Things I have observed with my son's one eyed hog dog UGLY:
Ugly lost his right eye at age 4 and an adjustment time was needed for sure. To many times I heard him get nailed by a hog before he even barked! On these occasions I believe he had tracked right up to hogs and didnt even see them due to his approach from the blind side and then BAM! A grunt, a yelp, and then the bay was one!
The right hog could have wrecked him during his adjustment period I believe, so if I can give you any advice at all with Rollee its to be careful with him until he gets right. Easier said than done with hog hunting I agree.
Some days Ugly bayed way back on a shoalt and others he was way too tight! Even with the man hogs.
Im sure it had all to do with his depth perception being out of wack. A few well placed cuts from hogs finally got him right. I was worried he wouldn't survive much longer the way he was acting but he made the adjustments and has been doing fine ever since.
He is over 10 years old now and still going good as long as I keep the Hip and Joint Complex pumped to him. A miracle pill for old dogs in my opinion.
It slowed him down on a track but made him a lot more thorough! Ive witnessed younger and faster dogs pass him up only to overrun the track and fall way behind him again.
He started depending almost entirely on his nose.
I cant prove that the loss of one eye had anything to do with it but he started grinding on colder tracks longer and putting hogs at the end of them more often.
We would pass over sign that other dogs wouldn't bother with only to have ole Ugly grind on it for a wile then fad into the thicket. We usually find him bayed hours later when that happens.
His right eye is missing and its made him almost completely left sided. Rides on the left side of the truck so he can see better, hikes his left leg to Pee!
No affect on hunting ability. Just an observation.
Over all he was a good hog dog before he lost an eye. He got better on a track (in a several ways) after he lost that eye though.
Another word of caution:
If you feed Rollee treats by hand then look out!!!
Screwed up depth perception due to the loss of that eye may cause Rollee to get a holt of more than just the treat!
Another one of my observations with Ugly! lol.
Good luck Rollee!
