Originally Posted by MudderChuck

You have to define a breed. Like you mentioned most are a mix that is refined and tends to breed true. It usually takes many generations.

For instance I bred a Jack Russel/Rat Terrier with a Plummer terrier. My Plummer is a good dog, but has little to much Bull Terrier in him. I expected the Jack Russel to be dominant and was surprised when the Plummer was dominant and I ended up with an outstanding earth dog.

She resembles an almost Dachshund with a Russel head, but with almost exactly the same coloration as her father. She absolutely loves diving down burrows.

You have dominant genes and recessives. A large percentage of the time with random mixes, you end up with the recessives remixing and the results may resemble an addition to the breed from many generations distant.

In other words like Oldtimer alluded to, what you may get is anybodies guess.

Some breeds seem to have stronger genes than others, it may be the age of the line or just happenstance. Collie is an example. many breeds have some Collie in there, mostly for the lighter bone structure and the speed. Same with Greyhound, more red blood cells,larger lungs, lighter bones. And many have a taste of Beagle in there for the nose.

A breed is often defined as an animal that breeds true. More likely that the dominant genes prevail. But even with the most stable breeds, around 10-25 percent may revert back to unwanted or undesirable recessives.

People get hung up with temperament and train-ability. There are other factors just as important. Thick skin is a plus in a Hog dog, they go barreling through brush and get hurt. The down side of thick skin is they tend to overheat quicker. A lot of "one eyed" Curs or Lurchers around, most have a lot of scaring from brush. My last Cur had to have a two inch X 3/4 inch diameter stick removed from four inches deep in his chest. A side note, that Cur was also an outstanding retriever, it was strong in his genes.

Like mentioned you have to define Hog Dog, some chase and bay, some latch on and hold on. Some are predominantly sight hunters and/or speed dogs, some are nose dominant or Terrier based.

Best all around Hog Dog I've ever had was a mutt, best guess is a Shepard/Boxer mix. Eye dominant with a really good herding instinct. I called her a Lurcher, almost as fast as a pure speed dog but with brains. She seriously resembled a Blacknose Cur in appearance, go figure? A really good stock Dog and a seriously good hunter.

The two pure Hog Dogs I've had were mixes, one was a Rottweiler Beagle mix, the other a Beagle Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. Both would follow a scent trail forever and had serious tunnel vision. The Rottweiler/Beagle was seriously aggressive, the Rhodesian Ridgeback/Beagle more biddable. Both sang like a beagle when on a hot trail.

I usually pare my dogs up as a Lurcher or Cur and what I call a nose bay hound with a fighting instinct. One to overtake and turn them and the other to close the deal. Both have to be able to fight. one is usually better at it than the other.

Even in the same Breed there can be an amazing amount of difference in individuals from the same breeder, Slight but noticeable differences in temperament, abilities and proclivities. They may often look like clones, but have slightly different skill sets.

My Weimaraner has smelled a Fox from four hundred yards on a still day in a sound sleep. Supposedly a pointer retriever. He has an outstanding nose. Somewhere in his ancestry there was likely a Bloodhound in there.

Something to keep in mind, a Dog can bite a Hog many times and do no real damage, a three year old hog can crush bone with one bite. I had a three legged Weimaraner that lost a front leg to a large Sow.

Dogs are forever (at least their forever) they aren't the clothing mode of the day to be sent to the goodwill or forgotten in a closet if you decide they don't fit anymore. Sometimes the best results happen when you figure out what your Dog does well and/or to tailor your hunting to their abilities.