EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

Before long I am gonna buy my young catchdog a vest with attached collar. Looking for opinions on you'alls favorites. Am using an old vest that really fits him well and he gets around in it real good, but "I think" I want one with the collar attached.

Ill check the brand when i get home, i like mine bc its all the coverage of a US style vest but all once piece with the collar like the Aussie's do it, so best of both worlds imo. plus the garmin collar cover has saved my garmin twice now more than paying for the vest, and you can use the shock collar still bc it has little wholes under the cover, and a d ring on the brest plate thats convenient. I just cant remember the name

I have two hardcore vests, one of another brand I can't think of the name of, and one Southern Cross Ultra Flex Catch vest with one extra layer of kevlar and leg flaps. I like the Southern Cross the best because of the way my catchdog can move in it and swim in it. It's light and I think they stay a little cooler in it too. My friend had a spec ops and it was really nice too. My Hardcore gear is really nice and have protected the dogs well but the dogs seem stiffer in them and don't move quite as good.

My next I will prob try the Southern Cross Elite Vest, but we will see.

I have a Southern Cross Ultra Flex Strike vest and I love it. The only thing I would do different is see about getting flotation in the sides. Michael did that for a full length Hardcore bay vest I had from him several years ago and it made a huge difference with a dog swimming. It was almost like having a life jacket on the dog. They still had to swim but it made it effortless.

I have a Hardcore SS Bikini Suit strike vest also that’s a little thinner and more flexible than the Southern Cross but I don’t like it as much. I also wish I would’ve gotten flotation in that one. As far as cut collars go I prefer the Hardcore collars more than any other brand.

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This is the Southern Cross vest.




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This is the hardcore vest on my old Dum Dum dog. I bought the small for him but it was too big so I started running it on my bulldog.


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In this picture Dum Dum is wearing the southern cross vest and Thorn is wearing the hardcore. I bought the southern cross for Dum Dum. Now that he’s dead I’m running it on the older female that’s on the chain.


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I have 2 hardcore that has been through the mill and never cut through. I have a be ugly dog mason way vest that’s light and flexible. I think is going to be good. I also have a new one made by southern cross that I got from Robert Carroll at jitterbug kennels that looks good.  I know hard core is a hell of a vest and Michael is good guy to work with the others are new and still remains to be seen.


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Thanks for all the replys and any more that come as well.

At the moment I am leaning towards the Hard Core SS Short Suit with a chin flap, hadn't made up my mind for sure.

I have used a Hard Core "I think the Beast" but had it cut shorter so as not to cover as much of the dogs body, it has worked well for protection and my dog could swim well in it but the front with the plate sewn in the front is stiff and of course the collar wasn't attached. It has been beat and banged for about 6 yrs.

Need a modify button on the posts, and I wouldn't have so many, maybe I need to organize my thoughts before I type haha, my old vest was the tank and I had it cut right behind the second body strap about like the SS Short Suit.

I’ve used the Devastator vest from WildBoarUSA for years on all my bulldogs. I’ve had 4 of them... finally retired one for a new one. They’ve been through hell and back and, knock on wood, never been cut through... very lightweight for year round use.

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If you go with hardcore I can not recommend enough to get Michael to sew in flotation. It’s like $10 more and makes a massive difference on dogs swimming. My bulldog wasn’t a great swimmer and he looked like an Olympic athlete swimming in that vest.


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On the two dogos I hunted for Chris, I used their Mason’s Way vest with no complaints...

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  For those that have cut vests with the cut collar attached, how much mobility does it take away.

Cajun,
I have not noticed any reduced mobility with the Southern Cross Ultra Flex or the Hardcore SS Bikini vests. They both seem to have great mobility as long as the leg holes are sized right. The main issue I’ve seen with that is the legs not being cut high enough so if the dog stands on his back legs and you hold his front paws up to stretch his legs out, the leg holes will make his front legs bind up and restrict motion. If I was closer to one of the companies I would take the dogs in to be measured for custom vests...


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I like the hardcore ss line they are light dogs can move and don't soak up water bad

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I run a pair of littermate bulldog/staghound crosses for my catch dogs. The male dog took more of the stag genes. He is a 95lb dog that is tall in the front end and deep chested. He normally has a head on, cheek to cheek, face to face catch style. I have had him take some shoulder cuts under the leg flaps. Due to his size and catch style, I upgraded from a WB USA devastator & separate cut collar to a WB USA Guardian with the attached collar. He doesn’t move as well in the guardian so I have to run it loose on him. If your asking a dog to catch solo, the guardian is a good option and value. Around $300. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200312/4cc5b7638abd0a9be7b823853f3bfff3.jpg)

The female took more of the bulldog genes. She normally catches a hog behind the ear and turns with the hog with their bodies parallel. She is shorter in stature, looks like an 80lb AB/dogo basically. She hasn’t gotten cut much due to her size and catch style. I run the Devastator with a 5” cut collar on her. In my opinion the Devastator vest by WB USA is the best “ value” on the market. $150 and it offers a good balance of protection and mobility. Long neck dogs will probably need a cut collar with it. This set up does leave a small gap between the neck and chest exposed. Patty Weiser and that crew are the best people you will ever deal with. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200312/fbc5e2f5c437567799cf786e82e15639.jpg)


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I too am a fan of the devastator. I've ran several different brands. A minor detail I like is all the cross stitching in the chest area. It limits the the fraying when one does get cut. Mobility is the biggest part of a good vest to me. Then weight and the ability to stay as cool as possible. I personally think some get carried away with the number of layers in a vest. I think about it like this, that vest is acting as a cover skin so to speak. When a dog gets cut, 9 out of 10 times the skin cut and the muscle cut don't line up. You have to roll the skin in one direction or another to see the muscle cut. That's because the skin rolls with the momentum of the thrust of the hog. The vest does the same thing. I believe having that second skin and it being tougher than actual skin is usually plenty to keep a dog safe even if it goes through the vest. I have had cut throughs in ever kind of vest made, even wet felt. I can count on one hand how many times the dog was cut even though the hog went all the way through the vest. There are exceptions of course and in those cases it isn't gonna matter what you have on it. So I try to keep mobility, and keep it light and cool. You gotta think in dog terms too. Ounces to us are pounds to dogs. I am a fan of high leg holes so a dogs reach isn't interrupted and over lapping, well sewn leg flaps. Chin guards are nice at times but sometimes I think they are a hindrance about 50/50 honestly, JMO.

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Once again thanks for all the replys and good information. I am trying to keep weight and flexibility along with protection in mind. The chin flap thing I want to try as I have had a few sticks under the chin and into the mouth mostly on baydogs that are totally unprotected but once on my catch dog, but if it appears to be a hindrance I can cut it off.
 

I have been running the hardcore Aussie speed suit on one of my dogs recently and really like it. I run Aussie style finder holder type dogs and does exactly as described. Light weight, easy to move in. Can hit too speed like he's not wearing one. I'm really liking it. Dog is a wolfhound/staghound x cane corso/pit bull crossed dog. 100# built like a muscular running hound. I did get the leg flaps just to keep some leg cuts off his long legs and they do not hinder movement at all.

Old man that's exactly what we wound up doing on one vest.

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Seems like the vests with large enough leg holes to not hinder stride may need flaps to keep from getting hit in the edge of the chest, leg and lower shoulder, if a dog has to go straight head on due to circumstance some times a hog meets him and may get under him a little putting his teeth in that vicinity, and even then they may get under the flap.

Well thank everyone for all the input, opinions, and ideas. I think I am going to try the Hard Core SS Speed Suit in the short not bikini version with the leg flaps and chin flap, and a super flex collar attached. I like the cut resistance and flexibility of the kevlar without the "plates" plus kevlar doesn't hold much water and they are limber enough you can wad them up in a ball,  and the larger leg holes should help with mobility. The bikini version is cut almost identical to the Masons Way vest , I wanted the little bit of extra length of the short version. The short version is the identical length I had my old vest cut to  when I ordered it 6 or 7 yrs ago and so far have not had Dogo cut behind it in fact he has only been cut twice in it once about mid way up his front leg and once stuck under the chin and on into the mouth and tongue attachment. I'll know for sure in a year or two if it was a good call or not haha. Maybe Ol'Grip will survive. Thanks again for all the help.

Post some pictures once you get it! I’m sure you’ll like it


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I can't post pics, don't have cell phone or tapatalk, nor photo bucket account tinypic used to work but it quit too.

Living life the right way! LOL

99% of the time I want to throw mine off a bridge!

Yeah, I am a tech dinosaur and like to be out of touch. Many people's cell phone is their most important property, couldn't function without them, rather text than talk to someone, to me it seems unnatural. I tell the younger fellows I occasionally hunt with to turn the damn things off while we are hunting, can't hear the dogs for them talking on the phone, if there was something that important going on should've stayed home.

Cell phones also cause people to be rude and disrespectful, I'm done if I am talking to someone and their cell phone rings and they quit our conversation and answer the phone, or if we're talking on the phone and they say hang on a minute and click over, that is rude and disrespectful. We do have call waiting on our home phone it is just part of the package but if I am talking to someone I don't click over or cut the conversation short or even look to see who is calling but when we hang up I look to see who called and call them back. Just a cranky Old Man I guess.

Same boat LOL Hunted with guys that telling everyone on facebook that you are hunting is more important than the actual hunting. If I am hunting I leave it off at my camp or in the truck, doesnt work anyway. I don't need pictures. I walk in the door at home it goes off. fishing it is off in a bag in the boat. I am not that important!

Back to the topic

I think a building with no vest is the best. But it has to catch the right way. I always vest them now though. They used to make a vest called Razorback there in Texas and they made some of the best in my opinion. I abused them to they fell apart. I think they were a simple kevlar vest. I dont think they are around anymore though. I have used some others and dont really like them. I wont post the name on the negative ones.

Recently I got the defender bikini vest from ugly dog and had them removed the extra sewed in plates. Seems light and real flexible and big legs holes for movement. I really
like it so far and they worked with me in modifying it. Good people to deal with.

I have never run anything thicker than a bay type vest. The curdogs are pretty rough so a bulldog has a pretty easy job around here.