Dogs and vests

[T-Bob Parker]

around here its damned if you do damned if you dont

I think that applies everywhere.  I think it's a personal decision made by the the owner of the dog, and not to be questioned by others. I''ve been on both sides of the vest or no vest issue with regard to bay and catch dogs. These days I do what works for me, and let others do what works for them.

I don't like hearing the implications that if someone does not vest their dog, then they must not care about the dog...  

Damned if you do, damned if you don't AS IN I feel that if I stuck a vest on my dog I feel like he would get it snagged in a barbed wire fence.  I only own one professionaly made collar and somehow my goofus dog Gator got snagged on guacho and twisted it up something bad. Took me like 2 hours to find him. On the other hand he's not even a good hog dog but he's got the scars to prove a vest should be on Christmas list, lol.

I quoted your post to pick on you about yer dogs scrotum getting poked, just messin witcha, never said a thing about folks not caring about their dogs. Sorry if it sounded that way.

How does the keep from getting weighed down with moisture and to those who use vests, do you run the short vests in summer time hunts, or does it matter?

[catchrcall]

the vest that i have doesn't get a ton heavier when it's wet.  It is a noticable difference, but not that bad, and since it's on the catch dog anyway he hopefully won't be in the water that long with it.  in summer time i mostly hunt at night, if it's too humid I'll just carry the vest until they get bayed and then put it on.  It's all one piece so it's pretty easy.  Then after the catch it's right back off with it. 

[catchem777]

i agree to disagree i run all rough curdogs an they never get turned out without a vest an cutcollar. its been my personal experiance for 12yrs. to protect them as much as i can yes they still get poked an cut but if they got a cut for every mark thats on their vest an collar im not sure they would be here today.my preachers dog got killed this past weekend never put his mouth on the pig an got his throat ripped out he had 4 10mnth old pups with him 2 got gutted an others cut to pieces he runs no collars an no vest he has caught hundreds of pigs an then look what happened so to everyone their own my dogs will kep doin what we doin.

[cetchdawg]

check out the very last pic in the last super bowl action shots on ft bayou ranch site !! he is stretched out !!
 try this link http://fortbayouranch.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=522 might have to be a member ??

[Circle C]

I quoted your post to pick on you about yer dogs scrotum getting poked, just messin witcha, never said a thing about folks not caring about their dogs. Sorry if it sounded that way.

T-Bob Parker,
  Your posts did not bother me at all.  A few comments by another poster are the ones that I was making reference to. There seems to be an implication in his posts that at some point all people will wish they had vested their dog.... without the consideration that some people have already tried that tactic and decided vesting did not "work" for them.   This same person had another post the same day about their dog being cut through the leg hole in his dog's vest   I still say, do whatever works for you, and don't imply that others don't care about their dogs for not vesting.   

It's all about the odds, when it comes to old boars, the odds aren't in our dogs favor. I hate to see good dogs hurt or killed. I wish more people would protect their dogs. Angry

Here's a thought while we are on the subject of dog safety.  Maybe people should begin using doggles so that their dogs don't get a thorn in their eye while hunting.  I mean, we have a dog right now that got her eye scratched and I sure wish in hindsight I had been using doggles, it might have saved me buying some medication at the vet.

[slimpickins]

Also helps keep the bugs out of their eyes for those of you with the more open boxes.

[BarrNinja]

I just posted the same question a few days ago?? not one reply !! ?? 
 http://www.easttexashogdoggers.com/forum/index.php?topic=12830.0

Maybe it was because your opening post didnt imply that those who didnt, must not care about their dogs enough?

I was offended by that at first but, now Im trying to talk my daughter into getting fitted for a cut vest. She has gotten alot rougher since giving birth to my first grand child! 

I've tried vest. I stopped using the dang things for the same reason I tried them to begin with! To make my dogs safer. I sure wouldnt go as fare as to say that all dogs would be better off without them though. Depends on the dog.

Now those doggles are something different. I wish I had a pair on that old dog of mine the day he got his eye knocked out. lol.

[UNDERDOG]

Can you get Mike fitted for some of them doggles for when riding w/ Matt? 

[Cutter Bay Kennels]

Chris,

I'd like to order a few pairs.  I've got a hunting partner that took a stick to the eye last year.  Rough stuff I tell you. 

[kevin]

http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f93/KevinTX/?action=view&current=20090830064438.flv

[TexasHogDogs]

After  being hard headed for years and not running any protection and me loosing one of the best hog dogs I have ever seen are even heard of .   I started putting vest on all my dogs find dog , bay dogs, catch dogs the whole nine yards and I got to say with out this protection I would have lost many more.  I just wont run a dog with out protection unless it is one I just know will not even touch a hog and I dont have many like that.   It does what it is suppose to do but then again good ole piggly wiggly is gonna get a lucky shot here and there .

[BigAinaBuilt]

I run cut collars on all my dogs. I had a few vests a couple months back that I let a friend "test" on his pure bull and while I liked the protection it offered I noticed the dog having a loss of mobility which I feel was putting them in the position to take the blow in the first place. I also noticed the dogs that wore the vests became alot more confident and in the end roostery with their grabbing bigger pigs. I had planned to get a Garmin and sold my vests but if I hadn't I would probably vest up a straight catchdog if we were running in open grounds Pasture or Golf course. I went on a hunt last night that a vest could have saved my cousins dog alot of fluids so I definately do understand the guys who won't drop a dog without a vest on.

Wrote on wrong thread but O well heres my .02