Message #46877

[Wmwendler]

Depends on what your definition of a cow dog is.  You may be mistakeing what people mean when they say cow dog.  In my opinion, Any thing with long hiar is a sheep dog not a cow dog, they may call them cow dogs but they were bred for sheep work. Like collies.  And I guess you have the Austrailian Cattle dog but those are made to push cattle and I don't consider those Cow dogs at all either.  Cattle dog maybey but Cow Dog no. lol  A Cow dog to me, and probly any one else who would consider them for hog hunting, is a Cur dog breed like, Blackmouths, Catahoula, Lacy dogs, or Florida Curs.

All real cow dog work takes place outside of a pen, once the cattle are in a pen you dont need the dogs.  And its not always taking place in open pasture with gentle cattle if it was you probly would'nt need dogs.  A tried and true cow dog isn't tested or proven  baying cattle in a pen or open pasture, they are proven finding and baying rough cattle in rough country that requires they use of dogs.  Not just one spoilt heifer but the whole buch of cattle that are'nt expesially fond of
"going to the house".  All those traits that make super hog dogs are traits that a cow dog needs in order for it to be a super cow dog;  Desire, Speed, stop, finesse, hunt, bottom, and brains.  If a dog does'nt have what it takes to be a good hog dog, then I can guarantee you that I would not consider it a good cow dog either.  What makes cow dog stock work so well on hogs is thier finesse and abilty to bay groups of cattle/hogs and at the same time shut down spoilt cattle/hogs.  A hog dog might find a group of 15 hogs and if it ends up baying only one or two hogs out of 15 the hunter might not ever know the differece or even care in the first place.  And the hunter most times would be tickled to death because the dog found him a hog, even though the dog failed at getting all the hogs bayed as a group.    But if a cow dog only bayed up 8 cattle on a place that had 60 head he would be a cull before he knew it.  Just my .02

Waylon