A dog can be so much a best friend, one can hestitate to place him in harm's way. Dogs die in 12 to 14 years anyway, so what's the mental harm in having one as a hunting buddy? As anyone can plainly see, I'm considering replacing my prior best friend. At my age of 67, I still could out-live a dog. I believe a dog dominates one's life, but I think I'm ready to out-think a dog as shrewd as they are. Cliffy
What is a hunting dog?
- Thread starter cliffy
- Start date
What kind of dog do you favor Cliffy? I have had several different types over the years and currently have two Dachshunds. They may not be much on being trained, but they are some good hunters. I think they can smell a mole 40 feet below ground. You would be hard pressed to find a better friend than a dog.
Snake buddy, I want a home companion first and a hunting pal second. I want a wild boar hunting companion, but I fear its getting maimed. Great Armour is available for a dog, yet a good dog can still die from the tusks of a huge boar. A Stafford Terrior (PIT BULL) can be the best of home buddies, yet fearless afield. I'd even be stupid enough to wade into the battle, against all common sense, to save my dog. If you've witnessed what a .243 Winchester Pig load can do to a big bruiser, you know I'm not under-gunned. I've never hunted with a dog for piggies, so I don't know if I will be more worried about my dog or gaining a porker. Cliffy
I have a neighbor that hunts hogs with his dogs. His dogs are not house companions though. They live outside and he kind of treats them as tools as opposed to a man’s best friend. I am afraid I would be too worried about my dog and would probably not take him hog hunting. I know the dogs love the chase though. Tough call for sure.
Cliffy,
I can't believe I'm reading this. A couple months ago I had to put down my 12 year old American Bulldog. Bullit was 92 pounds his adult life and could jump into the back of a 97 f-150 with the tailgate up. He was the best dog we ever had. Loved the kids and didn't listen to anyone but me ;D. Maybe my wife if I wasn't home.
No pigs up here but lots of racoons. Used Bullit a few times as a kill dog if the coon was getting nasty on the hounds and we couldn't get to them. Watch out for the different strains of Amer. Bulldogs.
Fiercly loyal and protective of the little ones especially my 5 year old girl. Never locked the house cause he was the most important thing in there to me and if anyone was to get anything out they'd have to leave him dead. He was fine with other dogs no problem. Hated cats, hated them.
In the later years he had bad allergies, I think he had them all his life it was just youth that kept most of the problems at bay then something ruptured in his sinus/head I don't know what. Had the vet put him down. I can count the number of times I had him on a leash with both hands.
Alls I got now is my stepdawg. A 9 pound weiner dog that thinks he's 10 feet tall and bullet proof. He's so stupid. He's a good dog.
No more dogs for us. Turns out wife is allergic to them, and she don't go for outside dogs.
Thanks for helping me flaunt my dog Bullit,
Jeff
Ya know I don't think a Bulldog is gonna be the pig hunting partner you want. He's not really gonna want to share it with you or much less wait for you to get there. He's gonna race his butt to it and when you get there you can pick up the pieces. His or the pigs. You want a bay dog for finding, chasing, and keeping them in one spot. Bay dogs are either smart enough to know they don't want to mess with a pig or they just don't have the courage.
I can't believe I'm reading this. A couple months ago I had to put down my 12 year old American Bulldog. Bullit was 92 pounds his adult life and could jump into the back of a 97 f-150 with the tailgate up. He was the best dog we ever had. Loved the kids and didn't listen to anyone but me ;D. Maybe my wife if I wasn't home.
No pigs up here but lots of racoons. Used Bullit a few times as a kill dog if the coon was getting nasty on the hounds and we couldn't get to them. Watch out for the different strains of Amer. Bulldogs.
Fiercly loyal and protective of the little ones especially my 5 year old girl. Never locked the house cause he was the most important thing in there to me and if anyone was to get anything out they'd have to leave him dead. He was fine with other dogs no problem. Hated cats, hated them.
In the later years he had bad allergies, I think he had them all his life it was just youth that kept most of the problems at bay then something ruptured in his sinus/head I don't know what. Had the vet put him down. I can count the number of times I had him on a leash with both hands.
Alls I got now is my stepdawg. A 9 pound weiner dog that thinks he's 10 feet tall and bullet proof. He's so stupid. He's a good dog.
No more dogs for us. Turns out wife is allergic to them, and she don't go for outside dogs.
Thanks for helping me flaunt my dog Bullit,
Jeff
Ya know I don't think a Bulldog is gonna be the pig hunting partner you want. He's not really gonna want to share it with you or much less wait for you to get there. He's gonna race his butt to it and when you get there you can pick up the pieces. His or the pigs. You want a bay dog for finding, chasing, and keeping them in one spot. Bay dogs are either smart enough to know they don't want to mess with a pig or they just don't have the courage.
JLM Buddy, thank you for sharing your love of your dog. I, too, would crumple seeing my dog maimed on a hunt for a vicious pig. With only a 100 grain bullet possibly separating my dog from injury, I hesitate placing him in harm's way. Great dog ARMOR is available through the Internet, but nothing comes with a gold-plated guarantee. Still, I practice accuracy-shooting beyond what most people would consider NORMAL. Currently, I hunt alone for the very reason of not wanting my pet injured. However, he or she would substantially increase my odds of a kill afield. Cliffy
Cliffy, I'm with JLM on the bay dog for chasing and keeping the piggy in one spot! A friend of mine has a Coon Hound, not sure what variety, and Pit Bull mix! Joe is a good dog! Loyal companion, great with little kids but, fierce on treeing and subduing critters! I must say that Joe is probably the exception to the rule of most dogs. I myself have a little bias against hounds. I currently own a Coon Hound, half Red Tick, half Walker, and I love her to death but, damn is she a hard headed little bitch! I tell her often that she is the last hound I will own but, when shes good shes good! 
I hope your quest for a new companion is a good one! Just remember, raising a puppy is is very trying of ones patience, atleast it was of mine! Take Care!
Mike
I hope your quest for a new companion is a good one! Just remember, raising a puppy is is very trying of ones patience, atleast it was of mine! Take Care!Mike
Gman
Gold $$ Contributor
I have had dogs all of my life. (collie, english pointer, beagle, german shepard, and pit bull) I have never had a dog as loyal as my pit bull. Granted, she wasn't a hunting dog, strickly a house dog, and was so gentle to children it was unbelievable. If a stranger came by, the hair on her neck would stand straight up. As soon as she knew you were "a friend", and you came into the house, she would lick you to death. (pit bulls have very long tongues) She would play with very small dogs gently. But, she could not be near any large breed of dog or she would get very aggressive. Fighting is what they were bred for. Pit bulls get a very bad rap, because of the media, and they were NEVER intended to be aggressive toward humans, and they usually aren't. Bad breeding and being raised improperly has unfortunately created a "hatred" to pit bulls. I loved all of my dogs, but I have to say that if I ever get another dog again, it will be a pit bull. That is if the government doesn't outlaw the breed. Which, in this day and age, wouldn't suprise me one bit. Any dog can be mean toward humans if it was abused or treated mean by someone.
G'day from the other side of the big pond Cliffy,
I have/do hunt feral pigs with dogs and have as do some friends and I have hunted with various breeds of dogs and settled on the pit bulldog as we had these dogs in the yard anyway,now due to the high prey drive these dogs are what we call luggers in that they catch and hold the pigs till you can deliver the coup de grace.
We also use cross breeds,great dane,heeler,kelpie cross and most of these have good noses and are good winded.
I am unsure of the terrain and hunting conditions over there but if you are hunting with the one dog it will near have to be a bailer type dog in that it will chase till the pig has had a gutfull of running and will turn and defend its self and the dog will bark to let you know its where abouts.
Now if using a lugger be carefull if you lose track of where they are as its hard for a good lugger to bark with a mouthfull of boar and the dog can get knocked around whilst containing the pig and also you can lose a dog to heat stress as well in these situations,a good tracking device is helpfull in these situations.
We usually hunt with at least two dogs,one will be a relativley quick dog and will bail the boar and bark while the lugger catches up and holds the pig all the while you will be following the barking and such to finish the job.
Mate I am only going to be forty yeasr of age this year and with crook knees from years of motor cycle racing I find it extremely hard work keeping up with a pack of dogs
Cliff do you stick the pigs or shoot them.
Regards Chris.
I have/do hunt feral pigs with dogs and have as do some friends and I have hunted with various breeds of dogs and settled on the pit bulldog as we had these dogs in the yard anyway,now due to the high prey drive these dogs are what we call luggers in that they catch and hold the pigs till you can deliver the coup de grace.
We also use cross breeds,great dane,heeler,kelpie cross and most of these have good noses and are good winded.
I am unsure of the terrain and hunting conditions over there but if you are hunting with the one dog it will near have to be a bailer type dog in that it will chase till the pig has had a gutfull of running and will turn and defend its self and the dog will bark to let you know its where abouts.
Now if using a lugger be carefull if you lose track of where they are as its hard for a good lugger to bark with a mouthfull of boar and the dog can get knocked around whilst containing the pig and also you can lose a dog to heat stress as well in these situations,a good tracking device is helpfull in these situations.
We usually hunt with at least two dogs,one will be a relativley quick dog and will bail the boar and bark while the lugger catches up and holds the pig all the while you will be following the barking and such to finish the job.
Mate I am only going to be forty yeasr of age this year and with crook knees from years of motor cycle racing I find it extremely hard work keeping up with a pack of dogs
Cliff do you stick the pigs or shoot them.
Regards Chris.
G'day Chris! Thank you for your info regarding pig hunting. What caliber/bullet is your favorite? I haven't decided on my next dog yet. This decision evades my senses to date. I lost the best buddy I ever had, so I'm apprehensive to start up a new union. I hunt alone, and that is boring at times. I feel I need a new canine hunting partner. Cliffy
Well Cliffy, i cant speak for hog dogs but here in South Dakota a couple english pointers make for very good companions/friends and are tireless birddogs. Mine come from a kennel in western missouri and are top notch. As perfect as a tiny little group with my rifles, it still takes the cake all day long when the birddogs put a rooster on point.
take care
kyle
take care
kyle
Kelpies are great dogs, yet America has few to none. Pit Bulls are much feared in America because they can be tortured into becoming aggressively mean-frightening Pit Fighters. These are mild-mannered, friendly dogs, if not otherwise provoked into becoming super-scary critters. Even if trained to hunt Feral Hogs, these beautiful creatures ARE great home pets that love children, and not as a food source. Pits are protective of children and loveable playmates. IT take a lot of purposeful abuse to turn these great pets into mean-ring critters of destruction. Cliffy
There are no bad dogs, just bad people. The mildest mannered dog can become a vicious fighter and biter if made that way. At 72 I have a buddy in my 3 year old lab. at my age I was reluctant to get another dog , as I don't know how many more years i have left. My wife and I agreed no more dogs. We saw an add that this breeder had puppies FS, I said to my wife what can it hurt we'll just go and look at the puppies, so here is a picture of what that look got us.
here is Boh at 3 years.
here is boh at 8 weeks.
He is the kindest most gentle dog I have ever had, he wouldn't hurt a thing. Lou
He is the kindest most gentle dog I have ever had, he wouldn't hurt a thing. Lou
TheBlueEyedBear
'The Nut Behind The Trigger'
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