Rough dogs

[crackerc]

I have been reading some posts and I find it kind of odd that many guys on here are WANTING the rough catchy type dogs. This is the type of dog I have had for 25 years and am trying to breed AWAY from. Almost all of my old dogs would bark 1-2 times then try the hog. If they got slung off they would bay but if the hog broke, they would catch .If you put 2-3 dogs on the ground, it was just a catch..no bark at all. I had cut dogs, wrecked dogs, big vet bills, down time due to dogs recovering, etc for so many years I decided I needed more bay and less catch. I am "trying" to breed some of those now. I don't mean the loose baying from 20' away dogs, but I don't want a RCD either. I want a dog gritty enough to stop a running hog (by that I mean put teeth on him) but when the hog stops to fight, I want the dog to bay him, not catch and hang. I am talking about a 150 lb hog or bigger. If its a 50 lb pig, catch it. I don't want a dog that will bay a 25 lb shoat.....

A lot of the places I hunt are thick woods. I don't hunt open pastures or farmland and it takes a while to get to the dogs sometimes (most of the time). Plus I am not 20 years old anymore, so it probably takes me a little longer than it would some of you younger guys. All the more reason I want more bay and less catch.....

Is it just me, or is there someone else on here that thinks the same way???

[BA-IV]

Most of my dogs are on the rougher side and will try any hog more than once.  I like a good bay, but most dogs with time will learn what hogs they can handle if they start out rough.  All my dogs so far are rough, but I don't have an established bloodline like you do so it's hit or miss with my dogs.  Some might be some may not.  At least them ol FL Curs look good whether they are rough or not. . Mine are just ugly 24/7.

[Reuben]

For many years I bred mtn curs that with 1 or 2 could catch big hogs because they put enough pressure to stop a hog and then just keep him bayed. But more than 1 or 2 dogs would either catch or they would bust the bay. These type of dogs never bayed more than 1 hog on account they would be too rough. Even though I knew this I like gritty dogs and ran 4 or 5 because that was my preference. I had vet bills (sometimes) but sometimes down time after 1 caught hog.

These dogs work best in the winter when the weeds are down or when the hog is jumped in the open.

Like I said though, these dogs worked best hunted alone but not more tha 2 at a time.

I am one of those that want more grit and less hogs breaking. I still want dogs with more nose for trailing and winding and also want dogs to not give up a track but to stick with it and find the hog and hold it at his first oppurtunity. Time will tell if it is the right thing for me...or not.

I am hoping to have pups of both styles born in my back yard in the next month and breed from there.

[TexasHogDogs]

I ran a pack of T-Rex's for a long long time.  The Vet bills drove me crazy.  I spent as much time sewing up and doctoring dogs as I did hunting.  Now I got to say we caught hogs buddy big big hogs there was not a 300 pounder safe in the woods when I ran these dogs and it stopped all the running hogs but the prices my dogs had to pay and I myself had to pay just got to be way to much.  These dogs were not short range dogs either they went were the hogs were 50 yards out in the corn patch are 5 miles down the road didn't matter.  You got these kinds of dogs you have to b there quick are else !  So I took all these old dogs of mine and I said nuff is enuff and I started knocking the catch out of them not the grit but the pure catch and today I can say am glad I did have not had a vet bill since I done this and really have not had a dog cut really bad bad since .  They got the stopping power and will drag one down then back off bay him tight as it takes to keep him there till I can get there.  It took doing a couple different breedings to get just what I wanted I had to fine tune it some but it has all worked out for me .  I love it now I don't have to break my neck trying to get to them and feel confident the hog will be there when I get there and without Wrecked dogs!

[Reuben]

They got the stopping power and will drag one down then back off bay him tight as it takes to keep him there till I can get there.  It took doing a couple different breedings to get just what I wanted I had to fine tune it some but it has all worked out for me .  I love it now I don't have to break my neck trying to get to them and feel confident the hog will be there when I get there.

The dogs I bred before caught and released a big boar until I got there and then I had the choice of whether I wanted the dogs to catch for me or to just shoot it. After a few years I learned that shooting was always better when I had 3 or more dogs on a bad boar on account of keeping injury to the dogs at a minimum.

My plan is to run vests on all my dogs...but like I said, time will tell if it is really what I want. Like always, it takes me a long time to finally make a decision of this type or even when making a breeding with 2 dogs...  It drives my wife crazy when I do this but the right breeding/dogs require a lot of thought before making a decision of this magnitude... . Besides, it is the fun part of every day living....

[jdt]

i agree mark , i dont mind them catching something they can handle .

 i dont want a dog that i think i have to run to to keep him from getting butchered.

i dont want any dogs that chase around a 75 lbs shoat for hours or even minutes .

there are still some dogs , in places that know how much pressure it takes to make one stop and bay , and at the same time know how much room to give to keep a hog bayed till you get there with help ....  thats the kind i like to feed , i wish they grew on trees lol .they're out there but you wont see 'em advertised on the web .

[Reuben]

i agree mark , i dont mind them catching something they can handle .

 i dont want a dog that i think i have to run to to keep him from getting butchered.

i dont want any dogs that chase around a 75 lbs shoat for hours or even minutes .

there are still some dogs , in places that know how much pressure it takes to make one stop and bay , and at the same time know how much room to give to keep a hog bayed till you get there with help ....  thats the kind i like to feed , i wish they grew on trees lol .they're out there but you wont see 'em advertised on the web .

x2...Now this is the perfect bay dog. one that can wind, bay, trail and stay on a hog until it is caught. This dog can be free casted or rigged or  road hunted. He should hunt with you and circle 2 -5 hundred yards around you and check with you every 10 minutes or so. He should bark 2 or 3 times when locating a track and draw in the other dogs and these 3 barks will alert you. The dogs will then run silent until hog is bayed..

WHETHER IT BE ONE DOG OR FOUR DOGS THE DOGS ONLY PUT ENOUGH PRESSURE TO KEEP THE HOG BAYED. WHERE DO I FIND THESE DOGS???
I have seen 1 or 2 dogs do it but more in a pack tend to be catchy or push the hogs to break bay. I am not saying that a pack of 3 or more dogs are not out there, but I don't know of any. These dogs will catch a sow or a shoat but might back up and bay a big boar.

I think there is a fine line....

[M Bennet]

i love rough catchy dogs even better off the hood . i dont like a hog race but i do get out ran i also run vest and my vet bill isnt bad,but were i live we dont have to many toothy hogs.but i will say that there are places to hunt with out rough dogs all you need is loose bay dogs,but thats why iv got 26 dogs, but all styles of hunting work some faster and some slower. this is what i like about this sport is hunting with different people and learning from what they do if its right or wrong.its kinda like fighting roosters i take in what works for me and through the other stuff away.

[Noah]

Yep... 

[TexasHogDogs]

I still run vest on all of mine .  They are still very ruff just not catchy till I can get there are if the catch dog goes in.  What I like is I can shoot over my dogs are run a catch dog don't matter.  I agree different dogs for different situations you run into. Some places you can run one two dogs other times you might run five six .  It does take a lot of time to breed what you want.

[Purebreedcolt]

Vests for rough dogs and no vests for dogs that just bay that is the way I see it anyways.  I like my rough dogs but they are shorter range and in all reality tring to add some catch to them that I can turn out at first hint of pig

[Florida Curdog]

The rougher the better.  I like em to try the hog first then bay if they have to until another dog gets there.
I don't run cut vest's or collars. I have some down time every now & then but not to much.

[warrent423]

I believe a good Florida cur should know when to come off and bark. but they still need to be "rough" enough to attempt to catch and hold "any" hog when told. This, in my opinion, is what sets our curs apart from most others.

[Noah]

I believe a good Florida cur should know when to come off and bark. but they still need to be "rough" enough to attempt to catch and hold "any" hog when told. This, in my opinion, is what sets our curs apart from most others.

I would have to agree that's how most good FL curs are... but that's a main trait I'm trying to breed out of my dogs... keep the rough... lose the catch...

I don't mind draggin' a bulldog along if it means my curs last a bit longer...

[BIG CHRIS]

i love rough catchy dogs even better off the hood . i dont like a hog race but i do get out ran i also run vest and my vet bill isnt bad,but were i live we dont have to many toothy hogs.but i will say that there are places to hunt with out rough dogs all you need is loose bay dogs,but thats why iv got 26 dogs, but all styles of hunting work some faster and some slower. this is what i like about this sport is hunting with different people and learning from what they do if its right or wrong.its kinda like fighting roosters i take in what works for me and through the other stuff away.

x2

[ujustneverknow]

I have both but do agree on rough dogs!  Sometimes it feels good to catch the hog and not be out all dang night!  Just find and catch load up for a quick hunt!  Even tho my wife says she hasn't seen a quick hunt yet! lol.  Famous last words!  How long you be out?  NOT LONG!!  LOL  Or better yet,  you off yet?   Yes I came to make a quick run at the hogs! 

[skunkhounds]

i run a straight pack of bmc they are plenty rough i suit them up in vest and let them go they are short range but you need a garmin to find them they are all catch big hog or small its all the same to them

[bignasty]

the chain is only as strong as the weakest link

[rdjustham]

The three Fl curs ive had were ROUGH.  They generally try it themselves if its 150 or so but over the years learn to back off and bay anything bigger.. But you let 2 of them get to the same pig and its game over,  They are GOING to catch..  I dont normally mind it but id at least have them let me get there first..  bulldogs are a heck of a lot cheaper to get and train..

[BarrNinja]

 

Is it just me, or is there someone else on here that thinks the same way???

It aint just you Mark!
I like the way you are headed with your breeding and I think you may get were you want to be faster than you realize with the dogs you have. 

I have been keeping up with TexasHogDogs since I have been on this board. In my opinion, judging from his post, I believe he has bred close to the best of both worlds in his dogs. Jim, I remember how excited you were in that thread about your young dogs baying that big boar just like you wanted! lol. Heck, I was celebrating with you! lol. Seeing the breeding pay off in your dogs has got to be a heck of a feeling!

Dogs bred like this (loose baying, just rough enough, etc, etc) in general, are the most productive hog dogs in my opinion. They just dont use themselves up on a few hogs like I have seen rough dogs do and they are very rarely nursing wounds and cuts. A few hogs in a hunt is fine unless you are hunting hog polluted farm country.
I have seen some fine rough dogs in my day. Flat out hog catching machines that I would feed and hunt right now. They just spend a heck of a lot of time on the injury list if they are still living is all.   

The rough dog mans matto............Catch a hog, stitch a dog!