Post by Clifford on Mar 9, 2011 7:09:12 GMT -6
After nearly three years, and so many discussions it defies comprehension, I am finally going to put in wirting my official position about Lacys and Hog Hunting!
It seems ridiculous to me that a breed which originated as a hog dog is now controlled by a large group of folks who will not sell a pup to anyone who readily admits that they intend to use the dog for just that!
I also believe that most of this attitude is driven by misconceptions. And major fuel was added during the split, a term I have long used to define the time when a group of folks dissatisfied with one association formed another one. It became easy to find followers for this line of thinking by demonizing the practice along with the folks in the second group! ANd, the numbers grew even more rapidly when reports of injured and killed dogs became news of the day! This may not have been calculated, but it sure happened.... A few isolated instances generated a knee jerk reaction, and the whole Lacy world turned upside down!
I could list them, but really don't see that as necessary at this point!
As a new Lacy owner, I was eager to be a part of the so called Lacy family, but soon began to wonder what kind of family was so full of hatred, and so misguided. It was very hard to resolve the facts that Lacys were hog dogs, but no one wanted them used for that! Combine that with the activities at "fun" days, where dogs were commonly put in a bay pen to demonstrate their prowess at working hogs, and the irony was even more obvious.
But, direct observation of baying, and many hours of talking with hogs hunters who used Lacys revealed something that has to be considered in order to form an accurate assessment of the subject at hand.
The number one reason folks object to hunting hogs with Lacys is because of the danger involved. They do not want to see a dog get hurt, or killed! And, that became the rallying point for the anti-hog dog movement...
Yes, hog hunting can be very dangerous!
But, you have to delve deeper into the actual practices of hog hunters to fully understand why injuries occur. And, there is one factor which stands out to anyone more than a casual observer, if you are williing to examine this subject with an open mind.
Hogs, especially older boars, are intelligent creatures easliy on par with the dogs. They also are equipped with everything they need to survive in the wild, where they can be confronted by large predators intent on making them there next meal. Their nature is to run from danger, but when flight doesn't work they will stand and fight.
In the bay pen, I observed that hogs try to break away from the dogs up to the point where they realize they cannot, and then will stand in a defensive posture, and attempt to keep the dogs back by hitting them with their head, and formidable tusks. This behavior is exactly the same in the wild, but the hog has much more open area, and can choose the place to make his stand.
In the bay pen, the hog's level of agressive activity goes up rapidly with the number of dogs he is facing. With one good dog, the odds are that all but the meanest hogs will not fight much. With two dogs, you see similar behavior. But, add a third dog, and things change dramatically! The hog is now in a situation where he may have two dogs in front, and one biting at his rear. And now, the hog is forced to fight!
Obviously, there is no use in using general terms like always or never to define what can happen on a hog hunt... But, there is a parallel to this behavior in a pen that takes place when you drop dogs in the woods.
I have heard it stated many times here in MS that "If you want your dogs cut up, put more than two down at a time!" It is thick in many areas here, and hogs frequently bay faster, rather than running for long distances, if you have two good dogs.
I should have placed heavy emphasis on "good dogs", because two is enough to get the job done if the dogs are up to the task.
I submit that using more than two dogs at once is a huge factor in injuries during hunts, and that hunters are compensating for not having good enough dogs by adding more dogs to the pack! The difference between geographic areas is also a factor in how hogs hunters in Texas, versus other areas, hunt!
But, there is no denying that dropping a lot of dogs on a hog hunt not only directly increases the chances of injuries, but accelerates the probability...
Lacys are extremely agile dogs, very capable of outmanuevering a hog in almost every case. Not all of them will make great hog dogs, but many of them are perfectly capable of working hogs either in a pen, or the woods, without being seriously injured, if the hunter uses common sense. There is no denying that any time a dog is turned loose to do any activity there is a chance that it will be hurt. so why pretend otherwise?
All Lacy breeders, that I am acquainted with, seem to be genuinely concerned about where they place pups. But, there needs to be more consideration given to why so many of them will not allow their pups to be used for something they were bred to do!
Anyone who would like to dispute what I have written, or add something, is welcome to express their views on this. But, in my opinion, the practice of excluding hog hunters as owners needs to be re-evaluated!
It seems ridiculous to me that a breed which originated as a hog dog is now controlled by a large group of folks who will not sell a pup to anyone who readily admits that they intend to use the dog for just that!
I also believe that most of this attitude is driven by misconceptions. And major fuel was added during the split, a term I have long used to define the time when a group of folks dissatisfied with one association formed another one. It became easy to find followers for this line of thinking by demonizing the practice along with the folks in the second group! ANd, the numbers grew even more rapidly when reports of injured and killed dogs became news of the day! This may not have been calculated, but it sure happened.... A few isolated instances generated a knee jerk reaction, and the whole Lacy world turned upside down!
I could list them, but really don't see that as necessary at this point!
As a new Lacy owner, I was eager to be a part of the so called Lacy family, but soon began to wonder what kind of family was so full of hatred, and so misguided. It was very hard to resolve the facts that Lacys were hog dogs, but no one wanted them used for that! Combine that with the activities at "fun" days, where dogs were commonly put in a bay pen to demonstrate their prowess at working hogs, and the irony was even more obvious.
But, direct observation of baying, and many hours of talking with hogs hunters who used Lacys revealed something that has to be considered in order to form an accurate assessment of the subject at hand.
The number one reason folks object to hunting hogs with Lacys is because of the danger involved. They do not want to see a dog get hurt, or killed! And, that became the rallying point for the anti-hog dog movement...
Yes, hog hunting can be very dangerous!
But, you have to delve deeper into the actual practices of hog hunters to fully understand why injuries occur. And, there is one factor which stands out to anyone more than a casual observer, if you are williing to examine this subject with an open mind.
Hogs, especially older boars, are intelligent creatures easliy on par with the dogs. They also are equipped with everything they need to survive in the wild, where they can be confronted by large predators intent on making them there next meal. Their nature is to run from danger, but when flight doesn't work they will stand and fight.
In the bay pen, I observed that hogs try to break away from the dogs up to the point where they realize they cannot, and then will stand in a defensive posture, and attempt to keep the dogs back by hitting them with their head, and formidable tusks. This behavior is exactly the same in the wild, but the hog has much more open area, and can choose the place to make his stand.
In the bay pen, the hog's level of agressive activity goes up rapidly with the number of dogs he is facing. With one good dog, the odds are that all but the meanest hogs will not fight much. With two dogs, you see similar behavior. But, add a third dog, and things change dramatically! The hog is now in a situation where he may have two dogs in front, and one biting at his rear. And now, the hog is forced to fight!
Obviously, there is no use in using general terms like always or never to define what can happen on a hog hunt... But, there is a parallel to this behavior in a pen that takes place when you drop dogs in the woods.
I have heard it stated many times here in MS that "If you want your dogs cut up, put more than two down at a time!" It is thick in many areas here, and hogs frequently bay faster, rather than running for long distances, if you have two good dogs.
I should have placed heavy emphasis on "good dogs", because two is enough to get the job done if the dogs are up to the task.
I submit that using more than two dogs at once is a huge factor in injuries during hunts, and that hunters are compensating for not having good enough dogs by adding more dogs to the pack! The difference between geographic areas is also a factor in how hogs hunters in Texas, versus other areas, hunt!
But, there is no denying that dropping a lot of dogs on a hog hunt not only directly increases the chances of injuries, but accelerates the probability...
Lacys are extremely agile dogs, very capable of outmanuevering a hog in almost every case. Not all of them will make great hog dogs, but many of them are perfectly capable of working hogs either in a pen, or the woods, without being seriously injured, if the hunter uses common sense. There is no denying that any time a dog is turned loose to do any activity there is a chance that it will be hurt. so why pretend otherwise?
All Lacy breeders, that I am acquainted with, seem to be genuinely concerned about where they place pups. But, there needs to be more consideration given to why so many of them will not allow their pups to be used for something they were bred to do!
Anyone who would like to dispute what I have written, or add something, is welcome to express their views on this. But, in my opinion, the practice of excluding hog hunters as owners needs to be re-evaluated!