Why Not the Ear?

[KevinN]

Just wondering what makes a bulldog go for anything BUT the ear when both are available.

I guess there could be quite a few correct answers.

I'm PRETTY sure that the "original bulldogs"  all went snout when working cattle. I think I remember reading/seeing pictures along those lines. More genetic in some dogs?

A hog could break right before or right as the CD gets there....leaving the CD to either try and get along side to grab the ear or go for any body part he can.

This is something that has never crossed my mind until now. Why now? Well....for the FIRST time I own a bulldog that recently has been catching places other than the ear and I'm.....well I'm not so sure how to feel about it.

The CD in question is my young Emmett.
Half Pitt Half ABD (small ABD)



Really young in this picture...he's just over a year right now.

He is a great dog in ALL other aspects. Pleasure in the yard. He's got a great handle. Pulls a little on lead but I've never minded that. Doesn't go crazy yipping and whining when he hears a bay.

My only real issue with him is his choice of target location. On this little pig he hit the ear first but when he got thrown off on the tumble down the bank....He and Jasper were grabbing whatever they could grab to stop the pig again (I think I like that). When it was all said and done he ended up on the snout.



It's not the first time he's caught snout.....and he's caught other body parts as well. Don't get me wrong....he catches ear as well....it just seems he latches on to whatever body part is most readily available.

As I've said...I've never owned a bulldog that didn't go ear every time so..... I don't have any experience here. I can see there being issues with this but at the same time... I can see some benefits as well. He IS.....VERY young. I'm just wondering if he will eventually Zero in more on the ear or always be a "target of opportunity" type dog.

Those with experience in this kind of dog...I'd appreciate some feedback.



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[Peachcreek]

If you want the dog on the ear break him off and put him on the ear for a while. Let him feel how it feels to handle the hog by the ear. The few bulldogs i have fooled with caught where ever however the first few times. Once i put them on the ear a couple times they are straight ear. Now on a small hog they will usually grab the top of the neck.

[jsh]

X2 on what peach said. IMO snout is bad if you're trying to tie hogs. Have had the bridge of their noses broken and snouts damaged so they would not eat. Not good if you're trying to sell them. Also, catching on the nose leaves a very vulnerable area of your cd exposed if the hog thrusts upward. Jugulars and esophagus.

Some people like it.......I prefer ear.

[Cooter56]

In my opinion a dog catching other body parts is dangerous. I just had a great bulldog die because when he got there the he caught the back leg. The hog hit him just a couple times and it was over. It's all a matter of opinion. Just be careful.

[Reuben]

If you want the dog on the ear break him off and put him on the ear for a while. Let him feel how it feels to handle the hog by the ear. The few bulldogs i have fooled with caught where ever however the first few times. Once i put them on the ear a couple times they are straight ear. Now on a small hog they will usually grab the top of the neck.

x2...I have heard that the first time the bull dog catches to guide him to the ear...it seems to have worked for me in the past...but the pit might have been an ear dog anyways but don't know for sure...

[Bo Pugh]

A lot of bulldogs you can put them on the ear and let them hold the hog a few times and some will start catching the ear and some will just grab where they want. The bulldog I'm using now catches on the jaw and the last 10 I've turned him on by himself he missed I and the people I hunt with like ear dogs because we tie our hogs and like stated above a nose dog will sometimes do to much damage. A lot has to do with how their bred a buddy of mine has access to a lot of bulldogs but their all bred off fighting stock and usually catch front hoof on a hog. That's just how them kinda people breed them and their not useful to us a leg dog will not last long and get a lot of unnessary dogs cut up nothing holding the hogs head from slicing. But if your bulldog keeps grabbing random spots try getting him off and placing him on the ear and let hold for a few minutes it should help

[t-dog]

Kevin, in the years I've been hunting, I have found that small hogs are poor for grooming to the ear. I found that a lot of dogs will take the ear and hold it when you put them on it with a big hog but a small hog doesn't pose enough threat or put enough pressure on the dog to get his attention. Some dogs will go ear on big hogs and anywhere on the head on smaller hogs just trying to man handle them. Some dogs get what I call an adrenalin block and what I mean by that is that they no longer have the ability to think once they get excited.

[charles]

X2 on what peach said. IMO snout is bad if you're trying to tie hogs. Have had the bridge of their noses broken and snouts damaged so they would not eat. Not good if you're trying to sell them. Also, catching on the nose leaves a very vulnerable area of your cd exposed if the hog thrusts upward. Jugulars and esophagus.

Some people like it.......I prefer ear.

x2 on the snout. hinted a tourney and a cd got to the hog well before we could get there and the hog broke a couple times and when finally got to the hog, the cd had the hog by the snout and she so busted up on the snout, it was hard to get a snout rope around her, it didn't do much good, other than the pain everytime she flung her head, she calmed down most ricky-tick

sounds like good advice peech, if I get another cd or teachmy catdo to be strait catch, I will definitely try your technique.

[bigtug092]

I have mixed opinions on a dog that catches on the snout, yes it puts them in a bad spot on the bad end of a big hog, no i dont beleive they have the ability to stay hung compared to a dog that is straight ear. BUT i do feel that they can contribute to the cause...... I run only and strike dog or two, maybe three in a partner is hunting with me. All the strike dogs are pretty tight bay but no catch at all on hogs over 20-30 pounds. So we run at least two soild catchdogs that both catch ears, we also perfer to have 1 snout dog, reason why is once the two have a ear and the snout dog catches snout it really does wonders to save the other 2 ear dogs from gettin cut, the snout dog controls the hog from ripping its head(tusk up and down the two ear dogs. The whole head is shut down that way, yes that snout dog takes a Beating  sometimes but it preserves the others greatly in my opinion.

On another note me main CD does catch on top of neck on small and medium sized hogs. May be because he is pretty dang tall or other reasons, but when its a big hog he will be on ear everytime.
I say snout, ear, whatever if you think it helps your pack then run em!!

Here is mine on a few smaller sized hogs on the top of neck.

[Bino9905]

 my dogo Cinco catches mostly behind the ears on the hogs neck. However he is always standing on the side or next to the hog and not out in front so that is good.
I think it all comes down to hog size..........he has only been on two or 3 hogs above 250 and allow those were caught on the ear.....his first 3 hogs were all snout until he moved to the back of the head.

I was happy to see him grab the ear on the big hogs, but I think its all about size....his mouth is so big that I think he cant get a good grip or one that he likes on the small ears of smaller hogs, so he grabs behind the ears on the back of the head.

As long as he doesn't stand out in front of the hog he should be ok

[KevinN]

For the size of my dog (guessing between 60-65) he's got a good mouth. May have something to do with it. He's pretty young at around 14 months and His grip has gotten A LOT stronger over the last few weeks. He has been ear on the last 4 hogs so that's good.

He's turning into a REAL reliable dog....I'm happy with him.