There are two types of rough cow dog.
Type #1 is a dog that will bite a cow in the herd. This is a straight cull in my oppinion. These dogs will not respect a settled bay and will break the cow bay every time or at least split the bay. This type of dog will do the same on hogs and will not let them stand without trying to catch. This type of dog will often bite and release picking a fight with a cow or hog instead of working it into a good solid bay.
The second type is a dog that will not bite in the bunch or a cow that is staying bayed up but will hang off an ear or nose on any cattle that break bay and run. This is what they are bred to do. Some are just rougher than others. The type of cattle being gathered dictate how rough your dogs need to be on a runner. A man gathering tame cattle that might be dog broke wants a dog that hits a cow but doesn't hang. Gathering maverick or spoiled cattle takes a rougher dog that likes to hang on the runners. These type of dogs will do some damage to the cattle but that is what it takes to hold up wild cattle. Most of this type of cattle come out of the pasture on the end of a rope and are going straight to the sale barn so what ever it takes roughness wise from the dogs is OK, just get the job done. These dogs often stay caught untill the cow is roped and tied down. These dogs make great hog dogs for me and they will catch any hog that wants to run.
So when you are looking for rough cow dog to try on hogs you would want dogs from the second type because they will bay a hog well but will run to catch a runner. To this type of dog, that has been catching 1000lbs cows on a regular basis, catching and holding big hogs is not a big deal at all.
I am not saying that is gospel but I have caught 1,000's of cattle with dogs and used those same dogs on hogs and that is just my experience.
Can't break it down any better than that. Good post
Poll
