the finished strike dog

[elliscounty2]

me and a hunting buddy are curious about everyones opinion on what they consider a finished strike dog. not semi finished or almost finished but finished.

[Mike]

I believe after a dog is dead and gone... it's considered finished.

Nearly everyone will have different answers to your question, but to me they're all just strike dogs.

[elliscounty2]

I figured  some one was going to consider their dog walking beside them a finished strike dog but striking the fourwheeler to me is not finished.

[Monteria]

As many of these threads as I have seen on hog hunting forums, I have never seen anyone throw out a defenition even close to my own so Ill go ahead and throw it out here.

In my mind, a finished dog weather it be a strike dog, a bay dog, a help dog, a running catch dog or a catch dog, is a mature dog whom the owner feels has reached its maximum potential.

That dog may be the best dog in the woods OR it might suck by you or I's standards. Either way, if it has reached its maximum potential for that owner, it is a finnished dog.

I came up with that definition because I have never seen two people agree on what finished should mean. I feel that this is due to the handlers differing opinions on how a dog should hunt, mostly due to differences in our hunting styles.

Ill give an extreme example, someone who roads off the hood may have a finished strike dog and a damn good one in its own right, but it would do me no good because I cast, walk and road; needing dogs who have 3-400 yards of range just looking for scent. Conversly, my finished strike dogs would do ZERO good for someone in the panhandle who needs to cover miles in dry sandy conditions to find a pig, nor would they do any good for someone who hoods their dogs.

In short, everyones defenition of a finished dog is diferent so my defenition was designed to be a catch all with full consideration for both "finished" dogs that I wouldn't feed AND "finished" dogs that couldnt be bought for any amount of $$$$$!

Does that really help when trying to purchase a dog? No! You better see the dog work, like it and then get a trial because it might even work different for you than it does for its owner.

My .02

Steve

[aussiedogger]

nice angle on that monteria 

[capt jack]

if the dog hunts hard and i catch hogs with him, i would say he is finished.

[Bryant]

I believe after a dog is dead and gone... it's considered finished.

There's really a lot of truth in that statement, Mike.  I agree 100% with Monteria's take that to me a finished dog is one who has reached his maximum potential and likely won't ever be any better than he currently is (no matter if it's a strike, help, catch or whatever).  Having said that, the majority of my dogs I wouldn't call finished.  Do I have dogs that will flat out find a hog, won't trash (at least until I say they won't), have a pretty decent handle, don't fight, etc?  Yes I do, but most of my pack are younger dogs that in my mind have not yet reached their full potential.  Sure I like to catch hogs, but for me personally the best part of hunting is being able to watch my dogs mature and get better at what they do. 

I also agree with Monteria, that people often will confuse a "finished" dog with one that matches a particular style of hunting.  The oldest dog in my kennels is a 13 year old lacy/plott cross.  I hunted him for years and to me there was no better.  Over the past couple of years, my hunting style changed and I went to a deeper hunting dog.  Now take the lacy and put him on the ground with my other dogs and someone watching would say he's absolutely sorry.  Is he?  Nope...he's just waiting for you to get a rifle and start walking with him through the woods.  That doesn't make him any less of a dog, he just doesn't hunt the way I have come to enjoy.

A really good dog to someone might be a useless dog to someone else.  It's all about matching the dog to the hunting style of the individual owner.

[Black Gold]

A really good dog to someone might be a useless dog to someone else.  It's all about matching the dog to the hunting style of the individual owner.

That's the bottom line for me.

 I don't put much faith in what people say or labels they give their dogs.  To me, true colors shine through on a hunt....and not just one hunt, but the ability to do the same thing time and time again with a good success average.....I like to compare it to a professional athlete....many can perform at high levels sometimes, but the best of the best can do it time after time with very few stumbles.....That's how I gauge a great dog.

[elliscountyhog]

WHAT THA!!!!! Elliscounty2!!!!!!!! .  I have had 1 finished dog in my hunting carreer and she is gone. Welcome to the board and i love the screen name.

[elliscounty2]

monteria great reply as I said just wanting to get everyones opinion.

[elliscounty2]

elliscountyhog I know what dog your talking about I hunt with u.  I also went on many of hunts with her (sweetie dog) she was one hell of a strike dog and one of the best ive hunted with.  I think weve got a hunt setup in corsican this weekend give me a buz if your game U know whats in those woods.

[pig snatcher]

I have always thought about like Monteria.  Finished dog is a mature dog that has reached their full potential, whatever that may be.

For instance I have an old male that is between 8 and 9 years old and has been on untold numbers of hogs.  He isnt the greatest dog in the world and I concider him more of a help dog although he can find a hog, but he is as predictable as a dog can get.  In my oppinion he is finished, he isnt going to be any more than he is now after hunting 8 or 9 years. 

[jlingle]

That's a great point, Monteria.  I made that point on another board and was basically called a jacka$$ for it.  Fine with me, I don't know everything.  But I think everybody who reads this will have their own opinion of what a finished dog is.

[duece24]

I agree with what most are saying here to varying degrees.

I think a bette statement to be made is that you really can't tell if a dog is truly a finished dog until they are 4+ in my mind. because a dog could very well continue learning until they are 5+, so their max potential wouldn't be reached. I think if want a truly finished dog they will be an older dog. I think you will  have truly finished dogs only after 2yrs. I think anything before that is just a well started vey promising prospect. I think being polished  is a combination of ability AND time in the woods. not enough of one or the other and the dog isn't polished...

[Bryant]

This doesn't mean we now have to spend the next month coming up with the East Texas Hog Doggers full book of official, agreeable and supported definitions to base all future postings on, do we?

J/K!!!

[Sean]

This doesn't mean we now have to spend the next month coming up with the East Texas Hog Doggers full book of official, agreeable and supported definitions to base all future postings on, do we?

J/K!!!

ha! never happen, wouldn't begin to know what to write!

[elliscountyhog]

I figured that was you . Yea i am game. I picked up another really good dog yesterday so i know have 2 that i need to try out. But did u hear bout cisco. i was pissed. Good to see ya postin up! When we going?

As far as finished dog i feel that a finished dog is a dog that has mastered each hunting style meaning u can take this dog to the woods and hunt any way and it will constitly find hogs. Meaning on the ground, hood, horse, 4 wheeler, truck,etc. No matter what it can do it. Not many of them dogs around. Oh and if it barks, it is a hog or hog trail and will finish the track, and must have lots of bottom. Now i know everyones opinion on this is going to be different but that is mine.