EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Well I got this dog a couple weeks ago I drove 3.5hrs to go see the dog and I was impressed with the dogs intelligence more than anything else. The man let the dog out of the pen and told him to go bay the hog he had penned up the dog circled the pen baying he then told the dog get in there and get in his face the dog jumped the fence and bayed as good and tight as you can he then tells the dog catch that hog dog catches but this is where it got interesting he tells the dog let go that hog he let's go and goes back to baying he then says leave that hog alone and he turned and walked over to the hog trough and get a drink finally he says come out that pen and the dog jumps out.All this he told the dog from outside the pen.

Where I picked the dog up has a real hog problem and it's a lot of orange grove,watermelon, strawberries just crop country.Where they road hunt the dogs and they run in front of the truck and strike down rows now I'm sure there are some thick areas but nothing like what I hunt.The dog is really good at this type of huntin and finds and stops pigs daily. The man I got the dog from hunts hogs for a living 7 day a week. I saw the dog in action and he gave me a unlimited trial time on the dog and also told me if I wanted to switch him out for any of his other dogs I could do that. He had 5 finished cur dogs and that was it.He had the dog from a pup and was his only master.

Let me start by saying that where I hunt is totally different we don't have a hog problem.The problem is not enough hogs and a ton of hog hunters.Also 90% of the places I hunt they run deer dogs on and the hogs are wise to dogs they are masters at smoking dogs.It's thick whether its palmettos briars pepper berry or stick marsh and switch grass its almost always thick and I walk hunt. My dogs have to work for every pig they find and catch.

So I get the dog home first hunt he hangs around for the first couple hrs then we get to some sign and he rolled out on a pig 700+ and got picked up by the law.I got him outa dog jail and back home.second hunt he hangs around not really ranging until we get where my other dogs struck and he goes in some switchgrass with them and they catch a sow a couple hrs later he is walkin with me and takes off 150yds comes bayed my buddies dog gets there hog breaks and he comes back to me while my buddies dog ran the hog another 1000yds before coming bayed again when we got within earshot of the bay he just hung around and never went back to the bay.Oh earlier in the night he did make one 7-800yd run. Third hunt he hunted a little bit but mostly hung around until we got to where my other dogs struck in more 8' high switchgrass and stick marsh he went in 4-500yds where the 4 of them killed 3 shoats.His fourth hunt will be at 3am so we'll see.

Anyway my question is do you think that a road dog such as him will convert over to a rangy walk hunt dog who has to work to find sign.I know that he's probably going to take some time to warm up to me and I'm sure the dog knapping on his first hunt didn't help.Leaving the hog that he found could've been because of this I suppose.Other than that he's a real likable dog hasn't trashed anything no aggression quiet in the pen and listens really well.

A lot of dogs are good at what they do but not that great at other things. A lot of variables to this one I would say what your seeing is him saying well I didn't start it so I be there when I am ready. And the hog getting away from him might say lack of nose or it might say he ain't use to working that hard for a pig. I bet he can do what ever just might need some time 


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Well this morning I ran him again this time I only ran one other dog and led a catch dog.It was a dry run.The first hr he never went more than 100ft after that he rolled out a few times 3-500yds and acted like he wanted to hunt but by no means did he beat the bush down.

I am going to run him again tomorrow morning and see if he improves that'll be 5 hunts the dog listens to me and seems to really like me he comes loads etc. Just don't hunt for me.I will probably run him a few more times throughout the week and make my decision then.

I would give this dog some time. He is obviously smart and wants to please. But you changed his whole way of operating. I feel like he'll figure it out, but I may be wrong. At this time you are expecting him to use tools that are rusty or maybe he don't have. Good luck with him.

I am keeping the faith in him as of now he is super smart I know that if he decided to do it he could be great.

Another factor is his previous owner is black with a very heavy accent and I am white and look and  sound nothing like what he's used to.I'm not being racist by any means just looking at it from his point of view.

Agree with Wayoutwest.
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I went through a very similar situation with my best strike dog. The fella I bought him from had a lot of hogs. He drove the roads until he seen fresh sign and then turned the dogs out on it. He usually only turned 1 or 2 dogs loose at a time. The dog didn't have to hunt for tracks. He was also hunted in open brush country. I walk hunt in thick timber bottoms. He didn't hunt much at first. He was a little lost. I always noticed that he really shined when we dropped him on feeders and fresh sign. I almost gave up on him a couple times. I'm glad I didn't. He now walk hunts and cast hunts just as good as anything else. The change of address and the change of terrain will take him a while to transition to. He  will slowly start huntin out early in hunts. If you don't get on a hog pretty quick, he will probably come back in because he is simply used to finding them quicker and easier. He will hunt longer in bad sign as time progresses.
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No disrespect to the previous owner but I do believe you can put too much handle on a STRIKE dog and get them to thinkin too much instead of doing what comes natural to them.
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Good luck with him. Keep us posted.

I agree with the to much handle comment if they load let me catch em up and show a little respect on a caught hog that's enough for me.I am glad to hear that you went through the same thing shotgun with positive results. Thanks for the advice fellas.

Well hunt five with the new dog.We caught pigs and he was in on the action but my 2 young dogs Henry and Buck lead all 3 strikes He helped catch and was right there with them but definitely never lead.The reason I got the dog was I was hoping for a little more experience being my cur dogs are all 2 and under but what I'm realizing is my young dogs that I've trained are not easily beaten and I need to give them more credit.Although he definitely did better he is definitely the student and not the teacher with my pack I really like dogs that are ate up with it need it and have to go he seems to kinda take the backseat so far. I also took my 7 month old pup and turned him out he helped catch and was ranging out to 700 yds beating the bushes.I've put a lot of time in these dogs and they're really shining.I am going to hunt him a few more times this week and going to try him by himself  but 4 of the 5 hunts we have caught pigs and I feel he knows what we're out there doing I paid good money for a finished strike dog and I don't know if he's the caliber dog it will take to lead in my yard at the moment.

I would take him back. You can't make a dog go hunt. Sounds to me like you already know you are not gonna be satisfied.

Cracker you sound a lot like me im too hard on my dogs I have taken a few dogs on trial over the years and only once was I not let down by what others call finished strike dogs all but one were what I call finished help dogs took a while for me to realize what I had is what I needed they just needed to see more hogs I wont take a dog anymore unless I have seen it hunt a few times . I cant handle a dog standing around listening for a bay.

The dog may be racist!

I find it odd that the dog is neutered.

Lol he may be racist.

I can't stand it either when a dog waits for the other dogs to do all the work.I absolutely hate a dog under my feet.

 He was incarcerated when the previous owner and him ventured onto land they were not supposed to be on.They neutered him while the owner was in jail.

I do know that this dog is good at what he does I just don't do what he's used to.

He would probably be a good groves or pastures

That's exactly what he hunts.

Gave him 3 weeks and 9 hunts same song and dance so I took him back and the fella was true to his word.He just didn't have the drive that I look for in a dog the gotta go attitude.

Sorry it didn't work out for you. Good to hear he stood by his word and took him back. Maybe now you will really get after your young dogs and they will be what you are looking for. Good luck.