Build me a heat tolerant dog

[Circle C]

Cull Buck,

    Mandi has been telling me it's the thin skin on these dogs....maybe I should listen to her more often

[aladatrot]

loose thin skin with very little fur.  She has almost no hair on her belly and chest, thin hair on her sides, and normal hair down her back.

In my opinion, this is it right here. Loose THIN skin coupled with long lean muscle. Thin skin means that the capillaries that carry the blood are close to the surface where they are more efficient with heat exchange. The loose skin means that there is more surface area to hold these capillaries. It's a four core radiator over a three. Both black dogs have a very light hair coat, allowing the skin to have full access to the ambient air temperature which is typically a few degrees lower than a dog's standard operating temperature. The long lean muscle requires less oxygen to feed than does a thick bunchy type.

Just my opinion derived from comparing the anatomy of these dogs to other critters designed for desert climates.

CHeers
M

[mutt hunter]

i have a brindle cur/plott gyp i started hunting recently and she seems to do pretty good in the heat. shes about 40 lbs, small head and pointed muzzle. average chest. at the house she is always active and playin with the pups, even in the middle of the day.

http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww150/justinroden/0172.jpg

[Mike]

They typically cover 25 miles per hunt on the garmin, and have yet to show any signs of being too hot. Even in 90+ temps and mile+ races.

Not trying to sound like a hater, but I suspect that the Garmin is not getting reset everytime you open the dog box door.  I would tend to think that may include some travel distance while they are in the truck.  I've been wrong before though.  I won't lie, my dogs could not go 25 miles full out in the temps we're having now.  There would be some form of damage that was visible to me if they tried it.  I'm sure of that.

Cutter, I can assure you also that the garmin is reset every time... several folks on here have hunted behind them. How do they do it... I don't know. Here's a couple of pics of the mother/daughter in question and a son/grandson who I believe is going to be built just like them when he's finished growing.

I would think the black dogs wouldn't have the heat tolerance. I guess the very thin hair, thin skin and loose skin has something to do with it.

[Black Gold]

Those are some fine looking dogs Mike!

[Monteria]

In my opinion, this is it right here. Loose THIN skin coupled with long lean muscle. Thin skin means that the capillaries that carry the blood are close to the surface where they are more efficient with heat exchange. The loose skin means that there is more surface area to hold these capillaries. It's a four core radiator over a three. Both black dogs have a very light hair coat, allowing the skin to have full access to the ambient air temperature which is typically a few degrees lower than a dog's standard operating temperature. The long lean muscle requires less oxygen to feed than does a thick bunchy type.

Just my opinion derived from comparing the anatomy of these dogs to other critters designed for desert climates.

CHeers
M

Mandy, that makes a WHOLE lot of sense. I guess that there are more ways to get a bigger cooling system than just a bigger tong.

Steve

[raider54]

They typically cover 25 miles per hunt on the garmin, and have yet to show any signs of being too hot. Even in 90+ temps and mile+ races.

Not trying to sound like a hater, but I suspect that the Garmin is not getting reset everytime you open the dog box door.  I would tend to think that may include some travel distance while they are in the truck.  I've been wrong before though.  I won't lie, my dogs could not go 25 miles full out in the temps we're having now.  There would be some form of damage that was visible to me if they tried it.  I'm sure of that.

Ive got one 1/2 Plott 1/2 YBM that will put 25 miles minimum any nite you drop him out! so I dont doubt it a bit

[buddylee]

Check out the African wild hunting dog. I saw a show once and they mentions how they could gallop or run for miles while chasing animals. Do a google search for pictures.

[raider54]

CBC, A 4 to 5 hour long, 25 mile per dog hunt is pretty normal for us. And our dogs never get a ride.

Steve

Well then, let me be the first to say that my dogs can not compare to the Texas dogs.  With this hot muggy heat we have in Florida, I would most likely do damage to my hounds.  If you guys are indeed resetting the individaul collars each turnout, and it says 25 miles, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Next time you come to Florida, bring the dogs, we'll go to my club.  That is some great conditioning if they can do that day in day out all day long.  I won't lie, I truely don't think my dogs would hang.

CBK , I have already posted that I have one that wil do 25 miles plus on a 4 hr hunt minimum 35 is not uncommon, he hunts on a lope at all times! but in all fairness to the Florida dogs it could have something to do with our terrain and our dogs never get any relief from the heat we dont get those cool summer rains that you do in Florida, it is just Hot, Hotter, and Hottest here. It seems like you are shocked at that kind of range but I will assure you it is true. I have bought coon dogs and hog dogs out of Florida and have yet to have one that could hang on the level that I hunt.

[stoked]

all my dogs get hot. shoot, my catchdog wasn't even out of my truck the other day at the bay pen and he was freaking out because the other dogs were baying. he was chewing up my tailgate and got too hot just sitting in the back of the truck. started breathing all crazy. i had to hose him down with water and cool his feet down. he scared me..

kinda weird..it was like 6 in the evening too...crazy huh..

[Cutter Bay Kennels]

I've got buddies that run fox hounds on yotes and fox.  They run now just like they would in the winter.  However, they run all night long several times during the week, every week.  Those dogs know how to pace themselves for a lot of action. 

As for me, man, I'm not going to lie.  Walking in the woods during daylight hours this time of year around here, will get you hot and sweaty real quick.  The air is so muggy, that it feels like you've got a cinderblock tied around your legs.  If you stop to take a breather, the skeeters are on you like bees on honey.  It's not fun to hunt during the day around here right now.  Generally, once our bow season gets started in September, that is when I really start hitting the woods hard.  Come November, the dogs seem to have their wind.  Of course, I don't hunt but 2-3 times a week on a good week.  To many chores for the wife.  You guys that are hunting hard right now, and covering that kind of ground, show dedication to say the least.  More power to you.  It is very possible that the drive of the dog handler is more likely what is in question in my case.  LOL!!!!!!!!

[Mike]

Sounds just like SE Texas... skeeters and muggy!

We don't hunt during the day, but we will turn out in the evening and hunt into the night... or before daylight and shut it down around 9 or 10.

[Cutter Bay Kennels]

I have a couple questions for you guys that are exceeding 20 miles on one hunt routinely.  How many hogs are you catching on these hunts?  Are you gunning them down, or are you catching them?  Do you tie or stab?  Is this for recreation or land management?  Do these properties get hunted by other dog hunters?  Is it hunted year-round?  Man, ya'll got me interested in some answers.  As I have already stated, your dedication is not in question in my mind.

[USHOG]

I average 2 to 6 hogs every hunt. Dont get me wrong I have been skunked 3 times this year. I hunt for a living and do so almost every day of the year. I use RCD's along side of my strike dogs. I like to run 2 or 3 dogs out at a time during the heat. I use 3 to 5 sets of dogs every hunt. During the cold months 6 dogs out. I dont have to rotate the dogs as much when it is cold. I use hand cuffs to hold the hogs I take all out alive during the heat because I do not have time to clean them and they will spoil in a few minutes during our hot days. My dogs average 40 plus miles during coold hunts and 10 to 15 miles during hot hunts. This slow down is because I put the dogs up for a break every 5 miles or one catch. I run 48 dogs that are hunted every week at least twice. This time doesnt include training or the walker. Guiding hog hunts with dogs and hog removal is one of the things I do for a living.

[Circle C]

I have a couple questions for you guys that are exceeding 20 miles on one hunt routinely.

How many hogs are you catching on these hunts?  From zero to 10. I would say the norm is 1-3.

Are you gunning them down, or are you catching them? Catching them, To date, I have not shot over my dogs.

Do you tie or stab?  Tie when possible.

Is this for recreation or land management?  Both

Do these properties get hunted by other dog hunters? Yes and no, depending on the properties. I prefer to be the only person hunting a property though. When we are hunting the National forest I would say there are dozens, possibly a hundred hunters or more out there over the course of the season there.

Is it hunted year-round?  Yes, most of my places are hunted year  round. That said, I have a few recreational places that I have not hunted in ~ 1 year

[Circle C]

Joe,

  Am I understanding correctly that you have 48 hunting dogs, that in the cooler months get 80 miles a week each (40 miles x 2 hunts)? Collectively your dogs are covering 3,840 miles of ground weekly?  Do you road your dogs, or walk hunt?

[Monteria]

I have a couple questions for you guys that are exceeding 20 miles on one hunt routinely.

How many hogs are you catching on these hunts? 1-3.

Are you gunning them down, or are you catching them? Catching them with lead in bull dogs. To date, I have shot over my dogs twice (once had some serious pucker factor).

Do you tie or stab?  Tie when possible, do a lot of stabbing though.

Is this for recreation or land management?  Both

Do these properties get hunted by other dog hunters? No, with the exception of one place that gets run with coon dogs.

Is it hunted year-round?  Yes, most of my places are hunted year  round, except that some properties are shut down during deer season. Central TX. deer hunters..... well, lets just say that Ill give them the woods to them selves......

Thanks for formatting the reply form, Chris

[Bump]

How many hogs are you catching on these hunts?  From zero to 10. I would say the norm is 1-3.

Are you gunning them down, or are you catching them? Catch only

Do you tie or stab?  Stick only...never tied a hog.

Is this for recreation or land management?  Both...primarily recreation but all the land owners want them killed

Do these properties get hunted by other dog hunters? No...I should have exclusive rights on all my properties. Every property I hunt are private owned ranches. Also...I rotate my places pretty often...may only hunt one ranch or one area of the ranch once or twice a month.

Is it hunted year-round?  Most places no. During deer season I only have two local places to hog hunt. My primary dogging season if from February -October.

My part of Texas is much different than many of the people on this board.....hill country with scattered brush. Real easy to drive and lots of pockets of brush. Depending where I am...the hogs travel a lot. It varies from ranch to ranch. During the cooler months I would estimate the average was 20-25 miles on a 3-4 hour hunt. During these hot months 8-10 miles on a 2 hour hunt.

I also hunt different than most people. I have medium range dogs but they work and hunt hard. I drive to a place, cast the dogs, let them hunt. Either catch a hog or they come back. They come back...I load them up drive a short distance to next feeder, stock tank, thicket, etc and kick them out again. Some of the races are short and some are long. I try to guess the distance I have driven the dogs and subtract off the garmin distance. Im not 100% accurate but fairly close.

[USHOG]

I do what easiest for the property I am hunting or what I am doing. When I am guiding I make it as hard as my clients can handle. These are normally big corporation directors that are needing a get away and want to sweat. CEOs lawyers and judges you name it. I am normally told by their agent to get these people as dirty and tired as I can and if they catch a hog thats just a bonus. Other people we take are handicapped and we use 4-wheelers or what ever we need to get these clients what they want.  In the cooler months we hunt dawn to dark if not longer.

When I am clearing the corn milo and rice feilds I use what I need for the moment and time.

I average walking 8 to 15 miles a hunt during the heat 50 to 60 miles when cold. so it is not hard for me to beleive that their dogs are doing this if not triple. Dont call me a liar yet our winter hunts can be 2 to 7 day long  hikes.

Aks Duece2 I walked him over 30 miles on his first hunt with me.  I love to walk, run, and be in the woods so I made it my life. This is what I do...

[Circle C]

ushog,

   I think I understand the difference now.  When I say "hunt", I am referring to the time that I turn one set of dog out, until I pick them back up and head home for the night. If I do that twice in one weekend, then I call that two "hunts".    If I am understanding what you are saying, you might start hunting Friday evening, and head home Sunday evening and that might be one "hunt"...or in the winter one "hunt" might be 2-7 days long, consisting of 50 miles on foot.

Am I on the right track?