Running Catch Dogs

Several things help a finder holder keep themselves damage free. The first is in the manner in which they are hunted, only by themselvesor with another finder holder, thats it! Second is their body structure.
long neck and 28 inches or their abouts, taller the better to a point. Long neck and length of body allow the dog to run in a vest that just covers the neck and shoulders. When they are holding a big boar by the ear, the boars hardware can just barely hit them in the front of the shoulder and can not hit them behind the shoulder ( unless the dog gets waded up which is unusual )
Their height helps them keep their footing and control the pig. Example when the boar loads up and thrusts his head up, the dog isn't knocked off its feet. Usually once the dog has caught, the boar can't even hit the dog in the shoulder, only the neck but the height of the dog and it's length of neck allows for it to only absorb the last little bit of the upward thrust. This doesn't hurt the dog and doesn't knock it's front feet of the ground which allows the dog to continue its dance very well with the pig. The athletsism of a good finder holder is a big key to allowing it to hold safe. The big dogs are very quick and agile and do well in tight quarters and can juke and jive well, all while holding the pig. The dogs strength and power combined with its agility and quickness allow it to control the pig well and keep itself safe when in tight quarters. The boar can't rake the dog off and or get it in a bind very easily because all this combined with the dogs power enables the dog to pull and turn a big away from obstacles the boar is trying to use to rake the dog off with or wad the dog up against so he can work the dog over. Of course to get a finder holder to this point in his career takes little steps of progression and experience but the dog has the tools and natural ability to keep itself save with minimal protective gear which allows the dog to stay cooler and more mobile.