Treeing Walker feet

[Ker_man]

I'd like to talk Treeing Walker feet. I guess this would be the best place on this site, since at this point I'd like to keep it around the Walkers.

Are any hunters or breeders on here making good feet a priority in your breeding program or attempts.

My observations are limited to what I've seen and hunted with in a limited area, but have led me to believe that Tight feet with deep pads, short arched toes, with lots of hair between the toes and tough thick skin make the kind of feet I prefer. That said also like as much black pigmentation as possible.
I know that is a tall order but if you have succeed in breeding any of these qualities I'd like to hear about it. Please PM me if you don't want to post. Thanks, Terry

[twist]

Yes I have always tried selecting good feet in my program and yes some dogs just have tougher feet that is a fact but what most dont relieve is with proper conditioning (a strict roading excercise)most all hounds feet can be toughfened to a certain point that will help alot. But non are bullet proof if hunted enough in rough conditions. Andy

[Ker_man]

Thanks for the reply Andy. I kind of thought I'd hear from you.
What in my above description of good feet has been the easiest or hardest to keep in a breeding program? Terry

[twist]

Tight feet is the one hardest thing since I introduced Topper into my program as he tends to throw the more spralwed out feet but they have seemed to hold up real well. But conditiong is a must whenever any dog is hunted hard. Andy

[Redwood Coonhounds]

I won't say I breed for feet per say, but all of my dogs have good tough feet. I have dogs with all black pads, some that are spotted, and others that are all pink. Color has never made a difference either way to toughness. I think a lot of people get hung u on it because on pink feet you can SEE cracks and worn spots easier than on a black pad... Some of the worst feet on dogs I've owned were all black padded (plott, redtick, and a trigg) I have a male with excellent feet, and his are about 90% pink. Conditioning IMO is THE biggest factor. If you hunt rough country, you can't let a dog lay around all year, then try and hunt it for 2 months straight. If I'm not bear hunting, I am running fox or coon. If I'm not hunting those, I road my dogs, 3-5 days a week ALL year long.

I breed for speed, endurance, and just tough (mentally and physically), high drive dogs. To have those qualities they pretty much have to have tough feet on them. I pick the pups in my litters with the nicest "catlike" feet, which I've yet to produce a splay footed pup in my limited amount of litters. I won't keep a dog that has splayed feet. I have one dog here that has longer toes and not as much arch to the toes, but she has a lot of padding and hair on her feet, and she's never given me a problem. She has more of what I'd call a "wolf like" foot.

[dwalton]

Feet are very important and conformation in breeding any dog. The problem is if you have a dog with the heart and ability to catch game that does not have good feet are you going to not breed it and breed a lesser dog that has good feet or will you breed it to a good footed dog trying to improve its feet? Dewey

[larry]

[Ker_man]

Mr Dwalton, I reread your question. I'm not much of a breeder but I guess If someone absolutely wanted to continue the line of the good dog, It should be bred to another good dog with good feet. Then pick the best feet in the pups.

There will (should) be dogs out there with good feet that get the job done. A lot of good dogs don't get to be known and could be interesting.Terry

[Ker_man]

Redwood, some of the worst feet I've seen were also black, I won,t name breeds because I'd like this to stay focused. I think that breeding for the black pigmentation is just a good practice in any dogs that tend to have that much white. I'f you have a breeding program that gives you the good feet and the other qualities don't stray too far from it, the feet are easy to breed out of them. Thanks, Terry

[dwalton]

I had a dog that had foot trouble. Any body that hunted with her want pups out of her. She would hunt until she dropped with bloody feet . I packed her to the pickup sometimes to hunt her. I started a track before day light one morning ,she treed it and two more by 7:00 PM never making back to the rig all day. She might not tree one cat a year that she jumped and jumped most she started. She caught many coyotes on the ground before I broke her. A lot of the Treeing Walker blood in southwest Oregon goes back to her. I don't see a foot problem in them today and would give up my house to have a dog like her today. Feet I can deal with the rest. She had the most brains,heart,speed[ ability to move a track] and cold nose that I have ever seen in one dog. Can you honestly tell me you would not breed to that. Dewey

[Ker_man]

No I can't Mr Walton. You sure remember dogs like that.
When she was bred, what were the breedings if you remember or know?

My friend had a nice female that he got as a pup. She got run-over last spring at 3 yrs.
I think the fastest track dog we have had yet. Always had the track''right'' and I could go on. She had black feet that were not as good as his other dogs feet. I did not hear him complaining about the feet and he sure wishes he had her back, probably would have bred her and yeah I would have been crazy not to have taken a pup. Terry

[dwalton]

Terry: She was a great granddaughter of Finely River Chief Bred out here by Jim Howell out of top cat dogs all Treeing Walker. But were close enough to the running dogs that they handled a track like one. Dewey

[Ker_man]

Mr Dwalton I sent you a PM.

[twist]

I can make a dogs feet tough I cant make them have the abilities to catch cats consistantly that is something called brains and ability I cant make them have these traits, so with that being said I guess everyone knows whats the most important thing to breed for in my eyes is. Andy

[Tim Pittman]

Well said Andy!!