T-Dog you called it right. I have gotten pups from people that have had dogs for years and none of them have worked for me. I don't raise a lot of pups because I feel to raise them right it takes a lot of time and effort. Monkey was only bred to 2 females in his life and I never bred Spur.
But I have hunted with people who catch hogs...but really don't have the dog power they think they do. Most have really good private land to hunt with lots of non pressured hogs on it. Makes a dog look good, but take him to a deer dog club where the hogs are scarce and hunted 365 days a year and see how many hogs they find and stop.
There are a lot of different types of dogs and ways to hunt them. But, after 40+ years of seeing dogs in the woods on hogs, I know what I like and want a dog to do. I always said, I don't want to run a hog, I want to stop him.
I liked Monkey as he hunted solo...I don't want to have to put a pack of dogs on the ground to find a hog...and he was fast enough and gritty enough to stop a hog. He had scars from it, but I just rarely had long races with him. That's why I thought so much of him. Spur wasn't as gritty but worked well with Monkey. Spur was about the only dog I hunted with Monkey as he knew Spur wasn't going to help him catch a big hog, so they would bay.
But most of the young dogs I have gotten from people and gone through are pitiful. Won't leave your feet to go look for a hog, even when turned out with a dog they know or are penned next too. Some wouldn't go to a bay, a couple wouldn't bark at a hog, and a couple were downright scared of a hog! And these were bred from dogs people hunted.
So I just have to wonder why they turned out like they did. And often other guys with littermates to the ones I had, would cull theirs too. So it wasn't just me.
What I like is a 100% silent cur dog. I don't want it to bark, squeak, yip or anything else behind a hog. Run to catch or stop it.
If it's 100 lb or less, just catch it. If it's a big hog, shut it down and bay until help arrives.
And do that regularly...and with no other dogs to help.
That is a tall order but I have had 2 dogs in my life that were just like that, so I know they are out there.
I know of one ugly black leopard mixed up dog that is owned by a LSU fan that is a pretty good dog and comes close to the above. I have hunted with him several times and he is my type of dog. Just don't let anyone know I said that about a spotted dog...
The little black and silver dog I am hunting now will get out and hunt. Winds well and can find a hog. He is not 2 years old yet so still young, but seems to be having trouble stopping these running hogs. Just not quite rough enough to make one stop, that doesn't want to stop.
Hopefully he will figure things out.
