Buying and Selling Finished Hog Dogs

[gnjhesseltine]

I have seen and read the many posts on here about buying and selling finished hog dogs. Everyone has a different opinion of what they consider a finished hog dog to be. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. A little background on myself here before I give my take on this subject. I have hunted hogs with dogs for over 35 years now and I have been guiding with dogs over the past 10 years and I still do not consider myself an expert in this field. I usually have at least 20 dogs in my kennels and I am sure some are wondering why so many but just keep reading as I get back onto the subject here.
I sell and have sold what I consider to be finished hog dogs. I am not saying they are the best.  I have sold many to members of this website and all over the US. I am not saying every dog that I have sold has worked for every person because everyone hunts different and has different terrain to hunt. So when I sell a dog, I invite the person to come watch it hunt and then give a 7-10 day trial on the dog.  Reason being is it might take the dog a few days to get use to their new owner as well as getting use to the new terrain and the way the individual likes there dogs to hunt. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out and that is the reason for the trial. Remember dogs are animals and just like people they are not perfect but the bottom line is, does the dog work for you and are you happy with it.
Now my reasons for selling what I consider to be finished dogs. I have 2-3 packs of dogs to hunt at all times because of the different areas I hunt and the different customers that I have. These packs consist of open hounds for the big ranches, silent dogs for the fields and areas where hogs have been run a lot. I usually always have at least 6-7 finished dogs in my kennel.  I have to be able to hunt anytime and even multiple times a day for my guided hunts depending on the weather and the season. I am always training younger dogs to keep my packs going for years to come as dogs will get hurt, sick , and some will die.  When these young dogs are close to finishing out, I will sell an older finished dog to make room. Sometimes I will sell a finished dog just to help someone out (especially if I know them or they have bought dogs from me before). I also like to help young kids get started as they are our future and for this sport as well. Then sometimes, the dog just doesn’t fit my pack for whatever reason(such as being very independent and not honoring a bay) but that doesn’t mean he is not finished or is a cull. I have too many dogs in my yard and I have a large dog food bill to keep them if they are not working. Again I am not saying they are the best but they know what hogs are.
 Like my webpage states, not all dogs are for sale but any can be bought. I have my favorites just like anyone would and this makes some of my dogs really high as I really don’t want to sell them but if the offer is one I can’t refuse then I will sell.  I can understand why most people will not sell their finished dogs. For one, they may not have many and it takes a lot of time and effort to finish a dog and then you have the sentimental value of spending all the time with the dog and they become like family. They are hard to replace.
Buying dogs is like anything else, know what you want and expect in a finished dog and convey this to the seller. You usually get what you pay for and most finished dogs are not cheap. If a dog is inexpensive and you are buying a good finished dog, Buyer Beware. If no trial or not letting you see the dog hunt. Buyer Beware. If they meet you on side of the road or somewhere else besides their kennel, Buyer Beware.  I even tell people to ask around about me if there is any doubt. There are just too many things to list. Just watch for the red flags and if it sounds too good to be true then you know how the saying goes. Almost everyone has been burned on some of these deals at one time or another. I know I have. G
This post is no disrespect to anyone or their opinions on this subject. Just my views on some of the lessons I have learned over the many years of being involved with hog hunting and buying and selling finished dogs.
Thanks Glenn
P.S. I have no finished dogs for sale at this time.

[reatj81]

Looking for the like button

[daknowles08]

Looking for the like button

x2

[justincorbell]

Glad to see you posting again Mr. Glenn, great post!

[AnotherRunner]

Sounds like to me I know who I'll talk to when I get the money for a finished or close to finished dog I Just want one good lead dog and I'll be happy

[pigsticker64]

With more than 35 yrs of hunting I think you qualify and thanks for all the red flag scenarios.  Great post..

[bob]

yeh right justin  you get that one and then you will need another , it sounds good tho LOL ,

[firemedic]

Very well stated....I like it.

[Plainhorseman]

Yes sir ! Good post!

[Myles Man]

That's as bout as good as it gets to sum up a very important topic. Good 2 know info!! Thanks for it,

[reatj81]

Just a bump, hope more guys get to read this.

[Reuben]

Very well stated....I like it.

x2...

[TexasHogDogs]

I agree with everything you said but there is one difference with me.

If I got a sure nuff finished hog hunting fool and a high price dog .  If I do sell it the person can come hunt with me as many times as he likes to look at the dog are I will even come to your place and hunt with you at your place.  

But there is one thing.

I aint handing my finished high priced hog dog over to anybody for a trail to take off on there on for 1 day are two weeks .  I have loads of time in this dog , loads of  hard work , blood sweat and tears into this dog and  loads of going and doing not to mention all the time rasing and before that the breeding .   To just hand over on a trail and me not there to see excatly what these people are doing how they are hunting .  I dont know if they got trash Kings are bird dogs are what they are doing with my dog that I got all this work in .  Then after two weeks they want to holler thid dog dont fit me this dog dont do this this dog dont do that when I know myself it is all BS!   Then I give the money back and I get my dog back that it may take me a year to undo what they screwed up in a weeks time and then may not ever get him are her back to the same as the day when I handed him are her over to them .

I done,  DONE this and got back a shell of a dog of what it was when the man bought it took it and damn near ruined a finished good good hog dog .  It took us forever to get it straightened back out and some things we never got right  and it was a fraction of the dog it once was .   A 3000.00 dog now a 300.00 dog and all the hard work for noting .  The seller also  has to protect himself are herself .   So you come with me are I will go with you as much as you like but once you walk out that gate that dog is yours !

[reatj81]

Jimmy I agree on the trial... I have way too much time invested to just let them go.   Come hunt!

[skunkhounds]

Well said jimmy

[BARMBARKENNELS]

Great topic! Especially now that its summer and everybody is sellin out cause they dont want to feed there dogs all summer and not get to hunt as much.

[RyanTBH]

Lol I don't know about y'all, but I ain't sellin out this summer! I'm hunting early and late to try and beat the heat... All the dogs are smart enough to find water or come back if they get too hot except the CDs...

And well said about the finished dogs except I have one quarrel with the finished part... Why can't we say well started or well trained? Why does it have to be finished? I look at some damn good middle aged dogs that will plain flat out hunt and find hogs and think that there will be a time when they are finished, but it isn't now. I think we need to start judging dogs by seniority... Kind of like a high school or college. Are they a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior? Lol! That pretty much tells it all... Cause if they don't make the cut and "graduate" then they will always be a freshman, or a dropout "cull"! Lol I'm really just joshin a little bit but to get my point. Dog ain't finished until its retired for breeding IMO... If it'll hunt and find hogs then call it a hog dog, if not then don't.

[Reuben]

Lol I don't know about y'all, but I ain't sellin out this summer! I'm hunting early and late to try and beat the heat... All the dogs are smart enough to find water or come back if they get too hot except the CDs...

And well said about the finished dogs except I have one quarrel with the finished part... Why can't we say well started or well trained? Why does it have to be finished? I look at some damn good middle aged dogs that will plain flat out hunt and find hogs and think that there will be a time when they are finished, but it isn't now. I think we need to start judging dogs by seniority... Kind of like a high school or college. Are they a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior? Lol! That pretty much tells it all... Cause if they don't make the cut and "graduate" then they will always be a freshman, or a dropout "cull"! Lol I'm really just joshin a little bit but to get my point. Dog ain't finished until its retired for breeding IMO... If it'll hunt and find hogs then call it a hog dog, if not then don't.

finished coon dog, cow dog, squirrel dog etc...etc...has been around a long long time...kind of like a beautiful oil painting...is is started and at some point it is completed/finished to be enjoyed...

a finished hog dog to me is a dog that meets a minimum requirement that I set and that I am happy with...and I hope it is the same standard for everyone else...

[KevinN]

Reuben.....I like it!