Hairy Dogs and American Doggers

[Black Streak]

       There are give and takes with most decisions you will make.    Hairy dogs as they are sometimes known are no exception.       
    Even in Oz I've seen debates between on which finder lugger is better.    The hairy dog or the bull arab type.    these dogs are often used the same way but often spark debates as to the pros and cons between the two.      I refer to my dogs as hairy dogs because wolfhound and deerhound or similar dog such as stag make up a large percentage of the blood in my dogs.
      Dogs like mine are not a quick fix to anyone  unless maybe you was to buy a couple seasoned dogs from someone should you be so lucky.       I'll discuss some of the draw backs to my dogs first when comparing them to curs and bulls.     Big one is patience.      These dogs are bigger and bigger dogs naturally mature slower.   Both physically and mentally.     Wolfhound  is one of if not the slowest maturing of all dogs.       This is easily seen on a skeletal growth chart.       By the time most guys in the US are hunting there dogs hard, I'm just working mine lightly.       
     Speaking of physical development, a puppies ability to run and play is essential in developing a strong support structure that will help the bigger dogs built for such speed withstand the forces their feet and legs must hold up to .       Running dogs exert a phenomenal amount of force on their feet  not just in running but the stresses exerted on their feet in turns or stops is far greater than most dogs..          letting a young dog sit in a small pen till it's old enough to start work is not wise in my opinion.   
      Mental development is different between bulls and hairy dogs.       Hairy dogs are not gonna take much punishment from a pig when they are developing  without it typically setting them back.      Same so far as any young cd but with my dogs the road is much longer do to the length of time it takes to mature such a dog vs a bull dog (typically speaking)         These catch dogs catch because of confedence.   it can be beaten out of them till they are well experienced or fully hard.   Looking at around 2 yrs before my type dogs are fully hard but they are typically usable by around 1 yr old in conjunction with an older dog.              At 1 yr old a bull will often be a very good cd.  I've seen my old bull cartwheeled through the air at 11 months old, only to have it back on top of the big boar dishing out its own medicine.         My hairy dogs just  not gonna take that kinda abuse at that age and have the same outcome.     At 2 yeah but not at 1 yr old.     Even when my dogs are fully hard, they are not gonna trade blows with a pig.    if they get hit, they get upset and pissed and really put some heat on a pig but they not gonna take a pounding and smile and say to themselves oh yeah I love it, hit me again.     They hold but are good at avoiding punishment and taking the hits.  Yes even in the brush they are artists in avoiding injury however the risk does increase.
          That's all I have time for now.      There are still some draw backs to these dogs I'd like to discuss in relation to my style of dog vs the typical dogs here in the US               
      Why do I have these dogs?    Cause to me, in the end, it's well worth it in what you have in one dog and what it will and can do with ease.

[Black Streak]

Picking up where I left off and pointing out the unsuspecting pit falls of my dogs to those used to  bay dogs and bull dogs,  I'm again going back to the unfamiliarity of these type dogs here in the states among most hog doggers.   
    Stags are a bit misunderstood  shenanigans it comes to using them to catch pigs.       The stag people most picture here in the US is the stag used by the guys in the Plains states using and breeding them to run down and kill coyotes.        These are not bred for pigs and often times fall short of people's expectations  when they try one on pigs.   There are some good extremly hard stags to be had but they are kinda the exception and not the rule.    I have one of these and others have had them in the past.    They really get people interested in trying them, but understand not all stags are gonna be as hard as what your reading about.   Prey drive is something else your gonna be awakened to and half to get on top of early if you don't want your stag trashing on rabbits, skunks, road runners, coyotes, deer, frogs yes frog, they will sometimes dive into a tank after a frog that dove in.    They are bred to kill other dogs and will jack up a cur that tries to pick a fight.   usually they get along well with other dogs.     when your neighbor let's her small teacup size house dog out to the bathroom, the stag sees it as a rodent  so expect that too.        Stags are a decent platform in which to cross large cd's like the mastiff breeds to.   dogo, dane, etc in order to get a more desired dog depending on what your after.      bull breeds crossed to them work also but I want to keep some size not decrease other to much.     my other stags have a heavy dose of wolfhound in them.   Makes for good pig stags but slow to mature.     Awsome platform in which to breed another F1 type cross to though such as dane x pit.
    kinda got to rambling, sorry.
     My finder holders and stags live together and work well together.    I can run 1 and one together of 2 stags or 2 finder holders.     my finder holders are about same speed as stags.    some as fast and some a little bit slower but not by much.       also some of the stag characteristics will sometimes billed through in finder holders do to the wolfhound blood or deerhound blood in them.  some have a little stag also in them..              Good bred finder holders to me are where it's at.     They are harder, mature faster, find better, better handle and recall, more powerful, more rugged type dog that can handle hard work day in and day out.    Can do the same work as stags, curs, and bulldogs all rolled up in one dog.    They can be used very effectively in any type terrain.       They are not as hard to understand as stag and deerhound type long dogs etc.   
     Finder holders vary greatly from one mans dogs to another do to the different crosses used.   Broad blanketed  statements are very foolish and irresponsible to make on such account so keep in mind when reading about one mans dogs.     
      How to hunt stags and finder holders is another thing misunderstood by many.       Do to the restraints of time again, I'll just say hunting in conjuction with bay dogs is not wise and often a recipe for disaster for several reasons.        I personally would not send a dog to such a home where I felt it was gonna be hunted along with bay dogs.     

[chads7376]

I'll just say hunting in conjuction with bay dogs is not wise and often a recipe for disaster for several reasons.        I personally would not send a dog to such a home where I felt it was gonna be hunted along with bay dogs.     

I've been using Stags and Stag crosses for several years as lead in catch dogs behind my curs. No issues here.

[Reuben]

I'll just say hunting in conjuction with bay dogs is not wise and often a recipe for disaster for several reasons.        I personally would not send a dog to such a home where I felt it was gonna be hunted along with bay dogs.     

I've been using Stags and Stag crosses for several years as lead in catch dogs behind my curs. No issues here.

Chad...I think a great loose baying cur dog with 2 of these finder holders as lead in catch dogs would work out good...

a short range cur with the finder holders running alongside the cur...with the Garmin alpha and tt collars I could see that working...

[parker49]

 hey black  what is the down falls of your dogs as  pigdogs ??   or what type of pig hunting would they not be good at ??

[hyan]

I'll just say hunting in conjuction with bay dogs is not wise and often a recipe for disaster for several reasons.        I personally would not send a dog to such a home where I felt it was gonna be hunted along with bay dogs.     

I've been using Stags and Stag crosses for several years as lead in catch dogs behind my curs. No issues here.

I think he ment a bay dog and finderholders all lose at one time not as lead ins

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[parker49]

each to his  own way ....but there is thousands of hog hunters and the  big majority hunt leading catchdogs and have  for  years ..... probably a good ten thousand in easttexas ...