First, go out and get the books Walk With Wick Volumes 1 & 2. There is a lot of good info in those books, but all the info isn't right for everybody.

Then, I would start showing the coon(in a cage) to the dog as soon as you can. Pour a bunch of water over the coon before you show it to your pup, it helps bring out the scent. If your pup doesn't show any interest, try dragging it a small distance. Sometimes this kicks their prey drive up a notch. When the dog is good and excited about the coon, tie a rope to the cage and hoist it up a tree, just out of the dogs reach. When he is on the tree, praise him up really good.

After that, leash your dog up and wet the coon down again. Release it where the dog can see it, and close to some trees. When the coon is almost to the tree, turn your hound loose. If the dog trees again, praise him up. If he doesn't don't worry about it. Don't discipline him, just put him back in the truck and give it a couple of days.

In the meantime, trap another coon. After 2 or 3 days, take the dog out with the caged coon and release the coon where the dog can see it again(don't forget to wet it down). If your dog treed before, give the coon a little more of a head start. If not, give the coon the same lead as before. If your dog runs and trees, remember to praise the heck out of him.

Go out and trap another coon. By this time, your dog should be going nuts everytime it sees a caged coon. When you get to the woods this time, wet down the coon and let it go where the dog can't see it. Then wait about 10 minutes. Once you are sure that the coon is in the woods, turn your dog loose. Hopefully, he will cast around until he picks up the scent, then he will run it right to the tree. When you come into the tree, praise your dog. Then tie him back. Shoot the coon out of the tree. Try to shoot it out alive and mad. When that coon hits the ground, get that dog off of the leash. Let him get in there and fight the coon. Usually, once they get bit, it makes them coon crazy. You may want to have an older, trained coonhound there for this stage, so that it can make a quick kill.

After your dog trees that coon by itself, don't ever show it another caged coon. It won't need it. Start taking him to the woods as much as possible. A good pup trainer can be a real assest at this point. Your dog will follow the other dog and hopefully honor the other dog at the tree. He'll start to pick things up pretty good at this point.

Be careful of what dogs that you run yours with at this point. A dog that is mean on the tree can ruin your dog really quick. It will either make him shy on the tree, or make him mean also. Know the dogs that you are running with.

You will hear a lot of people talking about beating their dogs for running off game or for not being perfect. Those people are idiots. You catch more flys with honey than vinegar. Praise him when he does well and remove him from the fun with a strong and definitive "NO" when he isn't acting right. The only time that I treat my dogs roughly is when they get mean. Whether it's at the tree, over the food bowl, over a toy, or with people, I don't put up with a mean dog. They are going to know that I am the boss, and they are all underlings. I will put a dog down before I put up with an ill temper.

Remember, time in the woods is always better than time in the kennel.