How Do You Analyze your Pack of Hog Dogs?

[Reuben]

If we want to breed better dogs we need to be totally honest with ourselves...the big question...How does each dog in the pack hunt???

A good way to check is by taking each dog solo on a hog hunt and we can see first hand if he/she can find, stick, and bay a hog...if we take the dog out there and it doesn't hunt we will know the dog is not worth breeding...

But if we get excited when Ole Yeller or Ole Belle hits the woods... because we know that they will bay one in the woods if there is a hog in there to be found...then we have a dog worth considering as a stud dog or brood gyp...

[bigo]

I want keep and hunt a dog I wouldn't breed. They have to show me they can get it done by themselves and show me they can get it done with style in the summer.

[Reuben]

I want keep and hunt a dog I wouldn't breed. They have to show me they can get it done by themselves and show me they can get it done with style in the summer.

I agree...that should be the goal...to take any dog from the back yard and know it will get it done...

[justincorbell]

I want keep and hunt a dog I wouldn't breed. They have to show me they can get it done by themselves and show me they can get it done with style in the summer.

I agree...that should be the goal...to take any dog from the back yard and know it will get it done...

This is my ultimate goal, im not there yet but im getting closer!


"the sun is shining somewhere in texas" -Jason Boland

[bigo]

I should have added that I never kept many and after some screw up I've made, I've nearly culled myselfe out of the dog bussines more than once. I kept the faith in the old Driver blood and it allways pulled me through, that and some friends with the same blood.

[hoghunter71409]

I dont think every dog in the pack has to be a great dog that will find his own hog each time.  There are some packs that work as a team; that team may be better than a pack of dogs that work as indivduals.  I'll take my team that can find a bay a hog over four or five dogs that split up and have different bays anytime.  After all, how many hogs can you catch at one time?  I guess if have have a bunch of people hunting you can catch several hogs at the same time.  I prefer to take my pack that works as a team and catch one hog after another.  I judge my pack on how happy I am...not how many hogs I catch or how many hog someone else catches.  I do this for me and for my dogs.  I am not competing with anyone...but I can compete with anyone. 

[bigo]

Just because a dog can get it done by himself dosn't mean he won't work with other dogs and as a team. I don't like dogs that won't honer another dog. I just want to know that they have the courage and ability to get it done without help. I have probably culled some dogs that would have been great producers. Its not the right way or the wrong way, just my way.

[Sneaky Creek Kennel]

I love the fact that when I cut my dogs loose I know if there's a hog in them woods it will be hunted stopped bayed and then killed. It was dang sure not a easy task to get this but now that it's done I have bred a few litters and so far the pups are holding on and working strong. I have my DOGS! Then I have my dogs that are in training to see if they get to move up in ranking.

[YELLOWBLACKMASK]

Outstanding advice from above ! 

I cuss and cull...cuss and cull... 

No matter how good the dog. They will all make liars out of ya eventually.   

[rdjustham]

each of my dogs have strengths and weakness. I know what they are from spending time with them both in the yard and in the woods.  Ive bred by my own admission less than the best to less than the best. Because i knew what they could and couldnt do, and bred them with a compliment.  the only time ive done this it paid off in all the pups that went to hunting homes. Now dont get me wrong im not sayin i bred culls but they arent the best ive ever seen or had and probably never will be.  they were both young and posessed traits i wanted in some pups.  The reason they werent the best was because the gyp wasnt as gritty as i like but FAST and ALOT of bottom, and the male wasnt a fast as i like but gritty as all get out.  now even the pup i kept has some things i dont like about him (hes a slow starter) but he has the traits i was after.

I guess to sum it up we all breed our dogs for our own reasons.  Some to better the breed, the pack or maintain a blood line, others for money (which in my mind is why there are so many substandard dogs.)

[rdjustham]

Oops posted that one on the wrong thread.  I evaluate my dogs by the traits they have and dont.  I run my dogs two out, unless i run a pup with two older dogs.  I can tell them apart by their barks and know which one stops a hog first by the bay.  When i get there i can tell who has some grit by who and where they are caught.  Seldom do i run my dogs one out, because i know their weaknesses and the two older dogs i have, one isnt as gritty as i like and will only go so far to keep one bayed and the other is getting up there in age and cant stay after a runner like the younger less gritty can.

[catmando]

Hog hunter 71409 I like your thinkin sounds like a recipe for keepin thangs fun

[pigrig]

i dont always select a dog for breeding on how well it hunts some dogs i have yoused come from lines that have never hunted  all my dogs are mongrell breed .bred from traits that i am looking for to improve my goal of a top dog .i may inject traits for speed , work rate ,nose, size the ability to hold or bail all of which traits that can come from non hunting lines.dont be fooled into thinking just because its breed from jo blows top rated poodel its going to be a top dog .breeding comes from a little experience a little genetics and a whole lotta good luck to achieve a good pup ,then the real work begins.

[TShelly]

I want keep and hunt a dog I wouldn't breed. They have to show me they can get it done by themselves and show me they can get it done with style in the summer.

Same for us we don't have use for a dog that won't do it on their own! Our pack works really well together, each one is capable of finding and stopping one.. It's a lot of fun when you finally get their and start tieing 10 and 15 a hunt

I dont think every dog in the pack has to be a great dog that will find his own hog each time.  There are some packs that work as a team; that team may be better than a pack of dogs that work as indivduals.  I'll take my team that can find a bay a hog over four or five dogs that split up and have different bays anytime.  After all, how many hogs can you catch at one time?  I guess if have have a bunch of people hunting you can catch several hogs at the same time.  I prefer to take my pack that works as a team and catch one hog after another.  I judge my pack on how happy I am...not how many hogs I catch or how many hog someone else catches.  I do this for me and for my dogs.  I am not competing with anyone...but I can compete with anyone. 

We enjoy the independence in doing it on their own and splitting up. It takes a hell of a dog to run by other dOgs bayed and continue to run their own hog until they also bring it to bay

[reatj81]

Hunting in the daylight helps evaluate the dogs better.  Yes the garmin let's you keep track of the dogs, range ect..  Hunting in the daytime allows me to get close to the bay and watch the dogs work a hog, or a sounder.  It allows me  to evaluate each dogs style, and how it compliments or weakens the pack.   Hunting 1-2-3 dogs allows me to really focus on each dogs style.   I'm sure I have culled dogs that don't do what I want that fit other people's pack great!  I want each dog to get gone hunting, be able to find and stop there one hog,  I want a dog to honor another bay, but not to leave a hot track just to honor a bay, they need to be able to finish what they start by them self.  Split bays can be a pain but I'm a lot more worried about each dog on the ground being able to find and stop a hog by themselves than them honoring another bay.   When a dog is off by himself it allows me to see just how much bottom and stay bayed the dog has.   Any pair of dogs should stay bayed for hours, but how many will stay hours by themselves, that's what I'm looking far.   I enjoy watching the dogs work doing there job more than the numbers of hogs caught!   Maby I would catch more with less independent dogs, but if each one does his job I can catch lots of hog!  Hope I didn't get of topic beacuse I believe the only true way to evaluate is watching them in many different situations.   Go hunt with others so you can keep your eyes open to what can help my dogs!

[t-dog]

I agree with you Jody. I want all to be able to do their own thing and honor others as well. If I have one that strikes and hunts well, another that stops one well or one that sticks good and one or two of them gets hurt or worse, then I'd be out of hunting untill I replace them or they get healed. If they all can do it all, then I can usually still go to the woods when I get ready. Also, I don't want to feed a bunch of back up dogs. The only way the dogs are ever gonna get close to reaching their potential is to hunt them. I only get to hunt a couple times a week and that isn't enough hunting for a bunch of dogs. I only like 2 or 3 on the ground at a time.

[NechesBobcat]

I believe the best way to analyze a dog is to sic him on a house cat. If he kills the cat he's a good dog. I call this the "Cat Scan" method.

[Reuben]

I believe the best way to analyze a dog is to sic him on a house cat. If he kills the cat he's a good dog. I call this the "Cat Scan" method.

I also pick mtn curs by them killing a big coon one on one...he might be a bay buster but 2 or 3 will stop a hog...

[jdt]

I believe the best way to analyze a dog is to sic him on a house cat. If he kills the cat he's a good dog. I call this the "Cat Scan" method.

hahahaha    people are all the time asking if they can give my kids kittens lol .   i say " yeah ,bring'em on ,the dogs need a little change of diet " .

 we don't have as many catscans these days 

[Noah]

I agree... I also choose my breeders based on what dogs can produce by themself.  One cur dog and one catch dog.