Running Dogs

[Mose]

I have been hearing recently that running dogs were the way to go (julys, running walkers, trigg, etc.). The theory is that they are considerably faster than treeing hounds and can usually be tought to tree with a little effort. I have also noticed alot of hounds beeing crossed with running walkers and triggs. Are those breeds really that much better on a track and does that carry over to bear, cat, coon? If what I have been hearing is true you would think more people would have running dogs, or at least crosses. Just wondering what you guys thought.

[Dan Edwards]

The good ones are awful good.

[pete richardson]

what ive seen is , average running dogs run with the very best tree dogs-
and do it day after day - and do it at a much older age --


its hard to find running dogs with any tree or cold trailing in them

ive seen running dogs lose a track and over run it 5 miles-- no exageration--

ive seen running dogs that would not even bay -

coyote stops, they go look for one that will run -


they can be crazy--- i hated alot of them



bred to run and not much else-

ive seen a few thet were such great track dogs it is just hard to describe--- give you goose bumps -
a few that were cold nosed as any -

i had a running walker coyote dog that would tree coon and fisher like any treehound - very cold nosed - i used him on bear whenever i was short a dog for whatever reason---and he was as good as any dog ive seen--

-id like a yardfull just like him-

ive seen dogs that were 1/2 to 1/16 running dog that had speed to burn
- a little seems to go along ways
--

pick the running hounds and the tree hounds very carefully--

chances are , you will gain speed and loose a little nose and treeing ability --




its not such a simple question-- lol


short answer is yes--

[Gary Roberson]

We have been doing this for years, especially in South Texas. The cross of choice is the bluetick with running walkers. Seems to give them a little more nose, grit and a little tree. The running side gives you the speed, stamina and the desire to look for a track on the ground and not look for a tree. As you know, if you have a dog looking for a tree, that means he is not running to catch.

[Dan Edwards]

I always wanted somebody to breed a good strain of July dogs to a good strain of cur dogs and hunt them on cat and see what they could get.

[mike martell]

I RECENTLY HAD A HALF WALKER HALF TRIGG DOG. THIS WILL BE MY LAST EVER ATTEMPT. THIS DOG CAN PUSH A TRACK.I JUST GIVE HER TO A GOOD FRIEND .THE DOG WILL HAVE UNTIL HIS NEW PUP GETS OLD ENOUGH TO START HUNTING . IF SHE DONT LOOK UP AND TREE SHE IS GONE.THESE DOGS ARE REMARKABLE TRACK DRIVING MACHINES, BUT IT GOES DOWN HILL FAST FROM THERE. THERE ARE MANY BREEDERS WHO HAVE RUNNING DOGS THAT TREE, I JUST HAVE NOT FOUND THAT FOR MYSELF. LOOKING AT THE HISTORY OF THE HOUND, MANY TRACE THERE ROOTS BACK TO THE FOX HOUND. MY STRAIN OF WALKERS ARE LINKED WAY BACK TO A RUNNING DOG CALLED RED LIQUOR.AS WELL AS THE BLUETICK HOUND. (TICKED WALKER AS IN BLUE ) MY DOGS ARE ALL PURPLE RIBBON BRED. I HAVE ACCURATE RECORDS WAY BACK TO 1927 ON MY STRAIN OF HOUNDS. IT IS A LESSON IN HISTORY. I DID NOT MAKE THE CROSS ON THIS LITTLE DOG. AS I WOULD EXPECT WORSE RESULTS. MY OPINION ON TREEING WALKERS IS THEY ORIGINATED FROM STRAINS OF DOGS THAT DON'T TREE WELL. I DEMAND A DOG THAT WILL STAY UNTIL I CAN GET TOO THEM HOWEVER LONG IT TAKES. THIS IS WHY MANY PEOPLE CHOOSE TO CROSS BREED THERE DOGS FOR TRAIL AND TREE ENHANCEMENT. THAT IS ALSO THE REASON I LINE BREED TO RETAIN THE GOOD TRAITS. AS I SEE THE STRAIN I HUNT CROSSED WITH SOME HIGH POWER WALKERS THAT END UP BEING NO COUNT TREE HOUNDS. THIS IS THE COST OF OUT CROSSING DOGS. THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS THIS. FIND A BREEDER WHO HAS BEEN AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME AND HAS A GAME PLAN THAT WORKS CONSISTANTLY. HIS LINE OF RUNNING DOGS HAPPEN TO ALSO TREE WELL OR YOU WILL MOST LIKELY END UP WASTING ALOT OF TIME. JUST AN OPINION HERE FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH.

[horshur]

I know nothing abou runnin dogs cept some second hand stories that my dad has told about his step dad runnin coyotes and the odd wolf in the 30's in Alberta for money to try to keep clothes on his kids. Grey's and Airdales and crosses of the two.

Regardless, I have had this thought. Sometimes....maybe even most of the time..the journey is more important than the destination.

It sure would be alot of fun to try don't you think??

[Dan Edwards]

Yes, it is fun and sometimes awful rewarding. One of our biggest obstacles to over come is thinking for ourselves and attempting thing ourselves and not taking the word of those with theory and no practical experience. I do think Mike is right though but I just have had a hard time finding folks in this world that are successful breeders of the kind of dogs I want. When you do find a man that is successful, he aint selling his dogs at all nor hardly giving them away to anybody that aint real real close.

[mike martell]

DAN .YOU ARE ON THE MONEY. TRUER WORDS HAVE NEVER BEEN SPOKEN, FOR ME THE JOURNEY HAS BEEN LONG AND HARD. ( SOMETIMES I THINK I'M AN IDIOT FOR TRYING SO HARD )I HAVE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE BREEDING PROGRAM OF ANY PERSON IN THE WORLD. WHAT THAT MEANS IS NOTHING. TRYING TO HAVE THE TYPE OF HOUNDS YOU DREAM OF HUNTING. HAPPENS TO ONLY BE A DREAM AND A GOAL. MORE TIMES THAN NOT I FALL FLAT ON MY FACE. THAT BEING SAID, I WONDER HOW THE GOOD OLD BOYS DO IT BY BREEDING AND SELLING A BUNCH OF DOGS? BORN TO HUNT, FORCED TO BREED MY OWN. LOL. ITS AS GOOD AS IT GETS!

[Hipshooter]

After many years useing & breeding running dogs this is my take on your question.
Coon ---- not good coon dogs.
Bear---- will lead most packs on track. most will tree on a bear, when 90% of the bears can be seen. Not the best on gritt on bears.
Bobcats---- the prefered breed here.
Coyotes--- The perfered breed here.
Hogs.---- Bay dogs only usally. But make outstanding find the hog dogs. Usally open mouthed, witch most pig hunters do not like.
Squirrel---- not good squirrel dogs.
Deer---- Very good deer dogs, the prefered breed here.

When running dogs are crossed, the crosses usally make out standing dogs on a number og game.
Running dogs crossed with Plotts make outstanding dogs on most any game.

[Jake Bell]

well im just starting my journey and i lucked out, like dan said most of the good breeders dont sell dogs, they give them to guys they hunt with. well i lucked out and met a couple guys and started hunting bear with them in august, ive hunted lots with them this year and they took me under their wing, and i know im not an expert but these guys have some damn good dogs. in august at the guide zone in north bay, i seen them out do dogs from all over Canada and the states. and never brag or puff up their chest, they were just happy to be treein bears. and as luck would have it old suzie had some pups, she is one of their best and bred to their best trail dog. the last cross was outstanding and ray told me to grab as many as i want. But back to the question on running dogs, my buddy had a couple guys up at the guide zone with some running dogs crossed with tree dogs and man can they motor and as for the tree,and grit thing you still need proven parents to have good pups, you cant just go to the pound and pick up a running walker and a coon dog and expect top notch dogs (unless you are super lucky and some poor hunter is lookin for his hounds lmfao) its just like breeding a pure bred dog, the pups can only work with what their parents gave them and if they are both bear dogs, pretty good chance that the parents traits are going to mesh in that cross, but there is still a chance of the traits not meshing too. its that whole genetic thing that is too complicated for me lmfao. but the running dog crosses that the guys had up at my buddies guidzone were apparently bear catching machines, but i think il stick to the plotts, they are doin it for me.