I'm not really understanding what your asking in a couple of your questions, but let me explain this and hopefully it will help.
When I refer to "Foundation Dogs", I'm referring to dogs that are registered with the "Foundation Black Mouth Cur Breeders Association, or FBMCBA". This is only one of several registries that allow participation and registration of Black Mouth Curs. Dogs carrying Weatherford Ben genetics are typically registered through FBMCBA although many are also double registered through other registeries. When a registry is formed, certain criteria are established which can or may not be specific to that particular registry. Some will recognize a certain expressed trait, while others might consider such trait a "fault". FBMCBA dogs are not limited to one particular bloodline of dogs (Ben), and individual dogs can be registered but the criteria is very strick and only certain bloodlines might be considered.
Registries have somewhat gotten a bad rap over the years because of those people who simply believe that because they hold a paper on a dog, that the dog is automatically superior. While to some extent this indeed may be true it is only because of the breeding behind the dog, not the paperwork. Nothing is foolproof. A registry really serves no purpose other than to provide lineage information....basically the same information that many people who have raised a particular bloodline of dogs may have jotted down somewhere or even in their head. The advantage of the FBMCBA registry over some of the others, is that it is a small registry and most breeders know one another and for the most part breed for the same working standard.
Now, as far as the bob-tailed gene is concerned you're going WAY back, and honestly I'm not sure which dog originally introduced that into the breeding program. I do know that several crosses seemed to prove to those breeding this trait that it was beneficial and therefore actually became a specifically bred trait. I personally don't have enough experience to have an opinion one way or the other. I'm working my first bob-tailed dog now that just came a year old and I will say that this dog is the quickest, most agile dog I've ever owned. When she runs and moves, it almost appears her feet never touch the ground. She can be running full speed in one direction, reverse her direction and be running full speed the other way almost in a flash. The reason??...I would hate to speculate.
Personally, I've only been messing with and researching these dogs for about two years. I stumbled on a dog by accident and was so impressed with this dog that I had to find out more. This dog was two years old and had never been out of a residential backyard when I got him. All it took was taking this dog to the woods, showing him that cows were NOT okay to mess with, and honestly within a month he was striking and baying hogs.
Hope this helps.
Here's a picture of the first hog my dog struck and bayed which was basically my first experience with this bloodline. He's the dog on top, and I believe this was his third or fourth time ever in the woods. When I saw the potential in this dog, I sent him down to Douglas Mason's because I wanted a BUNCH of hogs put in front of him REALLY fast. Douglas was actually working the dog for me when this picture was taken. A man from Houston hunting with Douglas that morning made him call me and wanted to buy the dog. I still remember Douglas calling and saying, "I don't think you will...but I gave the man my word I would call." The only thing I wish I could change, is that he's extremely rough, and tends to get cut more often that I would like.
