Instinctive

Going back to the original question and changing the current subject just a bit, one instinctive thing I like to see is an early indication that a dog is going to roll over after a caught hog.

Lots of people love to see a dog be “hog crazy” or “hate a hog” and from time to time I’ve seen a handful of that style that are nice dogs, but I really perk up when I see a pup on its first few hunts being an active and purposeful participant in the bay, BUT, losing interest and leaving as soon as the hog is under control. I like to pretend the dogs I’ve trusted with are mostly all predisposed to this trait, but the truth is, as little as I’ve hunted since Harvey, I’ve had to look honestly at who is instinctively driven to always be looking for the next one, and who is having to be reminded that they are still on the clock.