cut gear vs raw-dogging

[outlaw14slayer]

Who runs cut gear on their catch dogs and/or bay dogs?  In your experience, how many (percentage please) of the serious or fatal cuts your dogs have received could have been prevented or minimized by a cut collar or cut collar/ vest combo?  What is your personal reasoning on providing/not providing cut gear for your catch dogs and/or bay dogs?

[brw7979]

I run a full vest on my CD's and the only time that I didnt the dogs got cut up really bad. It was a bad choice on my part but I learned a really good lesson from it and now my CD's are vested up before every hunt.

[kds]

I run a full vest on my CD so she dont get cut that bad. I also run a cut vest on one of my bay dogs because he is so rought. His vest has saved him alot of time all I got to say.

[leonriverboy]

I run a vest on my CD about 80% of the time, if he gets hot I take it off of him.  I am convinced that a large vest caused my best  catch dogs death.  My dad was hunting with some of his buddies the bay broke before the cd arrived and hog ran about 500 yards to the river and the cd drowned before they could get to him.  I think the big best was a major factor in his death.  I also believe I would have gotten there faster and prevented his death.  I don't run vest on my strike or bay dogs. I don't want them catching and if they get cut that will usually back them off.  Over all I think it's usually a good idea to run a vest on the cd.  If a cd is used to a vest your better keep it on him because his technique of catching is a result of wearing the vest (able to get his body closer w/o being cut) he may not realize that his protection is gone.

[Mike]

Read through this old post... http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/forum/index.php?topic=12972.0

 

[turnemloose]

Man i always run cut gear on my dogs .. If i didn't have it my catchdog would've been killed about a month ago

[bayhard]

this is a hard topic 2 comment on becuse some on always gets mad but i run gear on all my dogs from a pup on up becuse i wont to do what i can to keep my investment safe we spend a lot of money on theses dogs and i hate to see one cut down even thow gear isnt 100% it helps

[make-em-squeel]

my personal .02 and the way I hunt is that i vest up the cd but dont use anything on the curs (except tracking collars)...there smart dogs they figure out how to keep a hog from breaking and when to catch with a little experience. I think it benefits a cd and will keep them alive longer if you manage how hot they get.

[Cristina]

We vest up all our dogs because a few years back we did not run catch dogs and they had to catch for us. They are still gritty sometimes but have learned that it is not their job to catch anymore but every now and then they will catch before the catch dog gets there. Even back then when our bay dogs caught we never had any get major injuries that crippled them or made it to where we had to put them down, just small knicks and they have caught some toothy boars. I believe that when you start with a vest from their youth they get used to it and helps with their heat tolerance. So we have yet to lose a dog in the woods with a vest. we always keep our dogs in mind with the heat and wearing vests and make sure where we are hunting there is water if there is bad heat. Now I have a few younger dogs that are loose bayers so we only run collars on them. I would hate to lose a dog because I didnt put a collar or a vest on em I would feel real guilty but thats just me. I am in the process of changing out our old vests and am going to get some new shorter vests for the bay dogs. As far as catch dogs go they are always vested.

I can only think of one occasion where a dog got punctured by a toothy boar and lost some blood, he had to be carried out but other than that one time like i said before we have never had our dogs get seriously hurt with a vest on.

Everyone runs their dogs different there is no real right or wrong way just as long as what your doing has worked for you. JMO

[TexasHogDogs]

After  being hard headed for years and not running any protection and me loosing one of the best hog dogs I have ever seen are even heard of .   I started putting vest on all my dogs find dog , bay dogs, catch dogs the whole nine yards and I got to say with out this protection I would have lost many more.  I just wont run a dog with out protection unless it is one I just know will not even touch a hog and I dont have many like that.   It does what it is suppose to do but then again good ole piggly wiggly is gonna get a lucky shot here and there .

[Jabo]

this is a hard topic 2 comment on becuse some on always gets mad but i run gear on all my dogs from a pup on up becuse i wont to do what i can to keep my investment safe we spend a lot of money on theses dogs and i hate to see one cut down even thow gear isnt 100% it helps

I agree with this completely.My dogs are an investment and any thing I can do to protect my investment I will do.Catch dog,without a question,doesnt leave the box without vest and collar. Ive lost to bay dogs over the years due to not running bay vest. Both dogs were cut badly in the chest area,would of probably been prevented if they were wearing bay vest. I wont make that mistake again.

[hog428]

Well with all respect I do not run vest I feel it is a restriction in the dog's performance and ability to defend themselves  I have lost many in battle  Today I train for the battle from 6 week's not just fighting but control of the target  THE HEAD I looked to the most successful predators on the planet the dog's of Africa they weigh 30 to 45 lbs and take down prey 10 times there weight  They will go for the kill some hold some hit the vitals so I train my dogs to pull the head down expose the arm pit and than to hit the artery It's been many years since I have lost a dog in battle  BUT I know I will loose more BUT I do not feel the vest would have given them any better odds   THIS IS JUST WHAT WORKS FOR ME 

[Bump]

Well with all respect I do not run vest I feel it is a restriction in the dog's performance and ability to defend themselves  I have lost many in battle  Today I train for the battle from 6 week's not just fighting but control of the target  THE HEAD I looked to the most successful predators on the planet the dog's of Africa they weigh 30 to 45 lbs and take down prey 10 times there weight  They will go for the kill some hold some hit the vitals so I train my dogs to pull the head down expose the arm pit and than to hit the artery It's been many years since I have lost a dog in battle  BUT I know I will loose more BUT I do not feel the vest would have given them any better odds   THIS IS JUST WHAT WORKS FOR ME 

 

[3-Bdogs]

catch dog only

[ETHHunters]

Nothing on strike dogs and vest is seasonal on catchdog