Couple ?'s

I see no one has replied to your post yet, so I will post my thoughts. There are several good cut collars made today, about any of the major brands will do a good job. It mostly depends on personal preference. Some collars have just cordura, some have wet felt, some are leather, some have Kevlar and ours have Viper cloth, so lots of options to pick from.

There is no quick easy way to tell if a dog will make a good hog dog. If there were, everyone would have top dogs! I would suggest getting a dog bred from proven hog dogs , mess with him on a small hog when he gets 5-7 months old, and see if he/she shows any interest. Another dog barking at the hog usually gets them more interested than them being alone by themselves on the first hog.

If they show interest, continue showing them a hog every week or so until they get big and old enough to go to the woods. Don't overdo it as a pups attention span is short. Its also important to not get the pup hurt the first few times he sees a hog, so pick a hog that isn't going to hurt the pup.

Once he is showing a lot of interest, is baying or catching (depending on the type dog) its time for the woods. Just hunt the hair off of him where there are hogs and he should progress. Not all dogs make "good" hog dogs, but this will usually tell you, as quick as any method, if he has it in him or not.

Hope this helps.