I don't have what most refer to on here as RCD's. What I have (most of what I have) are finder holders. They don't bark or hesitate to catch. Their is no bay dog blood in their lineage only breeds of dogs in their background that are hardwired as straight catch. It is my opinion that is why Dogos are largely so iffy and not consistent as a whole as solid catch dogs. Their breed is comprised of a few different dogs that are not catch dogs. However, lot of them are great catch dogs but many are not. From what I've read on them, they were developed to hunt in the same similar style I hunt my dogs though.
I agree...a dog that catches sometimes and bays at other times is not a catch dog...and a 50/50 chance of getting a catch dog is not good odds...I feel the same about stock dogs...not saying there aren't good ones out there but I want to up my chances of having a top hunting dog...
Changing gears I saw years ago that the future hog dog will be more of the RCD or holder types out of necessity ...and silent dogs to keep from waking up the residences that are popping up all over the country side...the land tracts/ranches are getting smaller...I want dogs of the type I like but with enough grit to operate almost as running catch dogs...with the GPS technology it is doable...keeping the races quiet and as short as possible is the future...actually in lots of cases the future is now...
Yes they are very ideal for many things. In my opinion and knowing them the way I do, I can not think of a more versatile hog dog. I don't see this kind of hunting dog to be appealing to most people though. I think people are curious about them but i don't see them converting to this style of dog. For two main reasons. First is a bay in the woods is fun and exciting and gets you all fired up when leading the catch dogs to it. Finder holders don't have that element of excitement to them in the woods. It's just reading your dogs, listening for squeeling or two silent warriors going at it and only sound you here is the lock up and breaking branches if they are fairly close, or looking at the gps. Not near as exciting as a bay for most people. The second reason why I think people would be reluctant to hunt with this style is because letting the catch dogs run loose is crazy talk to most folks. Goes against everything they have ever been taught and what their nightmares are of. ( I exaggerated that last little bit to make my point) plus who would leave their strike dog they have so much faith in, at the house and just go hunting with their catch dogs running around on the ground like curs. Would be really really hard for people to do. I know because it was for me, but i seen its potential and I knew the only way it would work was to not half azz it by using them as RCD's running down with a few curs. When i went all in the first couple times it was nerve racking as it could be for me, but with the success I had, my confidence in the style grew. Now I veiw it as the safest way you can catch a pig.
Finder holders are not all the same. Their are long range dogs and short range dogs, fast dogs and dogs just fast enough. You just got to know what produces what. Danes are likely to produce long range finder holders that can hold pigs much longer than you would ever imagine. You don't want to go the pure Dane route if you want to hunt small tracks of land because they are prone to being long range dogs. Having a pig caught way off scares the pants off people and rightfully so but not totally a thing nightmares are made of if you have a dog that's very capable and built for holding a big boar for a long long time by himself IF, the boar was caught where he was found and not allowed to run to a prefered spot to make his stand. Their are more to the finder holders than what people imagine, they aint all from the same mold. Pits can do a fair job if run as finder holders. They have decent nose to them, just not many people allow them to use their nose. The pit however is not well suited for holding a big boar the way a good finder holder is because of the height and length. They should be protect much farther back than a taller dog with a longer neck. This longer vests restricts some mobility but also traps in heat. Finder holder needs to keep its cool lol. I've run my pit with my finder holder pups and had her find and catch pigs first so it certainly can be done. Pits are an amazing dog in my eyes. I love mine very very much.
When i say it's bad business to run finder holders down with curs, I'm painting with a very broad brush which almost always makes a fool of you. Example, how do the guys like Peel and Cracker run RCD's with curs or their catch dogs and be so successful at it. Well their curs are like RCD's already. They are more like catch dogs than bay dogs so they are essentially hunting so close to the same style dogs i am, that it works and works really well. If you run a catch dog on the ground with just normal curs, you in for a heartache. The manner in which RCD's are paired with other dogs either works well or gets them killed along with others of the pack. Same as my dogs, Peel or Cracker could incorporate one of my dogs into their pack and I wouldn't think much of it but I'd hit my knees if one of my dogs was on the ground with the average gritty type cur.
Earlier I mentioned my dogs are not as fun in the woods to hunt pigs with as bay dogs were, BUT what's exillerating to witness is these dogs doing crop work. Now that ain't nothing but fun and excitement if you can see it all unfold.
A few guys might really see the potential of this type of dog and this type of hunting and how it might benifite them and their circumstances though. There is another reason people see the potential of this type of dog but no need in discussing that here.
In summary, I don't see to many people giving up what they are confident in and commit to using these dogs they way they are intended because using these dogs responsibly takes a huge leap of faith, and because bays are more fun in most situations.
Hope you enjoyed my ramblings lol
