Catch dogs

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Anonymous

Hi,

Great site and boards! I'm hoping to get in touch with others who keep and use catch dogs - either on the ranch or in the woods.

I keep Southern Whites ("American Bulldogs") and a pit bull, and would love to get in touch with others who hold these dogs in the same regard as I do.

All the best,

Lee

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...a dog used in work to bite and hold ('catch'!) a bull, boar or other unruly animal so that it can be controlled safely by a farmer/rancher or hunter.

Example - American Bulldogs (aka Southern White, Alabama Bulldog, White English) are used as catch dogs, so are Pit Bulls, Dogo Argentinos, Perro de Torros etc.

Hope that helps clarify :)

Lee Rainmaker Kennels (UK)

> Hi um- not to sound dumb but whats
> a catch dog

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A good cow dog can work miracles and extract cooperation out of all but the saltiest bulls and cows.

As far as bulldogs go, I've never personally witnessed it but I've heard and read that they can be incredibly courageous when dealing with bulls. Frederic Remington, the great (greatest IMHO) western painter was also a fantastic writer. He wrote a little about bulldogs and how they could take a bull down by grabbing him around the nose and mouth and hanging on for dear life until the bull passed out from lack of air. Of course they took an amazing amount of physical abuse between when they grabbed him and when they brought him down. It's a great testimony to the character and tenacity of a bulldog.

Remington wrote many other marvelous stories about his experiences with the cowboys, 10th Cavalry, mountain men, vaqueros, Indians, and other colorful characters of his day. His stuff is certainly worth checking out if you enjoy that type of literature.

As far as pits go, I don't have any use for them. They are like some people in that all they know is one speed and direction and don't have a reverse gear. No judgement, no mercy and no loyalty. I know some people swear by them but I wouldn't have one if you paid me. I've never seen a pit that was any count for anything but guarding a junkyard and they all get meaner as they get older. IMO they are incorrigible and don't deserve anything but a bullet. I would never risk them around livestock.

Regular bulldogs are a different story. I hold them in high esteem.

Oh well, my two cents.

Craig
 
Properly bred and cared for Pit Bulls are as gentle and well mannered as any other dog or breed of dogs.. The are a little over defensive with other strange dogs, but properly trained will handle that situation as well. We, that is humans have developed a dog for a purpose, then over developed and ruined them through training or lack of same> They aren't my personal preference but their are excellent examples of a good companion, adequate working animal and excellent guard dog.

dunmovin farms

> A good cow dog can work miracles
> and extract cooperation out of all
> but the saltiest bulls and cows.

> As far as bulldogs go, I've never
> personally witnessed it but I've
> heard and read that they can be
> incredibly courageous when dealing
> with bulls. Frederic Remington,
> the great (greatest IMHO) western
> painter was also a fantastic
> writer. He wrote a little about
> bulldogs and how they could take a
> bull down by grabbing him around
> the nose and mouth and hanging on
> for dear life until the bull
> passed out from lack of air. Of
> course they took an amazing amount
> of physical abuse between when
> they grabbed him and when they
> brought him down. It's a great
> testimony to the character and
> tenacity of a bulldog.

> Remington wrote many other
> marvelous stories about his
> experiences with the cowboys, 10th
> Cavalry, mountain men, vaqueros,
> Indians, and other colorful
> characters of his day. His stuff
> is certainly worth checking out if
> you enjoy that type of literature.

> As far as pits go, I don't have
> any use for them. They are like
> some people in that all they know
> is one speed and direction and
> don't have a reverse gear. No
> judgement, no mercy and no
> loyalty. I know some people swear
> by them but I wouldn't have one if
> you paid me. I've never seen a pit
> that was any count for anything
> but guarding a junkyard and they
> all get meaner as they get older.
> IMO they are incorrigible and
> don't deserve anything but a
> bullet. I would never risk them
> around livestock.

> Regular bulldogs are a different
> story. I hold them in high esteem.

> Oh well, my two cents.

> Craig
 
Hi Craig,

Thanks for replying. I must say I'm sorry to hear your experiences with Pits. The traits you describe certainly aren't typical of a well-bred, well raised APBT!

I know a great many people who, like myself, raise the dogs for farm work, herding, hunting, and a whole host of other jobs. They're extremely willing to please, obedient and well driven without being too hard headed (under the right owner).

Still, as you say, we can only offer our two cents. I've taken mine from experiences with the breed and it sounds like you did the same - maybe if you looked for more APBT owners working their dogs you might change your impression?

Just a thought :) Cheers,

Lee PS: You're right, Bulldogs rule! *grin*

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how do you train a dog to catch a bull?
> hold ('catch'!) a bull, boar or
> other unruly animal so that it can
> be controlled safely by a
> farmer/rancher or hunter.

> Example - American Bulldogs (aka
> Southern White, Alabama Bulldog,
> White English) are used as catch
> dogs, so are Pit Bulls, Dogo
> Argentinos, Perro de Torros etc.

> Hope that helps clarify :)

> Lee Rainmaker Kennels (UK)

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> how do you train a dog to catch a bull?

Hi,

The simple answer is, "You don't!"

The dogs are born with a deeply ingrained instinct to work stock and to bite and hold. Sure, they develop their technique and individual style over time but the actual instinct is there from day one.

No training required. That does NOT mean they use this instinct in the direction of humans, by the way!!

If you're interested in seeing a catch dog at work, click the links below.

Please note the photos show a catch dog in holds on a bull's and pig's ear respectively. There is no blood or anything of the sort, but I appreciate that some may find this offensive - just a warning.

<A HREF="http://www.perroalano.com/craneopartidoeng.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.perroalano.com/craneopartidoeng.htm</A> (Spanish Alano)

<A HREF="http://www.huntingdogos.com/pups/training/dante_training.JPG" TARGET="_blank">http://www.huntingdogos.com/pups/training/dante_training.JPG</A> (Amazing pic of a BABY Dogo who just saw his first pig.. this was his reaction!!)

Hope this answered your question. Cheers,

Lee

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> OK here"s my 2 cents worth; any animal that you need to use a catch dog on should be culled immediatly with a bullet! I,ve been kicked, run over, stomped, and bit, (by a sow). If you can't bait a cow into a catch, work them off a horse or walk them down with a cattle prod they need to be culled for the future of everybody that works with livestock. disposition is a very inheritable trait . Thats why holstien bulls have such a bad reputatiion, any outlaw was put up with if his daughter's milk production was excellent and many dairy's had facilities to handle bad actors( pens , gates, doors, electric fence and a very controlled enviroment. As far as using catch dogs,(Hadn't herd of them but) I've been around working and hunting dogs all my life and Dun is right.Pit bulls have a bad rep because people don't know how to handle them. Most old line bred pit bulls were very well behaved because in the pits any dog that didn't heed the handler was culled immediatly. With the increase in popularity( as with so many breeds of many species) lots of animals with marginal behavior were allowed to reproduce because demand was there and new owners didn't know better.

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No offense intended here to dog lovers or anyone in particular. I love dogs more than most, but my neighbors three pit bulls got into a pen and started killing my fathers hogs. I had to shoot them all to get them cleared off. I hated to do this, but the deputy agreed with me and fined the neighbor. Incidently, this idiot was giving them aggression training, and I was scared to let my son outside.

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Unfortunetly you can't shoot the source of the problem, the owner. The dogs were just doing what dogs will do in a pack if not properly trained. I've had to shoot way more dogs then I like to remember, for some reason, without anybody to witness it, folks feel free to just dump their dogs here and abandon them. We all know what kind of "holes" do that.

dunmovin farms

> No offense intended here to dog
> lovers or anyone in particular. I
> love dogs more than most, but my
> neighbors three pit bulls got into
> a pen and started killing my
> fathers hogs. I had to shoot them
> all to get them cleared off. I
> hated to do this, but the deputy
> agreed with me and fined the
> neighbor. Incidently, this idiot
> was giving them aggression
> training, and I was scared to let
> my son outside.
 

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