some thoughts on crosses and tinkering with non track breeds

[jagdtank]

I've thought about crossing stuff some but I've noticed it usually only happens when I am on a bad streak. A person can work awfully hard trying to reinvent the wheel.If you know where some dogs are that are what you want then it's much easier to save your money and buy into someone elses breeding work. than experimenting and putting so much time and money (years) in your own. You really are hurting yourself in the long term by crossing two drastically different breeds. I think you lose more all around than you gain.There are plenty of dogs out there bred for generations for the same traits. You just have to find them and lay hands on their pups. Ive  tinkered around with crosses just like anyine but If a good dog lacks something be it a cat bmc or what ever it's smarter to me to find a good solid line to breed to that has all the basics plus what your missing.I've only pig hunted for six years but I;ve hunted with dogs all my life.... I know this, when you have a really good set of dogs or even one good dog you just want more of that line. I paid a lot money and raised several litters trying to get my own perfect dogs and got very limited success.I had a runt given to me by a friend who is fairly well known for his curs. he is my lead dog. I don't even want to go hunting without him. I have had two more pups given to me by the same guy both are well above average. I caught nine in two hunts with an old beat up rough help dog two nine month old pups and a real good strike dog.  the pups ran track and bayed three of those without help.on a garmin they look like torpedoes seeking a target.If i have a dry spell i'll be thinking about good crosses out of frustration but I really have good dogs.I didn't do anything but try not to ruin what others worked hard for. I just enjoy the benefits. my crosses did the job but they weren't bred for generations for the traits i wanted so that little extra something wasn't there. The difference in dogs is the difference between a Cadillac and a pinto. I will deffinatley do some of my own breeding but it will be cur to cur I guarantee you. I'm not in the dog breeding business i'm in the dog hunting business and any breeding is secondary and only necessitated by the primary purpose. It is a great feeling when a pup just hunts and does it and you just get to set back and watch them get better and better. know one has to tell you when you find the right line of dogs or the right breeder of those dogs. You will know it when you see it because you don't have to do much the genetic dispositions in the dog just go to work and you only worry about how not to screw it up.

[Reuben]

yes sir...a hunting dog is born...not made in the field...

[Ridgedog]

I haven't kept any dogs for a long time so who am I to be asking  but out of interest I was thinking, we all know that the terrain,climate and of course the pigs are evolving rapidly. Hotter weather ,more open country etc and mostly the smartest ,fastest ,baddest pigs are the ones getting to breed which obviously means they bear and will teach their young all the tricks while the line bred or and or purebreds that are bred for set consistent traits stay the same. Doesn't the tinkering allow you to try and put in something that for example is more heat tolerant and or counters any advantages the pigs may have developed if you stick with it to produce the desired effect ?

[WayOutWest]

There are probably as many breedings that set the quality standard back as there are moving it forward.

[Goose87]

Probably more than we know WOW

[buddylee]

Hogs just run more easily and farther.

[Judge peel]

Wayoutwest the old saying is slower is faster I have found its true in most things

[Shotgun wg]

I feel that good dogs are born also. I also feel that too many are unwilling to let a dog come into its own. To see progression that will lead where they want to be. Crossing this with that and expecting superstars at 6 months leads to disappointment. Instead of getting a dog and 6 months in thinking it should run the show. Try getting a pup and see what it's about. See where it's going. See the potential. Let it mature and put in time with it. Learn ur dogs. Learn the strong and week points of each. Learn how to effectively use the tools at ur disposal. Too many today want instant success. The most successful hog hunters have one thing above all others doing the same. TIME. Time learning their dogs. Be it breeding hunting or training. I don't have the best I don't know it all. I am spending the time to understand my dogs and how to use them. I like to catch hogs but if I learn the dogs and how to use each I believe the catching part will handle itself.


Shotgun
Arkansas

[jagdtank]

You kinda defeat yourself if you spend all your time shuffling dogs like playing cards. I agree with you shot gun. I recognize my own haste too often and sometime don't give a dog a good chance.  I guess to each.... their own. I sure like my curs. it's pleasurable hunting! was given two more pups yesterday! raising puppies from a good proven line is the way to go if you ask me. it's just to hard to find a good finished dog for sale. It's like panning a cess pit for small change. The running hog issue only goes so far. they are still hogs despite being able to adapt to an extent, there is a limit on how much in a short time span. I know there is a genetic component to a hog running but i think its much more learned behavior. I caught the same red spotted boar hog twice in water with thick brush and couldn't get in to grab him got a hand on his leg once but he pulled away before i could get a solid grip. ended up without rough mature dogs for a while due to shuffling my pack. so I bayed him solid three more times over a year with pups and didn't get him killed for one reason or another. I can promise you when I get him found he don't wait around, he leaves and you can pick your dogs up in the next county. he wasn't a runner,he stood and fought five times and was caught first time for half an hour in water but he learned and if someone hunts where i do for the first time and gets on him or a few others dog ruined. they would swear these hogs are all born runners but it's the unknown variable causing the problem. like bad dogs ruining bays and educating the hogs. if i lay off a spot for a few months the running stops when i come back.some of my spots almost no one hunts because their aren't many dedicated hog hunters in mo. I get to experiment on some of these things I feel like.