Dean I have had a few Danes and few Dane to pit crosses they made good farm dogs and defenders no luck hunting tho for me they would get a pig but they had to stumble on it and no stick what so ever. Very cool looking dogs tho. I guess if a fella could get one with the right stuff he might have something. But they are huge animals I am into the smaller dog myself. Just easier to handle. My buddy had a Dane x cur few yrs back was a real specimen but I don’t think he ever got him going. Do you think they are better as a pure dog or just to use for crossing for a more versatile dog. Like lot of guys where doing with pit x greyhound ten yrs ago. I never seen hunted with any but my dad told me stories of them using that cross in the forty’s to catch jack rabbits to eat.
The dane has not hunted in centuries. They are not a mastiff even though they are lumped into the mastiff breeds. They are a gaze hound also known as boar hounds. Centuries of being bred by non hunters for yard ornimants and now by people who will not sale a pup to anyone who they suspect will keep the dog in a yard rather than in the house and being in the mastiff breed has destroyed the boar hound. Many can not move well, are clumsy and slow, are timid and shy, lazy and indifferent. Nothing like what a true dane supposed to be. Still a lot of good danes out there but they are seen as problem danes because they are to bold, to energetic, to hard headed and independent, to rough etc for pet people. These danes are usually cheap or free and if they have good structure they are generally pretty natural pig dogs. Not always but generally. A decent Dane will usually be your best nose and be a far ranging dog. I'm talking about boar hounds not junk pin headed timid shy structurally terrible danes.
I prefer dogs that find and catch their own pigs. Preferring to lug on the bigger pigs in a group and not fooling much with the small ones. Run on and keep catching more from the group once the one they are holding has been taken away from them or killed. Do to the type hunting I do and my preference in hunting 1 or 2 dogs only and each grab their own, I prefer the big powerful hard dog that will control a big boar even after having to hold for a long time. I run many hundreds of yards each find and even farther on role outs. I'm exhausted when I get to the catch even more so running to this dog holding a pig then then having to run to the other. Then they role out and keep rolling out. Your numb, your lungs are on fire, your stumbling and fighting to remain upright and get there as soon as you can. It's sure nice to have a dog thats controlling a big boar rather than just hanging on and being drug around. I have fallen several times struggling with the boar trying to flip because I'm so exhausted. Caught in the open just you, the dog, and a big pissed boar, it's mighty handy to have a dog in controle. A group of dogs on same pig is ok too but I don't hunt a group of dogs. I have some pictures of a brand new dane I just started this week. He came out of someone's living room and was lugged up on 2 pigs that very night. I have another at the house. He is the hardest dog I've ever had and as good a pig dog as it gets. He don't hunt much, I use him as stud. He is an old man but I have pics and video of him doing his thing too.
As far as crossing them, you can use them to add nose and hardness or size to something that's making. But use a proven dane, to much trash out there. Most people don't know first thing about a boar hound so getting a good one is luck. Little different if you ever seen a good do their thing. Kinda know what your looking for in them if so and you will probably never look at then same again if you ever hunted behind a proper Dane. It's like a 140 pound 32 inch tall pit that has a nose like a coon hound.
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