Terriers can do good work on deer. Labs can do pretty much anything , i would never have another GWP!
Unorthodox tracking choices/Blue Lacy Dog
- Thread starter OllieRiordanDeer
- Start date
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
Have you considered a Mali ? Superb breed and love to work, mine has an excellent nose and is turning into a superb indicator dog
The best dog breed in the world isn't for everyone unfortunately
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
Yes, I would agree with that sentiment
Yeah that is very true ! I witnessed this very clearly just yesterday A man and a woman both had charge of the biggest damb Dobermans i have ever seen. I was on the other side of the single track road walking the Lab ( who acted like those dogs didn't even exist ) While they both struggled to hold on as the Dobies strained up on their back legs to attack !
A serious event / liability and quite likely prison likely awaits the owners. I didn't kick off btw it would only make the problem worse . The man asked " is that a lab? " I just answered " yep" and kept walking- didn't want to be rude but the last thing i would to was enrage these demons further, they where obviously already in way over their depth as dog owners . I actually felt quite sorry for them and they must have driven a fair way out just to walk their dogs . Wrong dogs , wrong owners ! Seriously think i will hear of these two and the dogs again in some terrible event.
One thing though they where both way bigger than any Dobermans i have seen previous at least a third bigger at least on their back legs the dogs heads where a tad over 6ft i guess , very deep chested . Sort of like giving your 18 year old lad a ridiculously powerful supercar and a bottle of Scotch .
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
But it’s the same old story world over, wrong dogs for the handler, I’ve seen tiny little dogs that are akin to terrorists where the owner has zero control.
Each breed is different, has different strengths and weaknesses, it’s the owner/handlers job to be competent with the breed they choose and to train it.
Very few dogs, trained properly, are an issue, ok so a very small % have a bolt loose somewhere and just need PTS depending on the circumstances, but it’s a tiny tiny little %, it’s almost always the handler:trainer at fault
NickJ
Well-Known Member
Yes, a friend had a Border that was brilliant, however my Patterdale just reverted to what he was bred to do - blink an eye and he'd have f*cked off down a hole!
I dont think these folks yesterday knew anything about having to actually train and socialise these dogs . Personally i blame the person who bred and sold these people the dogs , yeah pretty much sure they came as a pair very rare size to see in the UK and both looked identical in age and conformation . Quite serious when I say ( I expect to hear of these dogs and owners again and it will not be a good event ) Hopefully i dont meet them dogs again
We were ambushed once by pointers up in beacon fell. I had my dog following behind my wife on the horse, we went up a small track that went into the wooded area and 2 pointers (short haired I think) appeared left and right of us crouched down stalking forward. Classic pack hunting behaviour I thought. The horse loves dogs but even he decided nope and started backing up nearly running me over. I stepped infront with the dog to keep them back until the owner turned up which felt like an eternity. Why people let them off lead in areas like that is beyond me. I don't know if there is a law already but it should be clearly stated that if off lead dogs start causing sh*t then the person with the on lead dog should be beyond any prosecution if that dog decides to finish the argument in anyway it sees fit
Free range rob
Well-Known Member
Had an episode in a beach in Cornwall.
Had my Mali and mastiffxdane
Both at heel but off lead.
Saw a woman in the distance, 500 ish yards away with a collie off lead, it made a b line straight for us, I got mine on a lead knowing full well the mastiff did not like collies one bit after been bitten by one a few yr previously.
Tried to get the woman’s attention but she was oblivious to us or her dog.
Around 30 yard away it went into the crouch mode and started closing in and circling us.
At 5 yards I’m ready to boot the bloody thing, in it dived from the side, it wasn’t expecting the Mastiff to nail it by the neck before it could do anything. It suprised the collie so much it turned tail and ran back to its owner, when we finally closed and met at distance I asked if her dog was ok, she started screaming and shouting *her dog was still off lead but well back behind her by now.
I told her my dogs are leashed and under control, perhaps she should try it.
We hadnt got to far end of beach before an angry bloke came storming over ranting about his wife and his dog, police, etc etc
He was slightly winded when I pointed out I had already reported his wife and dog to police, and it had all been recorded on mobile as evidence
Even one of these has to be better than no dog if you need to track a wounded deer:
K
K
Morkai
Well-Known Member
My new Lab is only 5 months old, I sometimes walk her at a place that can be quite popular so I take her off the lead when its quiet and appropriate.
As it's quite open, I can see when other people are approaching, I call her back and put her on the lead. I don't want my dog bounding off to other people (and their dogs) it's rude, disrespectful and can be dangerous.
When I was up there the other day there was a woman with 3 dogs on the other side of the hill so I made my way the other way around.
My dog is off the lead, within 50m of me, as I come around the trees there is a couple on a walk approaching us, my dog has her nose down and doesn't see them so I call her back and leash my dog and they pass.
My dog is still on the lead and a few moments later I turn around to see the woman who was there at the start of my walk. She's around 200m away with a husky running amok but her other 2 dogs had decided to stalk mine.
Her sheep dog was in the grass infront of us creeping in and her f%#king miniature poodle came hurtling towards my pup. The poodle got right in my dogs face, to which my Lab snapped at her nose, the poodle then tried ther get around her back end, it received my boot accompanied by some expletives....
The woman was still 200m away, oblivious to her dogs actions, looking at me blankly wondering why I'm signalling to her like aircraft carrier signalman.
Again, irresponsible dog owners are rude, entitled, dangerous & disrespectful.
P%sses me right off.
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Dan Newcombe
Well-Known Member
Out of interest - are dogs like the catahoula good deer / tracking dogs for the normal deer stalker?
I thought that they were more akin to our hounds and you turn them loose and then chase them until you find something suitably dangerous in a tree / hollow trying to kill them?
I thought that they were more akin to our hounds and you turn them loose and then chase them until you find something suitably dangerous in a tree / hollow trying to kill them?
I would have thought they would be, if they can track all the various things they do in the states it would seem reasonable to be able to train them to get onto deer
John Gryphon
Well-Known Member
+1
I believe Catahoula's are more of a running/baying dog breed than as a gun dog tracker assistant.
They look like hounds but behave like the dogs they are . A general hunting companion , not a retrieving specialist like the Lab but can and not the flushing dog the spaniel is but again can.
Interesting thing is walked as a big pack mixed with labs and other gundogs the breed seems to like to be together off to one side or in front.
Originally created in the Louisiana swamps working on hunts from Gators to duck . As a guy who used to work with fox hounds i would say very far removed from the true hound . Admittedly some fox hounds that have been kept as dogs will start to act as regular dogs but the day they run with the pack they are wedded to it . ( To the point that you cant break them away ). They aint for everyone but the breed is very useful to the deerstalker , especially if you require a good stopping dog.
Rasputin
Well-Known Member
A friend had one in Switzerland got rid of it within a few weeks. Was just not good with his kids. Was a cracking looking dog though and clearly bred for working.
Morkai
Well-Known Member
Apparently you do have to work them quite hard or they become a nightmare.
My dog is also a baying dog breed as opposed to tracking but he will track albeit only on easy ones so far will also flush and dig out rats
They are dogs not hounds by breeding and nature . The breeder i know runs a few along with some Labs and the most i could say is they are a bit "houndy" but certainly not " hounds " but Dogs ! I will be sticking with my Labs personally But one would be my would be very likely my second choice, very nearly took one on when I lost my older lab but the young lab suddenly grew -up and stepped -up
I wont ever get another dog as good as the last lab that passed during early summer an amazing dog , did everything and more
