Quote: Peter Cavallaro

.... attached image and if you post that i would appreciatte it.

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j275/connies419/peters.jpg

http://i82.photobucket.com/albums/j275/connies419/peter2.jpg

That looks like a Catahoula to me... really neat dogs, and like Ridgebacks, they can have a very serious side to them. But I agree with the other posters about hounds and bite work - not a great match.

~Natalya

ooh look my puppy is on the big shiny internet thingy, kewl. thanks a bunch for that Connie and so quick. i have been trying to do that for weeks. BTW that image is at 10mo. love to put more pics vids up but will have to make the effort to do myself. thanks again C you are it.

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

That looks like a Catahoula to me...
~Natalya

X2

 Quote: Michael_Wise

 Quote: Natalya Zahn

That looks like a Catahoula to me...
~Natalya

X2

X3 Adorable! GREAT hunting dogs, and it was already mentioned that they can have a very serious side, but bite work would not be considered in the bag of tricks for any houndy-type dog I've known. (Several- my Dad raised/worked fox hounds)

 Quote: will rambeau

Peter,
I understand and approve of the concept of "working the dog that you have" - I often see new people show up to clubs with their first dog, which may not be perfect for the venue that they want to train in. I usually coach the newcomers to get as much as they can out of their current dog, and to consider it a training experience that will help them when they get a dog with better drives, etc. down the line.
Betty can back me up in this, as she's seen me coach several dog/handler teams that we felt weren't going to get very far with their current dog, but we viewed it as an investment for the future.

However, if a the dog is hampered by it just being a breed that just doesn't do well with the chosen sport ( the pet owner that many years ago showed up with the Pug for tracking classes remains firmly set in my mind..... ) , the training can just not be very rewarding for either the handler or the dog, and it sounds like you're just at the edge of this happening here.

Just my two cents worth....

My other half is the perfect example of this! We have a sweet, loving English Pointer. Schutzhund dog, not quite. However she can play a sweet game of tug and loves to track. We'll never try to transition her to a sleeve, it just would not be fair to her. She's not cut out for it.

Maybe you can concentrate on the tracking and herding with your hound?

hi, i don't have any intentions of competing this dog in competitve bite sports, i followed advice from the board already on that issue, would only be foolish and cruel.
i am focussing on exactly what you said; tracking and herding due to her natural strengths, the dog has been started in agility and there is a club i can access. she is quite good at it so i will go to some fun trials just for something to do, will beat most dogs except a BC.
the dog is a bully with sheep and cattle, we got put in a "time-out" room at recent seminar. the trainer was a S!*#-head anyway. his demo dog got smashed up by a large dog aggressive ram, my pup had to go save it in front of everyone haha, that was well worth the $400 i paid if nothing else was.
she won't trial against BC's (only thing that can beat a BC is another BC)but can trial in continental style herding, competing against GSD's, Briards, Mals, etc and do real work.
will never replace my dog but will get another bred for bite sports. the bite work i am doing is pretty low key to teach myself correct handling and training is all. the dog is seriously defensive around home and property, no person can enter the property without me knowing well in advance, thats all she needs to do.

So you have the bestest dog in the whole world.

What was your question again?

bestest and beastest to me is all sir, and her pic is on the net gadget thing (just for you Randy) woohoo. happy dog, happy owner, not much else concerns me. can't remember the question, doesn't matter now anyhoo.

cheers

 Quote: Peter Cavallaro

...his demo dog got smashed up by a large dog aggressive ram, my pup had to go save it in front of everyone haha, that was well worth the $400 i paid if nothing else was.

I am confused... was your dog unleashed at the time? I generally won't let my dogs rush into an arena where another dog is already working an aggressive animal...

As far as agility, you said the dog is 18 months? I would make sure that the growth plates are closed before doing things like the weave poles, as the twisting movements can damage a young dog's joints. Jumps and A frame can also be harmful if the dog isn't done growing. (You probably already know this, but others may not know that a dog might not be done physically growing until 2 years old or more. When doing a sport that is hard on joints, like agility or flyball, it's best to make sure your dog is done growing.)

I am also wondering why you won't compete against a Border? The dog has no idea if it has won the trial or not. Personally, I just have fun with my dogs, titles are not my priority. They get a great game of tug whether they had a good run or not.

Just my opinion of course...

--Kelly