EAST TEXAS HOG DOGGERS FORUM

I have had several CDs some have lasted until retirement but many did not last but a few months.  From my experience I would say 2 years.  On average how long do CDs last?  Is it a finacial sound decision to spend 1000's on one catch dog to get two years of use out of them?  Of course I'm referring to the Dogo.  People will also tell you that when you are buying a dogo that you are not buying a catch dog you are buying the complete or ultimate hog dog.  The type of hunting I do the only reason to own a dogo would be to catch with.  Whether that is to lead in or rcd.  Curs are superior to the dogo when it comes to finding hogs.  If your buying a dog to hunt hogs with why waste your money on a 5000.00 dogo or even a 500.00 dogo for that matter?

Man i think it all depends on how hard you hunt them an how well educated the dog is too catching a hog i had only one catch dog make it to retirement the others didn't last 2 years sad but true and i've learned from that now i wont turn a bulldog loose without me seeing the hog an puttin the dog in the right spot so he doesn't have to go balls to the walls and head up with that big 300lbs boar  ;D ;) lol

 Thats a impossible question to answer and everyone is going to have a different answer. The question should be on average how many catch dogs do you go through a year? There are readily available bulldogs everywhere, I have not payed for a CD yet.

i have caught over three hundred hogs with my half dogo half pit gyp. have had her for three years. also had a red nose that i caught many of hogs over a years time with. i sold him and two days later her was dead. to many things that can happen and go wrong. i never turn my dogs loose unless i can see the hog. that way he dont sit there for twenty or thirty min working on my dog.

Everyone that I know that collars,vests and tracks thier dogos gets about six or seven years of good service. But anything can happen we arent playing jacks or hop scotch here. ^-^

I don't suggest you buy a dogo. Especially a high priced one. I would not pay much, if I was just buying a Catch dog.

When you are paying thousands of dollars for a dog, no matter the breed. You are more than likely buying much more than just the dog in front of you.  You are buying a piece of their parents, grandparents, etc...You are paying for the security of the time and effort put forth by the breeder to assure you are getting a dog with accurate pedigree information, solid genetics, and great temperament.

If you really just want a RCD get a pit/cur, catdo, etc. If you are looking for specific blood, temperament, conformation, health, etc....thats when you spend that kind of money.

To the specific question of how long a Catch Dog lasts, thats up to you entirely. How will you prepare your dog physically to overcome the obstacles that he/she will encounter ie conditioning, training and so on?  How will you gear them up?  How will you care for them when they need recovering? How hard will you be hunting them, and how solid are the dogs in the pack they will be hunting with?  Too many variables to get you a real answer IMO.

I would like to agree with Gutpile, as that should be the ideal age/health time period between 1-8 years, though I just went out hunting with a female dogo who was over 10 years old and she was keeping up pretty well.

Not sure the average but I've had mine a little over 2 years and she will retire with me. Would not hesitate to put money in her at the vet if needed. She is my kids pet when not hunting.

I see alot of cd's make it, seems to be 50/50. A trusty pack of curs helps. In my opinion if you never cut one loose until you see the bay you will rarely loose one. I herd many stories of Kenny Allgood, a pit breeder who hunted like this and most of my friends took his advice- they rarely lost dogs.  ;)

I am not personally that diciplined I may get in close but still cut-em without a visual mostly...

well that comes back to that saying I don't agree with "catch dogs are a dime dozen". I guess to some folks that could be true. However our foundation catch dog, was put down this past year at 11 years old. How many hogs did he catch in his lifetime? just say ALOT, hundreds not counting anything the rough curs could handle. His sons and daughters are gettinhg up there in age and in numbers also, and his Grandpups have the tally's also. Sometimes some dogs have a techniques that help keep them safer, some have handlers that help them be set up for the best possible scenarios, and then sometimes there are just freak accidents that will end them early than neccessary.
I don't think you put an average age or shelf life on a catch dog when there are so many variables, some people use RCD, some turn loose hundreds of yards away, and some wait until the oppertunity is at its best, so I don't think you can compare one guys/gals answer to the next.
I personally am very picky about what I want in my catch dog, nowhere near what everybody is looking for, so when I have the "right one" I am going to do everything I can to assure that dog is with me for many years, as I count on that dog as a "partner" and I don't like trading out my partner.
You may not like the idea of hanging a high price on a dog, but it costs me the same to maintain and feed a disposable dog as it does one that will work to my standards for 6-7 years, and I don't have to keep starting over wich in my mind is a hassle.
I think of like this, you want to drive a  ford focus or lexus, both are gonna get you from point A to point B, both might brake down in two years but which one will be a more enjoyable/comfortable ride? you know they don't cost the same.

And there in lies the key... that, and a proper vest....   

its hard to put your thumb on the average lifespan of a catch dog...i always at least run a cut collar on mine and am looking into the australian chest plates...i like the vests but here in the mid of summer its hard on them....just depends on your hunting style i guess...i like to get anywhere from 15-30 yds out and start walking as soon as i unsnap and when i hear the hit drop it dwn a gear...freak accidents do happen tho take for instance my dog geronimo his granddad jack caught hundreds of hogs in the woods a purty good bit with good teeth and one of the few times we ran a collar and vest on him he got killed along with another bulldog...hog killed 5 dogs total that day

just gotta pat them on the a$$ and say seeya when i get there ;D

There is some natural born DOG KILLERS out there fellers, sometimes it just takes longer for some of us to find them.. A man might catch 100 hogs a yr and never run into the ONE that can put him out of buisness for a while.. One thing about it, when you find him it wont matter what kind of dog you runnin and how old they are, they are fixin to be put to the test That day....

I completely agree... only met a couple... most people ain't....

I agree...catchdogs/bulldogs are definitely not a dime a dozen ;)

There's nothing wrong with paying a fair price for a well bred pup...you have to decide for yourself what a fair price is. Which brings up another point....research. You want to have good dogs, you have to do some leg work. Phone calls, visits, laying hands on dogs, hunting with the dogs, etc. You would be amazed, if you do your homework and put in the time and leg work. What I have found is there are plenty of folks who care more about putting their dogs with honest folks who'll do right by the dog than they do $$$. So you can get dogs/pups with the specific blood, temperament, work ethic, health and conformation without having to go to the bank...but, you'll definitely earn it by your actions.

Well put Scott...

Help me be clear on this.
Are you guys saying that a well bred dog, bred specifically for the good traits of catching hogs, can still catch good, have a good handle, be smart about their work, be healthier in general, therefore having a better chance at living longer?
Come on! That’s like saying a well bred hog dog has a better chance of being good at finding and baying hogs!
Do you actually think folks should pay a little more money for a dog like that even if they needed it and a had too? ;D

No, that's not what I'm saying. I went a little off topic because of some of the replies above. There's nothing controlled about the woods...you never know when you are gonna bay-up Mr. Bad and lose dogs.


What I am saying is the exact opposite, that you don't have to pay a fortune for well bred dogs.


And yes, I do believe a well bred (line bred) dog out of working stock does have a better chance of turning out than a scatterbred dog.

yea speaking of the natural born dog killers a guy i know was completely put out the dog business one day...dont know where the hog come from cuz the place thy were hunting we had turned all the hogs loose there and just that one bad day this ole boar wondered up they caught him but mitchell is no longer in the dog business took him years to get wat he had and lost every dog on that one hog

Cuz I don't just like to hunt hogs I LIKE TO LOOK GOOD WHILE I'M DOING IT!   ;D ;D ;D

I was trying to be cute/sarcastic and it back fired! You people need to stop taking me to serious sometimes.lol
Please re read my previous post.
I actually agree with everything you say here but, I don’t have a problem spending a little money on a catch dog pup bred like I want it out of proven stock.
I can never see myself spending more than $200 on a well bred catch dog prospect though.
I could win the lottery today and I still wouldn’t spend $500 - $1000 dollars on a Dogo or any kind of puppy for that matter!
If someone else wants to then more power to them but I have kids in college.
If that was the only way to get a good catch dog it would be different for me but, that’s not the way it is IMO!

I have a friend that was put clean out of business about 7 years ago. He has had real rough dogs. One catch dog and 3 catchy curs met their demise that morning. He came home with nothing but collars and a beat up cut vest.
I believe they are out their but it’s a chance we take with all of our dogs.

I got my gyp from a boy for twenty five bucks. He put her in the woods one time and she didn't catch. I went and picked her up and took her hunting the same day and she caught three hogs. The second one she caught weighed 225. I have been catching hogs with her ever since. But i always run a vest and collar on her. if she gets a cut that i cant handle she goes to the vet. I have never spent more than a hundred bucks on a catch dog, every one of them caught and i have never had one killed. But i dont believe in spending no 500 or more dollars for one because like every one says, it only takes that one bad hog.

I guess Im one of the lucky ones , my catch dog is 10 and has been through some rough times with me . He is still going.  1/2 cur 1/2 pit and has caught some beast's. BB is his name and hogs is his game. I really do believe its the mentality of the owner and the catch dog, dress for success for your catch dogs  ( cut vests, collars, plenty of water and good feed, ect. ) i believe in my dog and trust him 100% but im not going to run him on the ground for 2 hrs and expect him to catch and hold for thirty minutes and run 3 more hogs and stay on the ground. He is my stopping machine not my bay dog.

I've only came across two in my 8 years but dont get me wrong i've had dogs cut left and right but only been on 2 big badass hogs that were sure nuff dog slayers

In the 14 yrs I have been hunting almost all my catchdogs have died of old age, or retired. I have only lost a couple to MIA/reasons unknown as they never came back. So I figgure a hog got them. My old male dogo was around 15 yrs old or so when I lost him this past winter and he was still hunting up till then. I go through more cur dogs then catch, but I am rougher and harder on my curs I guess as I expect them to catch anything 200 or less. Unless it is a sure nuff bad ass and then I send in the calvery. Even then I am not sending less then 2 sure nuff catchdogs in. Most times it is 3 or 4, but then we are out to kill hogs and none are leaving alive 98% of the time. I do not believe in giving a hog a chance, or "fair fight". I want the hog caught, killed, and dogs out hunting for the next one.

IMHO a catchdog will live longer if it is paired with another dog of the same hight, weight, speed, body type, and disipline as itself. I have tried to always match my catchdogs this way and so far it has worked for me. The only times I have lost a catchdog and knew why and which hog did it was when I ran a sure nuff catchdog with somebody elses "catchdogs" and he was the only one there besides a 13 mth old bulldog pup, and he was killed due to no help. Just my 2 cents LOL.

Amen

  As said before this is an impossible question to answer because there are to many variables. I didn't notice that anyone mentioned tracking systems. I have been using the garmin gps tracking system now for about a year and i know exactly where my dogs are which direction there headed and the quickest way to get to them. I have a good sized leggy rednose with a pretty darn good nose that get gone on me and run down a hog and with the gps i can get there in a hurry. I also think the weather is a big factor. I'm from florida and during the summer it is just to hot to run the vests and cut collars especially during the day and for this reason i hunt at night a lot. Just my 2 scents on this topic.

Why is it always about MONEY hog hunting is what I love to do so I dont mind spending the money yes bad things can happen it dont matter if it is a $2 dog or a $1000 dog this is part of our sport IMO I like to have a well put toghther animal to me its like buying a horse sure I could buy a old feed lot mare and yes she would get me from A to B but thats not me I am like DFW I want to do it with style so I am going to spend the money and get something bred up some people like big houses and fast cars and I know people talk about those kind of people to so I will take all of this hating with a grain of salt like I said before if a dog works then it is a good dog we all have the same goal and the same love and that is HOG HUNTING
Thank god for the freedom of speech can I get a Amen

Because history tells us that greed is the ruination of a working breed...

I don't get to hunt as much as most especially this past year but in the past I would average once a week or more and only had one catchdog that whole time.  Started catching in the woods at 10 months of age and still have him now.  He is nine years old retired but would still catch if I would let him.  I have always used a cut collar and a wet felt vest with a tracker on him.   He is an 80 pound ab that has always had great wind and stamina and caught real smart.  My point is I think they can last a long time if they are good and you do your part protecting them. 

  Its always about money, why spend $1,000 on a dog when a free one will get the job done. I know one thing my wife would kill me if I came home with a $1,000 catch dog and I run away from home if it got killed.

How long has your best free catch dog lasted?  Catchdog?

IMHO a catchdog will live longer if it is paired with another dog of the same hight, weight, speed, body type, and disipline as itself. I have tried to always match my catchdogs this way and so far it has worked for me. The only times I have lost a catchdog and knew why and which hog did it was when I ran a sure nuff catchdog with somebody elses "catchdogs" and he was the only one there besides a 13 mth old bulldog pup, and he was killed due to no help. Just my 2 cents LOL.

I second that. My catch dogs have only been cut twice since i started running two together. That is in about six months. And both the cuts was in the front shoulder. If u have a cd on both ears and bay dogs on his chin and shoulders he is not gonna cut the dogs. Head control is the most inportant thing. Jmo

  Still got her, she's 3.

Free dogs are great if you run across a good one. I have! But.
Unknown bred "free ones" usually get culled before a hog gets them from what I have seen so I have a few questions for you freebie folks. For argument sake, let it be known that one of my all time best CD’s was free so Im not picking on anyone here.

How many free catch dogs are you folks culling before you finally raised what you are looking for anyway?
Are these free CD’s from friends that breed them or unknown (pound pups, strays,etc)?
If these free pound pups and strays are not what you are looking for in a CD, do you just put up with it until something better wonders up or do you cull them?
If you found a breeder that is producing everything you want in a catch dog, would you pay for it if you had the money and the need for that dog?

 Ive gotten more than a few free Pits, I always make sure they are dog and people friendly before I do anything with them. As for culling them I only had to cull one, he caught like a train but grabbed ahold of one of my female catch dogs at the house and he got the treatment all aggressive dogs get on my yard. Maybe Im just lucky, call it what you want but I believe that every pit bull out there will catch a hog if the set up is right. Its gonna have to be something special for me to buy a catch dog, the ole men I hunt with have never bought a catch dog and they have been doing this there whole lives. Everyone is gonna have there opinion, if you buy certain breeds for catchdogs and that works for you good, If the free ones work for you good. I jump on any free pit I can get and if it does what I want it stays here and I use it or it goes to a friend in need. People are always looking for catch dogs and one that catches and is free or dang near free make it even better.

Hell yeah nothing beats free.  I have gotten a bunch of free catchdogs before, but usually they are dogos... in fact the best catchdog I've ever owned was given to me for free.   ;)

You still culled that big headed punk of a dogo! I think people get to hung up on the money thing, its an investment done right and well bred, with friends to farm the pups out to you shouldnt have to buy one ever again