the odds in your favor over time. Some day, you’ll look through your photo album and see puppy pictures of hounds that became your favorite memories.