Hog hunting can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but it can also be dangerous one if not done correctly.
Having the appropriate dog by your side is one of the most significant factors in determining how successful a hog hunt you will have out there.
Did you know that some dog breeds are better than other for hog hunting?
In the following paragraphs, we will discuss bay dogs vs catch dogs and the dog breeds that are ideal for hog hunting.
From formidable hounds to super smart pointers, these pups are sure to help you track down even the craftiest hogs.
So, if you want to up your hog hunting game, keep reading to learn about the best breeds for the job.
Bay Dogs vs Catch Dogs for Hog Hunting
There are two distinct kinds of dogs that are utilized in hog hunting, and these are known as bay dogs and catch dogs.
Catch dogs are trained to trap a hog and hold it until the hunter arrives, whereas bay dogs are trained to track down a hog and corner it after it has been located.
Hounds, of which bay dogs are often examples, are well-known for their keen sense of smell as well as their capacity to track a scent across extensive distances.
These dogs are trained to search and locate hogs, and if they do find one, they will use their loud barking to alert the hunter and keep the hog cornered until the hunter gets at the scene.
On the other hand, catch dogs are often larger breeds that have more muscle mass, such as bulldogs or pit bulls.
These dogs have been taught to seize the hog by the ear or the snout and to hold it until the hunter arrives at the scene.
Once the hog has been captured, catch dogs are frequently used to tame and restrain it so that the hunter would have an easier time dispatching the animal.
Both bay dogs and catch dogs are essential to the success of a hog hunt; nevertheless, these two types of dogs are taught in quite different ways and serve very distinct objectives.
Catahoula Leopard Hound
This breed is noted for its great sense of smell as well as its ability to track hogs and corner them like a boss.
They are nimble and quick, which gives them the ability to keep up with even the most skittish of hogs.
Black and Tan Coonhound
These dogs are well-known for their tenacity and endurance, making them a favorite breed for the sport of hog hunting.
They are also pretty darn good at treeing hogs, which means that they are able to follow the hog up a tree and corner it until the hunter arrives.
Bluetick Coonhound
A lot like the Black and Tan Coonhound, you will find that the Bluetick Coonhound is a breed that really excels at hog hunting due to its intelligence (as well as its work ethic).
This breed has a notable characteristic bark that is both audible and immediately recognizable, which makes them an effective tool for alerting the hunter to the position of the hog.
Redbone Coonhound
The Redbone Coonhound is a breed of dog that is well-known for its bright red coats.
They are a robust and athletic breed, which makes them well-suited for the physical rigors of hog hunting.
Because of their intelligence and eagerness to please, they are easy to train for hog hunting.
Treeing Walker Coonhound
The Treeing Walker Coonhound is a breed of dog that is famous for its ability to tree hogs, which is where the breed gets its name.
This breed is known for being quick and agile, and they have a loud and distinct bark, all of which contribute to their effectiveness as hunting companions in terms of guiding the hunter to the hog’s position.
Australian Cattle Dog
The breed of dog known as the Australian Cattle Dog is renowned for the intellect, stamina, and determination it has.
Dogs of this breed are agile, robust, and have a natural instinct to herd and maintain order among livestock, all of which make them ideal for hog hunting.
Rhodesian Ridgeback
The Rhodesian Ridgeback is a breed of dog that was originally bred in Africa for the purpose of hunting lions.
This breed is famous for its bravery, speed, and strength.
They are intelligent and self-sufficient, and their crazy powerful bite makes them quite useful for catching and holding hogs since it allows them to get a good grip on the animals.
American Bulldog
This breed is well-known for its hardiness and determination, no matter what it is put up against.
The American Bulldog is a strong and muscular breed of dog with an insanely strong bite that makes it a suitable breed for catching and holding hogs.
Vizsla
The breed of dog known as the Vizsla is famous for its quickness, intellect, and agility.
These dogs are devoted to their masters and always follow their commands, and their acute sense of smell enables them to successfully track hogs.
Dogo Argentino
The Dogo Argentino is a very popular catch dog for the hunting of wild boars.
It was bred in Argentina for the purpose of hunting large game.
This breed is famous for its tenacity, athleticism, and bravery among other qualities.
They are agile, powerful, and have a strong bite, all of which contribute to the fact that they are super effective at catching and holding hogs.
They also have a highly developed smelling capability.
American Pit Bull Terrier
The breed of dog known as the Pit Bull is famous for its toughness, agility, and persistence.
They have a powerful bite in addition to their impressive speed and strength, which enables them to successfully capture and hold hogs once they have them in their grasp.
Mastiff
This breed is well-known for its bravery as well as its power and size.
The Mastiff breed is known for its strength, gigantic size, and powerful bite, all of which contribute to the dog’s ability to successfully capture and contain hogs.
American Staffordshire Terrier
The American Staffordshire Terrier, also known as the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, is a breed of dog that excels at hog hunting.
This breed is renowned for its strength, agility, and determination, which gives them the force and effectiveness necessary to catch and retain hogs.
These canines have a high sense of smell in addition to their impressive intelligence.
American Staffordshire Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are completely different breeds and not interchangeable name wise. A SBT is like a small cousin or little brother to the APBT/AmStaff. SBT’s are usually 14-16″ at the shoulder and weigh less than 40lbs. A much smaller more compact dog and one I wouldn’t recommend for a catch dog unless you are hunting pigletts.