Color of dog and endurance

[Big Mike]

For those of you that hunt in hot country im curious to hear what you think. Is there a differance in endurance with the color of dog? For example to mostly white dogs handle the heat better that darker blues and black dogs or vise versa.

Hunting mule back the way I do endurance is a huge factor. What i mean by endurance is after a 15-20 mile ride which dogs are still hunting not drag'n a$$ behind the mule. Ive notice smaller dogs last longer than bigger dogs.

I havnt really given this topic much thought until lately so I dont have an answer. Ive hunted every color there is but cant say I paid any attention to the color as it relates to endurance.

What do you guys think??????

[Benny G]

It has been my experience that conditioning is by far the most limiting factor for endurance. I have hunted almost every color of dog, and when I lived on the desert of Az the dogs that were in top shape didn't have near the issues that the rest of them had. Keep the dogs hunted and trimmed down, the endurance takes care of it's self.

[Pops]

had a curXbulldog that could run w/plotts & walkers in NC BECAUSE i ran the p*** out of him in the off season.

[sourdough]

I think that every color of hounds have their own physical limitations when it comes to heat I have some black dogs that will far out perform my walkers in the heat of summer. Does that mean that black is better? I don’t know. Is it that my black dogs have a stronger will and desire to finish a track? I can’t say for sure. What I can say is the conditioning of the dogs was the same so therefore their endurance should also be the same. Just Like us dogs need to replace their water loss or they can suffer heat stroke I always pack extra water with me if I know I won’t be able to water them out in my travels and I have saved a few of my hounds lives with it. I will say that spring can be the hardest time on any hound with a winter coat in place as the temperatures change the most through out the day than any other time of year and we don’t think about making sure the hounds are watered out good before we leave as it cool in the morning and nice, by 10:00 AM the temps start to climb rapidly and by noon it feels like summer. I got a little off track with this. I can say this, the black dogs I am hunting seem to be very heat tolerant over the Walkers I have and some that I have hunted not being the same strain. Would I recommend black over white, blue, brindle, red, or chartreuse never? Evaluate what you hunt in the area that you hunt and go from there and then try to reproduce what works.

sourdough

[radar]

I think that every color of hounds have their own physical limitations when it comes to heat I have some black dogs that will far out perform my walkers in the heat of summer. Does that mean that black is better? I don’t know. Is it that my black dogs have a stronger will and desire to finish a track? I can’t say for sure. What I can say is the conditioning of the dogs was the same so therefore their endurance should also be the same. Just Like us dogs need to replace their water loss or they can suffer heat stroke I always pack extra water with me if I know I won’t be able to water them out in my travels and I have saved a few of my hounds lives with it. I will say that spring can be the hardest time on any hound with a winter coat in place as the temperatures change the most through out the day than any other time of year and we don’t think about making sure the hounds are watered out good before we leave as it cool in the morning and nice, by 10:00 AM the temps start to climb rapidly and by noon it feels like summer. I got a little off track with this. I can say this, the black dogs I am hunting seem to be very heat tolerant over the Walkers I have and some that I have hunted not being the same strain. Would I recommend black over white, blue, brindle, red, or chartreuse never? Evaluate what you hunt in the area that you hunt and go from there and then try to reproduce what works.

sourdough

How about winter, whats the differance in the dog if any?Cuz I've noticed walker's take the cold pretty good......I would mabe think that if the black dogs out perform the walkers in every element then mabe it is a desire thing

[Brady Davis]

I would agree that conditioning has more to do with endurance.

That said, I can not go against common sense and say a black dog will not be hotter than a white dog. Black absorbs heat ; white doesn't. White wins in the heat

[sourdough]

If white was a true adaptation over dark colors when it comes to heat, the camels in the Sahara desert would be white, as well as the occupants that make up the population of Africa. The Scandinavians would all be dark skinned to help absorb heat from the sun in their cold climate. I am not taking sides one way or another, I can just go off of my observation from the hounds I hunt, each having their own abilities and each bringing their own talents to the hunt. Steve Mathis was asked once why he hunted the color of hounds he hunted, his answer was I would prefer them to be white so I could see them better, but this is what works for me.

sourdough

[radar]

Sourdough, you didn't really answer my ? not trying to stir anything up just trying to figure it out too??

[sourdough]

Radar,

If my black dogs out performed my Walkers in every element then there would be no reason to keep my Walkers. I can only go off of the observations I made with my own strain of dogs put another strain of black dog up against mine maybe they would be better or maybe they would be worse I don’t know. There is no doubt that conditioning will take care of a lot of endurance issues. That being said I am not talking about dogs that get hunted once in awhile but dogs that spend a tremendous amount of time hunting so I do have a gauge to go off of. Some of the heat problems I have had have been mental and some physical if I could tie it to one strain of Walker then I could understand but I can’t so all I can say is that the black dogs I hunt seem to be very heat tolerant. This is not a black vs white issue to me as I own both and that’s what works for me…


sourdough

[radar]

Cool.....I was simply trying to ask about how they did't in the winter maybe I didn't ask it properly....I agree with everything you've said on here.



How about winter, whats the differance in the dog if any?Cuz I've noticed walker's take the cold pretty good......I would mabe think that if the black dogs out perform the walkers in every element then mabe it is a desire thing

[sourdough]

Radar,

Winter is a moot question. Winter does not affect the endurance of most hounds like the heat of summer. So am not sure of your question. Can my black dogs handle the cold as well as the heat? To that I would say yes. Have I noticed my Walker to handle the cold better than my black dogs? No

I hope that answered your ?

sourdough

[radar]

Oh 10-4

[cat and bear]

Interesting subject. With a million answers, all I know, if its sunny and warm outside, and I'm in a field or lawn working, I wear a white tee shirt, instead of black. Unless you are trying to drop weight. I think the breed, and conditioning is the biggest factor, which dogs are performing. I also think the strain of dogs, as an example, The plotts, here are mostly heavier haired, which heats more. I have lost a couple of dogs over the years, that got on a bear, that died on the track, couldnt get them off, down in dry swamps, no air. Also, in WI winters, seems the plotts in general tolerate the cold better also. Now, the walkers, the summers seem to be easier, but the winters, are harder for them, thinner hair. Again, the strains of bear dogs we bred and use here. Now with that being said, I just picked up two walkers from nevada to maybe cross into my line, if they work here. And they have a coat, that is soft, like a lamb, and thick. In 35 years of dogs, never seen this before. There only nine months, but unless the shed out, I'm now worried about heat issues with them. So, once again, the more I think I know, the more I understand, I know nothing

[cat and bear]

Hunting mule back the way I do endurance is a huge factor. What i mean by endurance is after a 15-20 mile ride which dogs are still hunting not drag'n a$$ behind the mule. Ive notice smaller dogs last longer than bigger dogs.

Mike that is another interesting topic. For the dogs which works in your area, and hunting needs. I know a lot of you western guys like the smaller dogs, for this reason, also for snowmobile boxes etc. Here I like the tall dogs, about 65 to 70 lbs. For bear,We hunt a lot of water, rivers, muck, cranberry marsh etc. The little dogs, do as good as any, on the first bear, the second bear of the day, they can do it but if so, there not at their best. same goes with the second day And forget about the third day, they are just wore out. The other thing I noticed, by four or five, they are usually the last dog crossing. I've owned several, and the first to sell. Best described, is like dogs bucking two feet of snow, in some of the area's a bear takes them. If you want to catch a lot of bear here, you should have nice tall dogs, I find it very interesting what works for guys in the area, and conditions they hunt

[Nolte]

I have lost a couple of dogs over the years, that got on a bear, that died on the track, couldnt get them off, down in dry swamps, no air.

Ron,

I got to agree with you here on the dry swamps, no air comment. In WI we are cursed and blessed by water. A lot of the time we get to run in the shade, unless we get into a slash or cutover. We also ususally have the chase go through an area with some sort of water, which greatly helps to cool the dogs off. But in those days without dew, humid, no wind and where we've had a dry spell it can be a bad combo with dogs. The only way to explain it is it's like someone is choking you. Which unless you are a kung fu star looking to get your rocks off, is a very bad thing.

Here I like the tall dogs, about 65 to 70 lbs. For bear,We hunt a lot of water, rivers, muck, cranberry marsh etc.

Again I got to agree with you on this. I've always had good luck with those lanky, rangy type dogs with a decent frame that are trimmed down hard. I've seen a lot of good little dogs and those jumbo ones too, but as a general rule that is what I like. Then again, what I like and what I got that works might be totally different.