Catahoula/Airedale Cross

[albertaguy]

Hey folks,
I've been using Catahoula dogs, I've been thinking an Airedale/Catahoula cross might be the ticket for my purposes. Anybody have any experience with this cross. Grit, trainability, nose etc.

Thanks for now.

[lepcur]

What's your purpose?

[albertaguy]

Well, like everyone else, I want a dog that does it all. That ain't going to happen, but I need a dog with some sand to run bears off, find wounded/dead game, good to be around, not nipping the neighbours, and retrieve beavers out of the creek once I shoot them.

Am I hoping for too much?

[Pops]

if you got to cross dale in to add grit then you need better catahoulas. not up on the lines anymore, but i remember some as a kid that caught like a bulldog and stayed caught even w/ their guts hanging out. look hard enough i'm sure they're still out there.

[albertaguy]

I have a Catahoula out of Black Oak in Arkansas. She is 12 now. She used to like to run some bears but she has lost the urge. She never was good on a blood trail, ran silent, which was good, but if she found the animal dead, she wouldn't let me know. Chew it up a bit and moved on. Her nose wasn't the best either.
I heard the Dale would add some nose, some brains. A younger Catahoula will be enough grit, the Dale should bring in what the Catahoula doesn't?

What are your thoughts on that?

[Pops]

no personal experience w/ dales but my understanding is that they have no more nose or drive than a good catahoula. you may want to look at some of the better hunting lines. try Doug Mason or Jeff Treader both in TX or Larry parker in LA (his line has a touch of mt cur i think but is mostly houla).

[albertaguy]

Thanks for that, I will see if I can track those guys down. The problem could be my blood line or my particular dog.
I've never owned a Dale, don't know what to expect, and am trying to get the best dog(s) I can.

Thanks again.

[duke7581]

id look into a DD/drahthaar with strong hog hunting background. there is a guy in NC that uses them on hogs to birds hes about to have a really nice litter. thanks. Jim

[bearcat 35]

ive owend dale hounds cross and you couldnt ask for a better tempermented dog juust dont cross a dale with a cat it aint gonna work most of the time a plott crossed with a dale works real good makes some of the best bear dogs ive ever seen