What traits should 1 look for in a "catch" dog?
 

I mean besides heart and general toughness,and how do they differ from the traits of a "strike" dog?I mean I know they need to be double tough and a lot of people use pits and with pits is there any special way to handle them.I'm just wondering and any info will be greatly appreciated.

You want a "smart" dog, too aggressive and they get killed or seriously injured. This subject will get more opinions than asking about the best "------- caliber." I like Walkers, saw a lot of pits get killed because their aggression outweighed their good sense. I would suggest hunting with someone who has a good dog for sale unless you already have a good one then dump the new dog(s) in with him and watch.

hey if you want a good catch dog look for a pit that listens to you no matter what to get this kind of dog you really got to raise them your self you want your catch dog to turn lose on command because if you hunt hogs alone its hard to catch the hog with your bulldog jerking the other way believe me these dogs are out there and you cant bet them

The best thing you can do is look for a reputable pit breeder that raises level headed dogs. You dont want a michael vick special. I strongly suggest raising a pit from a puppy and making sure he knows you are the boss. They are strongminded dogs and will walk all over you if you let them. I prefer smaller catch dogs because my bay dogs are pretty rough and like to dog pile after the catch dog gets there. A well bred pit comes out programmed to catch hogs, you just gotta teach em to listen. Ive been around em for some time, a good one is hard to beat.

My old catchdog Buck He was a grandson of colbys sam a famous apbt. Buck wasnt very smart but he was a damnfine bulldog.

NO DOG OR HUMAN agrression whatsoever. you don't want your bulldog tearing up your strike dogs, or worse yet, somebody elses. It's just not worth the risk. I like pits and american bulldogs, either will do the job. you don't have to buy the first one you see, there are enough around that you can shop around some. I reccommend asking the guy you buy from to take you on a hunt with the dog, no matter what it's job is, and let you see it catch before you buy. Take into consideration how the dog handles, how does he lead, does he whine or bark in the dog box, show signs of dog or human agression(automatic cull in my yard) does he catch how you want him to, can he be sent to a bay from the distance you prefer, after he catches does he calm down quickly or does he stay amped up for a while, how does the present owner remove him from the hog(called off, choked off, broke off with a breakstick) all are things to watch for. Is he normally led in close, turned out of the box, or run with the curs? will he ride an atv if that is what you want, and the number one thing, will he catch and hold a hog in a manner that you can trust until called or taken off the hog.

A catch dog differs from a strike dog the way a wide reciever differs from an offensive lineman. They play the same game, but their jobs are totally different. A strike dog should be expected to leave you and go find, stop, and bay a hog until you get there. They can be as loose baying or rough as you prefer. A catch dog has no responsibility to find a hog, his job is to catch, hold, and control the hog while you deal with it, and never let go until called or broken off. There should be no back up in a catch dog. You want a catch dog that wants to catch the hog, not fight it. One thing I forgot to add above is that if the seller won't take you on a hunt with the dog, walk the other way. Hope I have been of some help.

Honestly any dog can become a good catch dog. The trick is to beat the crap out of it when it doesn't do what you want it to do. I mean really bring it to the brink of death. It's survival instincts will kick in and really get the point across that pleasing you=survival. It can be a long process, but it's very rewarding in the end when your dog respects you and is a great hunting companion.

Wow what a training technique.......... how well do your kids listen?

In 1965 my hunting buddy and I ordered 4 Catahoula pups from Arkansas and started training them with fresh hog skins.............In 1967 we started crossing them with Pit Bulls and in 1969 we introduced Rhrodesian Ridgeback to the mix....We ran that mix into the 80's and then introduced Cur into the cross..........We sold pups to the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Venezuela and all over Florida and Georgia.......

Up to 2000 we had 25 trained hog dogs in the field.....We ran hog dogs and killed tons of hogs from the late 60's untill 2000 when I started having health problems and had to quit........My buddy is 80 and still running hog dogs, but is down to about 5 dogs and does not go as often as he used to......

I read on here that you have to mistreat them so they will obey......Wrong!........You have to reward them when they do what you want them to do............Sometimes you have to cull the ones that have a mind of their own and are not trainable...

Hog dogs have to be fed a balnced low fat diet, wormed on regular intervals and exercised regularly for them to perform to your expectations........I might also mention, keep them off the ground and concrete in their pens. Our pens had 2x6's on one side of the pens and 12" off the ground for them to lay and sleep on.....Their pens also have to be cleaned daily, no if's or but's.....
These things I have mentioned is what will produce good hog dogs....And years of enjoyment.....

beat the crap out of him like was said above, and that's the dog that's gonna let go of a hog when he sees you coming and leave you in a world of #2 because he's scared you're gonna beat him within an inch of his life. I'm not saying to never correct a dog, but there are better ways.

Theres two types of hog dogs, those that hunt hogs cause they want to. Its in their blood nothing they can do about it. And the special kind that hunt hogs because they love their master and know it makes him happy. Dogs of this second type are rare but man im here to tell you they lay it all out for you every time. Mistreating a dog has no purpose or place in hog hunting with dogs.

everyone is so big on a pit bull or bull dog. all you need is a smart dog or 2. you can use chihuahua's just as well as pit bulls...the two chihuahua's go in silent ...find a hog, corner it, one goes in and bites the hogs junk, the hog sits down on top of the chihuahua and the other yaps away, and the one underneath knows your coming and will stay there till ya get there. so big bad arse dog? no!
smart dog? yes.
granite, we shot em with 22lr and ate em the next day...really cant beat Hawaiian hawgs cooked on the beach.

Halfbaked, you know as much about Hog Dogs as I know about flying 747's......:violin:

It's really more about using the right tool for the right job. I don't use a screwdriver to pound in a nail, and I don't use chihuahuas for catch dogs. A bulldog is meant to be a strong athletic dog with a very strong bite, and a desire to hold on until taken off. that makes him an effective tool to CATCH hogs. nobody said anything about finding them. That's a strike dog's job, and yes it does take intelligence, and finesse to find a hog, and expecially hold it at bay. We are talking specifically about the dogs that make contact with the hog and hold it while the human hunters deal with it. A catch dog's motto has to be "any hog, anywhere, any time", and you have to be able to follow that dog to any hog and trust him to CONTROL it. Also it sounds like you are talking about baying and shooting hogs, where we are talking more about legging the hog and then sticking or tieing it. two different worlds.

From what I've seen of catch dogs is that you want one that is fairly passive when not hunting. The lady that I bought my Catahoulas from runs an American Bulldog/Argentinian Dogo Cross that are aggressive on hogs, yet very smart about when they strike, where they strike, and they back off when you tell them too. She keeps those particular dogs in her home with her so as to socialize them with people so that they don't become to aggressive. I've seen a few people around my area that practice the same techniques. They make really good catch dogs, that have the drive to do it, and at the same time they want to please there master which just furthers there potential in my opinion.

Korak, to answer your question.........IMO, when you start to cross breeds you look to dogs with the characterics like .......Catahoula, endurance and good lung capacity, wide paw pads, muscular chest, good leg height, and short haired.

Pit bull almost the same , but with a Slip Jaw..

Black Mouth Cur, also about the same, but courageous and loyality to his master..

IMO, the Dogo Argentino is the one to start the crosses with the above mentioned.......They have been bred for wild boar hunting in Argentina since the early 1920's.........

And really don't need crossing IMO, they have been crossed with 10 different breeds to have produced a superb hog dog.....

apparently you are a commercial pilot.
living in Hawaii fer a year, this is how we caught hogs. unbelievable sight i know, when they pulled the hawg dawgs out the truck the 1st time i died laughing...but true to his werd, the dogs never failed to deliver dinner.

I also lived in Hawaii......1960

Ive seen hogs hunted with many breeds of dog but it doesnt mean that they are hog hunting breeds. All the hawaiians i chat with online use airedale, greyhound, bull terrier, pit bull and german short hair pointers. Any of the above breeds are crossed never have i heard of chihuahas (not saying it didnt happen). I had a 10 pound patterdale terrier that would grab ahold of a hog but by no means could it be called catching.

bingo! there is a big difference between a dog that will catch a hog and a catchdog.

Ive seen good catch dogs from many breeds.The tighter i breed my cur dogs the rougher they get. Some bird dogs ive seen were rough too. But for consistency you just cant beat a bulldog (Am Bull, APBT or Dogo).