How do you know you have a good catch dog?

[t-dog]

So the lack of good bulldogs out there seems to be a real issue. I have my ways and my expectations and how I go about evaluating. How do you know you have a good catch dog?


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[Cajun]

T dog, I will tell you what I expect out of a good catchdog. To address your first comment, the lack of good bulldogs. Years ago and I am talking 20 plus, it was easy to find a good bulldog. There were so many that you could go thru some until you found what you wanted. The last 10-15 years it has gotten more difficult to find them unless you raise your own or know somebody that raises them. Another problem, like other breeds a lot of people might just breed their own instead of going down the road to breed to a better bulldog thus producing subpar bulldogs.
  What I expect, if a bulldog makes contact it should be a caught hog. I want him to be on the ear everytime unless the ears are taken. I know a lot of hogs break before the bulldog gets there and that is not their fault but if they make contact and you can tell, it should be a caught hog. I like a well mannered bulldog and I spend a lot of time obedience training mine and absolutely no dog or people aggression. I also like a big leggy bulldog in the 70-80# category. Some people do not want a bulldog that big so it comes down to preference.

[Judge peel]

Short answer is if you catch most of the hogs you bay. But things happen. Now I was once informed by some people on this board yrs ago that manner don’t make a bull dog and I would say it’s 90% of it cuz if they won’t catch there not going to work no matter what. A dog that holds no matter what is a check mark. If he gets there fast but not stupid that’s a check mark. If he can hold without help that’s a check mark. I have alway taught mine to let go and chill out but a lot won’t but if they do it’s a check mark. Now I should be able to tie them beside the hog and not act stupid most won’t but if they do it’s a check mark. Being a good swimmer is a check mark. Knowing the left side of the truck vs the right side is a check mark. Knowing the green truck from the black truck is a check mark. Loading up with zero contact is a check mark. Your buddy saying hey bring so and so is a check mark. One thing that will send them on is re grip your gone. Bite another dog your gone. Hard to handle your gone. If he lets go on his own he gone. If it ever shows any aggression to anyone in the family gone.


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[Shotgun66]

Cajun & JP pretty much covered most of my criteria.
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I would add in natural stamina/wind & heat tolerance. As a primarily solo hunter with bay dogs that will relay, I hold a catch dog who can recover quickly between catches in high regard. Nutrition, conditioning, & temperament factor into this but so do genetics.


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[Muddy-N-Bloody]

Good question t-dog
U prob see different answers that all lead back to caught hogs but different dog styles and hunting styles can make a bulldog shine or show the true color to say of the bulldog
You right bout good bulldogs hard to find that why trying to raise my own but also bulldogs is like any other dog guess if you feed em and like em roll with it-
I believe good bulldogs are now not around most corners like there may have been good while back even if the owner thinks there good
Just my opinion


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[NLAhunter]

For sure good bulldogs are hard to find and most people like different things we been just pretty much working on breeding our on for a while not where we want to be yet but getting closer I believe I am ready to see these go I have now like the way they acting for sure even in good bulldogs it's really hard to get one that does everything that you are looking for I believe for sure like bulldog with a good mind and smart not just run in like bull go in good slow up pick shot and connect I like straight ear dog if he hits a hog it should be caught I like one that settles down quick after you get em off and sits waiting on the next one instead of using up all there energy acting crazy I like bulldogs with a lot of wind and stamina leggy bulldog gyps in 50-55 lb range males 60-65 lbs no dog aggression no people aggression for sure neither one of those will be tolerated some things I can live with some I am not I like em where I don't have to lead em follow behind me right to bay and send em when I am ready it's hard to get some of em to do it but some will I really never try to teach a bulldog to let go on command or tone em back because I don't want somebody hollering something and them let go thinking I want em to so I prefer to break em off alot of catching style learning how to pick there shot and handle a hog comes with time just like any other dog if you don't haul em and use them a lot they have to see a bunch of hogs to make a dog no matter how good or how sorry they are bred if you don't use em they ain't going to make nothing

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[t-dog]

I like all the things mentioned so far. One more thing I think separates the good ones from the rest is the ability to think on their feet. So many catch dogs get what I call an adrenaline block. Once they hear the bay and get sent, they lose the ability to make adjustments or reason. Many people say dogs can’t reason and I just absolutely have seen too many times when they did reason. Some of it is simple stuff like taking a good pursuit angle instead of running straight to where the hog is. I like to be able to use 2 on bigger hogs because it’s just easier on the dogs. BUT, one should be able to do it without help, from rough bay dogs or a second catch dog. I also don’t want one that can’t control a hogs head. I have seen several dogs get cut by caught hogs because the catch dog didn’t have enough behind to anchor or the right kind of style to anchor. Just putting teeth on a hog doesn’t qualify them to be called a catch dog. Just because I speed doesn’t make ma a race car driver.


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[NLAhunter]

I like using 2 bulldogs myself but I believe that using 1 by there self will help em learn how to handle a hog and pick there shot better I like to start young dog with another catch dog when I get going decent I like to haul em by there self and use em some I believe it makes em better we have a leapord catch dog she is 7 this year I think only half bulldog quarter cur quarter plott but she don't know she is not full bulldog right after I started her I got down to only one bulldog and it was her I hauled her everyday hunting she was all had and she made a super nice catch dog real fast she probably 55 lbs I have caught lot big rank hogs with her by herself she has never been cut up many times in her life I think 2 years ago one night me and buddy was hunting had good Barr bayed on edge of Creek had her and my buckskin male we sent them hog hit creek when he seen them coming bank was kinda steep hog and cur dogs went down creek I was trying to get bulldogs called back up to me the hog come up out creek down from us bayed again bulldogs hadn't made it out creek yet we walked down about 25' from hog just looking at 3 cur dogs baying him he just popping his teeth at us I turned around seen that leapord gyp coming she got about to us seen the hog took a hard left went way out around him come up from straight behind him and swallowed a ear we caught and tied him she has learned how to take care of herself though the years of use that why she is in as good shape as she is now at 7 they learn stuff like that from a lot of use I believe

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[t-dog]

That’s right NLA. She’s sounds like a fun dog to hunt.


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[l.h.cracker]

Everything you'll have mentioned sounds really good.For me number one is never missing I can't stand a bulldog that misses and causes a hog to break even if it's not very often I won't tolerate it.I  get hot if the cur dog works their tail off to get a hog bayed and the bulldog ruins it.I will tolerate some other stuff if I know 100% when I send em it's a  caught hog.I don't call my bulldogs off a caught hog either and for the same reasons nlahunter said I  don't mind breaking one off and tieing them back.So #1 is catch percentage I prefer 100% .#2 is when the  hog breaks before the bulldog makes it to the bay I want my bulldog to immediately come back to me with a call or a tone Immediately so we can regroup that's my second biggest pet peave is a bulldog that trys to run the hog with the curs if it breaks I prefer a bulldog with nose plugs and super hearing lol.#3 is I want my bulldog to go straight to the bay no matter how far he's sent from and no matter how much hog scent is around or how many hogs are around.When I hunt off the airboat and a hog is being finicky about holding bay I will look at my Garmin real good and make sure I have a straight shot on the  airboat to the bay and sometimes send Dozer from 6-800yds wait till he catches fire up the boat and drag race to the hog.I caught a lot of trophy hogs like that on public land that  otherwise break everytime they hear the airboat fire up no matter how far away I learned my airboat can make 800yds the same as 50yds on foot but the bulldog had better have wind and  listen if toned back.I like a leggy athletic bulldog with an extremely hard mouth and  Zero regrip males around 60-65# and  females 50-55# 100% Ear no exceptions here either 100% Ear period.They need to look good as well as have a good personality if a dog is ugly or a dick I can't feed it might be foolish but that's how it is.I also want consistency in the line with all these traits.

[Reuben]

most of the time our hogs have been caught but a bulldog is necessary so when we get there or get close enough he is fresh to help out...he is calm and laid back...calm and laid back is a trait I like in a bulldog...

[shadygrovehawgdawg]

I’m kind of like Cajun, good ones are harder to find now than they were 20-25 years ago. Around here, every corner has a dog for sale. Lots of people breeding dogs to sell, and make money with no purpose or thought put into it. I used to get all of mine from a friend that was the dog catcher for years. A lot of them worked out, some didn’t. Their future didn’t look too bright and if they worked it was a plus for everyone. If they make contact, it should be caught. When caught it should be on the ear. I have one now that will be 9 in February. He’s 53 lbs. in hunting shape. He’s not the prettiest, nor the most athletic one I have had. He doesn’t miss and he will not let go. I don’t mind breaking him off. When broke off, I don’t want to hear a sound out of him. I want him quiet at the house too. When I’m horseback he’ll be within 15-20 yards of my horse. He minds like he’s on a rope. Absolutely no dog or people aggression. When I figured out he was a good one, is when everyone says hey you bringing ol Hammer tomorrow aren’t you. I keep him legged up running beside me in the pasture that is full of cows. The new cows sometimes chase him, the others are used to it. If a pup is out there and barks at a cow, he’s under your feet. He knows somebody is getting a whooping and he doesn’t want it to be him. I let him go on a short chase if the hog breaks, but he comes back when I whistle. Every now and then might have to tone him. I have a nice young gyp I’m going to breed next opportunity.

[make-em-squeel]

Yall pretty much covered it all. Id argue some of the subjects have more to do with training and time with your dog vs breeding quality.

IMO (not including the things I train)

1. Hard, cant let go
2. Speed / endurance
3. Smart enough to let go and not drown on a hog, or heat stroke on a broken bay. (Ive seen several good pits drown on a stuck hog) never seen any other breed of cd do that but it was such a waste
4. ear dog 90% of the time, certain situations understood.

[warrent423]

When the Bovine or Porcine I am trying to catch is tied down. My cur dogs have always been capable of handling this business

[t-dog]

Warrant are your cur dogs straight catch or catch only on command?


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[warrent423]

Catch and hold, as well as come off on command.

[make-em-squeel]

Yall pretty much covered it all. Id argue some of the subjects have more to do with training and time with your dog vs breeding quality.

IMO (not including the things I train)

1. Hard, cant let go
2. Speed / endurance
3. Smart enough to let go and not drown on a hog, or heat stroke on a broken bay. (Ive seen several good pits drown on a stuck hog) never seen any other breed of cd do that but it was such a waste
4. ear dog 90% of the time, certain situations understood.

And dont break bays!

[make-em-squeel]

Catch and hold, as well as come off on command.

So they dont bay and wait to catch until you get there? Their straight catch?

It would be nice to not lead a bulldog, the old man on here trains all his cds not to go to a bay until he says to no lead needed, Ive seen two other guys pits that were that well trained but im not that good of a trainer...mine hear a bay and want to go.

[Arkansashunter96]

I don’t believe I’ve ever seen one honestly. The one i use the most most people would’ve culled but it was because of his handle and h toward other dogs which still wasn’t perfect.Just a dog I had before I started. He’s regripped here and there and one day we had just caught a hog and I sent him to another bay and after I got to him inside the Briar patch with the about 120 pound boar he just let go literally feet away. The hog didn’t realize it and there was that split second there chief looked at me like he was gassed and thankfully my brother was there  because he made it there that second as soon as I said uh oh he was about the only thing moving fast and he went straight through those wall of briars like a dozer and was right there besides me that second. Thankfully chief caught again land we killed the hog that whole story felt like minutes in real time but I bet it didn’t happen in 3 seconds.. I’ve went through a lot and seen a few good ones. Seems like solid white cds break bays more but I think it’s because they get seen a mile away. Quiet, handle, catch, and a touch of game that’s all it takes, for me at least.

[make-em-squeel]

Man thats bad luck, the dogos abs pits and now mals ive been using for 15yrs are usually solid, sure as heck would not let go and rarely break bays...of course summer hunting it happens more but I think thats common bc of how thick it gets and like you said here them coming