The Ultimate Bobcat Dog, PART ONE...

[mark]

Dan, surely it couldn't hurt anything to post a few pictures of the dogs treeing on wild game,along with a short story to go with them. I for one am very curious on how they will locate and tree by themselves. If you're not comfortable with that i would understand.

[twist]

I'm with Mark this is suppose to be an informant post on ultimate cat dogs put some proof up so everyone can see if they are for real or just a dream. Andy

[al baldwin]

Has there really ever been an ultimate bobcat dog, will there ever be an ultimate bobcat dog? Good luck in your efforts Dan. Al

[merlo_105]

Of coarse Al, I hear there in Mark's back yard.

[cobalt]

I, for one, am interested in the little progress, distress, impress and whatever is transpiring with this project. I love it and think it can go in many directions depending on interpretation. Go Dan! I am a dog lover and want to know all the subtle opinions Dan perceives the dogs directions are heading. I understand it is an experiment and learning the truth is most important if anyone is to get anything out of it. Tree skills, lose pickups, drive for the target quarry, trash issues are what interest me. Good or debatable.

[Varminator]

x2, for PART TWO! That would be catching cats, and I'm rooting for you. As said before, nothing feels better than Breeding your own dogs and they're catching game. IMHO!!

[Dan McDonough]

I'll settle that debate right now. That are most definitely a dream at this point.

I don't think there will be a better kind of bobcat dog unless someone tries to make one. certainly not a stamp or type that is repeatable. That is one of the big reasons I started off with the border collie. How many stupid border collies have any of you ever seen. Now, what's the number one trait in a cat dog in most accomplished peoples minds? The brains in a border collie are sooooooo repeatable I figured it was a "no brainer".

It's really the type, attitude and character of dog that I'm most concerned with at this stage in the game. I could very well have selected the right line of bird dogs for this but I wanted to start at the top of the brains-group and border collies have so many other things to bring to the table on top of brains that I didn't really even consider another smart breed of dog.

Now, the big mystery to most folks is the sighthound side of this first pair. While there are several people that have posted that obviously have more experience with sighthounds than I do, I think the great majority of houndsmen don't know sighthounds...or at least not well.

The is sighthounds are something that have to be experienced to truly be explained. They are one of our most extreme breeds in more than just speed. It's also reaction time and alertness. In order for any dog to successfully run that fast they also have to have exceptional reaction time in how their brains process their movement and how that translates into a savings of those precious hundredths of a second that can be the difference between a catch and more chasing. For what ever reason, the cross between the sighthound and the border collie has proven to be somewhat like the cross of a horse and a donkey. The resulting lurchers can do things that neither of the parents can and they don't loose much from either side. They seem to keep most of the brains and most of the physical ability among other things. In addition, when you breed either the sighthound or the border collie to other breeds they affect nearly any cross greatly. That's the kind of consistency of type, character and attitude I want in my final product some day.

As for pictures, I have four different pictures of my dogs treeing bobcats over 8 years of full time, year round training and it's pretty unlikely that I'll start taking more now. Most of the time people are going to have to just use their imagination. You just never know though. One might pop up here one day.

[Maineiac]

To say I have enjoyed all this is an understatement...lookin forward to more.Best of luck always Dan.

[mark]

Of coarse Al, I hear there in Mark's back yard.

Nothing ultimate in my backyard,but i dont have to rely on my imagination to see the results either.

[twist]

Merlo, I promise you Mark doesn't have to reley on dreams to catch cats. He catches more than most on this forum. Andy

[david]

Merlo, I promise you Mark doesn't have to reley on dreams to catch cats. He catches more than most on this forum. Andy

I can attest to that. I got to Marks place around 4:00 pm one afternoon and I think it was 5:45 pm when we were standing under a bobcat in a tree. I think i would get bored and have to quit if I had dogs like that.

But I am pretty sure there was a day when Mark could only dream of having dogs that good. The dreaming is the fun part. It is what keeps us alive. Some call it hope

The men who first started crossing up the breeds that went I into the making of Mark's dogs probably took a little heat also.

Pretty sure those dreamers who started crossing different breeds to produce the border collie took some flack as well.

To say I have enjoyed all this is an understatement...lookin forward to more.Best of luck always Dan.

At over 14,000 hits, I think it is fair to say there are a couple folks interested in what you are doing Dan. We wish you the best, and hope for those lucky breaks we all need in training breakthroughs.

[merlo_105]

Mark, Don't give me that. I have to use my Imagination seem's like everyday right now between rain and pup's. Stealing old man Crowder from Butch to make sure I'm not missing any tracks. Was Slow around here now its back to the Norm for whatever reason.

David, What happen to you, you got a dog now your to good to be on hear. How is Young Sunny doing sure liked that one.

Dan, Keep it up I want to see the outcome

[david]

David, What happen to you, you got a dog now your to good to be on hear. How is Young Sunny doing sure liked that one.

Sonny and Mark's DOC got me out there where there is no phone signal. I am trying to figure out how to keep the 7th day or I would be out there right now. No one in my life ever kept the 7th day so I don't really know how. I am probably supposed to be reading about Jesus and stuff and here I am reading about bobcat dogs.

I got Sonny to help me with my Dan Edwards 1/4 greyhound coyote bred dog. Mark loaned me Doc to help me with Sonny. I would be doing a lot better with all three if I could walk up and down rock walls. I been a flat lander for 30 odd years, and a truck driver for 10, and I sure could use a pair of timber faller's legs right now. By the end of season I might actually be able to make it to a tree. No pictures. Sorry.

[david]

Ps. Dan is right about that grey hound/stag hound influence. It is truly amazing. Even at only 1/4 the influence is strongly present. This dog does things without even thinking about it; things my most athletic hound or cur could only dream of, or possibly perform with a lot of thought and great effort. But hey, dreaming of it ain't all bad.

[david]

Ps.s. The dog might not make it as a bobcat dog. I don't know yet. I know there are folks somewhere who have already tried it, but for some reason, I will probably have to find out for myself. She sure has some traits I enjoy.