EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Been a while since I've been on here, hope everyone is catching  a lot of swine. Had several people ask about catchdogs lately and complaining about being able to find anything worth mesding with. It just got me to thinking and wondering. What are your expectations of a catchdog ( style, build, disposition, etc.)? I know what I expect and I try not to deviate far from it in any area.

20 or 25 years ago most any pitbull out of the pound would work so it seemed...the last 2 pups I raised I liked everything about them except they wouldn't catch...

I would like to raise a bulldog with some kinda brain power to go along with the muscle. I've just about quit raising em from pups, because it's hit or miss for them to come out like I want them to. I want a bulldog that's a straight ear dog or jaw dog, and handle decent with no dog aggression. That doesn't seem like a whole lot to ask for, but it seems impossible to raise unless the line is known for it.

It's easier for me to buy a half way decent bulldog that fits my style, but they always usually have some kinda quirk in em or they're being sold for a reason.  But as little as I ask for in a bulldog, I settle for a whole lot less if they will just hit the ear and stay hooked.

I want one that will walk thru the woods to a bay on a loose lead or no lead. Ride the wheeler and stay on till told to unload. Show no aggression to the other dogs. Let go of the hog when you want them to and calm down and not be a fool while you are dealing with the hog. Be big enuf to catch alone if need be and be rock solid around people. No I don't have all that in one dog but I think he will get there!  ;)

Wayout...I agree with all you said and big enough to catch alone is a requirement I insist on as well...I don't care for too heavy of a dog...I like some leg under them...

Catch ear and hold. No DA. Athletic. Natural handle is big plus but I accept that takes my effort.


Shotgun
Arkansas

Way out I agree I got one just as you described. I don't like a monster of a pit 40 to 60 is where I want them the best thing bout mine is handle and brains. Dang dog is smart and has the heart of a lion. To often I hear guys say they can't find a good one I think some of the things we are looking for are there most just don't stay with the dog long enough to find out didn't do this or that right off cull pow. Now there are some no goes right that well get them a dirt nap but most things take time. We are a hurry up people now days living in a thro away world

Judge I agree there 100%. Too many folks in such a hurry they never see the full potential of a dog. Even the good ones a lot of the time get put on a big hog before they are mentally ready and get burned.


Shotgun
Arkansas

Small enough to fight the briars, catch ear and hold no re grip.

Size ,agility and brains.

I let my catch dogs be RCDs. I require them to catch and hold. No DA. Athletic. Smart. Use their nose, some.
Good wind. Leggy is preferred but if I have one that's shorter (I raise them) I will put them with a leggy dog. I prefer my dogs 45-60lbs depending on Gender.
Break stick them off. Calm after a dead hog.

I prefer long dogs and lurchers that finder their own and are hard enough to hold the biggest hogs by themselves.     Run in pairs but need to be able to hold their own cause they don't always lock on to the same hog.

Where do you get your dogs streak? We hunt with pits mostly, have had a few with MOST of the qualities these gentleman have mentioned. Have one now we couldn't be prouder of. Too bad the pound cut him before we got him. Such is life. But I wouldn't mind hearing about your dogs streak!!

I won't keep a dog if it don't hunt same goes with my catch dogs.They must be smart long winded and able to find run and catch anything. But I run them with very ruff curs that catch as well. They need to catch ear and hold smart.0 aggression towards anything except a hog and I like mine in 75-100# range with legs.

75# working weight rock solid temperament hunting and catching ability amazing stamina. Sorry for the double post accidentally posted on the wrong thread.(http://i338.photobucket.com/albums/n432/itsacaseytime/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04/_20150507_211950.jpg) (http://s338.photobucket.com/user/itsacaseytime/media/Mobile%20Uploads/2015-04/_20150507_211950.jpg.html)

Not really worried about how one looks. I have one of the ugliest half bulldog catahoula looking thing that nobody knows really what is. But shes a catching fool. No matter the size shes going to hold. She weights about 45-50. All we worry about is temperment. We will not own a dog that wants to get ill with everything. Also they have to be good around live stock and have a brain. Have had to many try and catch our horses. If they dont fit our likes we wont keep them around.

    3 dogs I got from Hairy Holder.   All 3 are femals.   One 2 year old and 2 nine month old pups.   These dogs are wolf hound/deer hound/ mastiff dogs.   Pups have a touch of dane and boxer in them as well.
   I have a male stag also.   He is 3 years old.    He will wind pigs and pick up a hot track.  He bred my 2 year old gyp a few weeks ago.     Wasn't a planned event but my fault eventhough I was away at work.   Should make me some good dogs though.     
One of the pups i got from Hairy Holder is my favorite dog though.    She caught and held a sow that was just over the 100 pound mark when she was 6.5 months old.    The sow bit her on her knee but she never let go.   Didn't think the sow was gonna let go either lol.   The pup got freaking pissed and really got rough with the sow.   Eventhough the pup did so well catching and holding the sow by herself, I figured it best that I put her up for a few months till she got a little older.     This past days off I took her out a couple times with my stag.    Twice they lined out on the same hog and caught.   Twice more each dog lined out of their own hog and caught and held by themselves.   At this early stage I'm not really trying to get her to go for her own pigs out of a group but I'm happy that she does.    Next days off its the other pups turn to run with my stag.
  I have a female pit I'm pretty attached to but she is more of a lead in catch dog.   She is quick but not fast.   Kinda on the short side and she isn't suited to the style of hog dogging I have gravitated to. 
   I tried to post a picture of my pup on a nice hog 1 out but it's saying the file is to large.    Oh well!

I like the sounds of those dogs black streak.How do they hunt range and bottom wise?

I by no means only choose a dog for looks but I do have a build that I like to go for in a RCD this dog is from a line of working dogs and does just what he was breed to do.

That cross sounds like an Aussie pig dog.I really like the sounds of them how do they handle heat?

I don't really let them loose to hunt when it's hot outside.    I tend to put them on a lead and walk them to within sight of pigs when it's hot.    I do most of the hunting at night when it's hot.     
    I hunted hogs with a bow for years.   Mainly stalking up on them at night.    I  still do this now and then as it's lots of fun but I've really traded my bow for two dogs on a lead.   That's how my general approach to hunting the dogs is in summer.  The dogs do well in the heat like this and it's my prefered style so I'm well paired with this style of dog.   

Never hunted like that but it sounds like fun I don't have any spots with hog populations great enough to stalk them dogs have to work hard to catch em.

(http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/11/3ccfbd19e91e4eda17104f2d617ea59f.jpg)  so far he has been perfect except for being a little over zealous wanting to get at the pig but catches and holds a pig like no dog I have ever had. Black and I have the same ideas on dogs for the most part. If it don't look like him got to be yeller lol. (http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/15/05/11/7218cb967d07efca18f4fe10fd97a7a9.jpg)