Registered: Aug 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 1522

You line breed the dog's that show the ability to rig.
The old idea of like kind to like kind tend's to produce like kind.
Jess

__________________
Jess
Light Foot English

"They are often imitated but never duplicated"

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Upper Michigan
Posts: 118

It can be passed down just like speed, nose, voice quality etc...

I have bred 4 generations of dogs that had rigging ability and it was passed on. Most all the pups in those litters had it.

Pete is right on this. It is the inheritable ability...nose and the trigger that makes them explode. It is the same between silent, semi silent and wide open track dogs.

You can't make them track or open like that, it is born in. This is the same kind of thing. It can be developed by working a dog in that capacity. You can't train them to when they have the ability to open on scent. They are born with that.

You can breed for that trait for sure. Just like you can breed your semi-silent competition dog to another of like abilities. Most of the litter will follow the parents. You will also get traits maybe of silent or wide open from the 2nd, 3rd gen stock.

Just like breeding a dog that tracks head down in the footpath or ground scent and one that drifts and runs the track with his head up 20 feet off the track.

Excellent posts by all
Absolutely a breedable trait!

__________________
Sugar Ridge Farms
Reg Angus and Blueticks
IN GOD WE TRUST


Blueticks used for Coons Bear & Cat Upper Peninsula of MI

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2006
Location: USA
Posts: 1522

That these post's have been the most well thought out that I have Ever read on any of the boards. You have all proven that we as Big Game Hunter's can disscuss complex idea's as Gentelmen should.
Jess

__________________
Jess
Light Foot English

"They are often imitated but never duplicated"

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Aug 2005
Location: In the Woods
Posts: 17

I'm on the fence on this one, I seen examples of both. I hunted a dog for 5-6 years, and he never said a word in the box. The dogs could have a coon treed 10 feet away, and he would just lay in there. Decided to start hunting him on bear, and after a few of those, he was hooked. All of a sudden, he started striking from the box. Wait a minute, that dog doesn't rig, let's turn him loose, to see whats going on. You would never have thought it was the same dog. He tuned out to be a good strike dog.

One the opposite side, I've also had pups. or young dogs with exceptional rigging ability. It just seemed to be there, But that was how they were hunted since the beginning. Maybe it was there from the begining, maybe not. I beleive treeing is inherited, nose, in some cases brains, but rigging, I'm not quite sure.

How many of your rigg dogs bark, when your backing up? I've had a couple different ones over the years. They think your turning around to go back to that track, And the get fired up. Even if they didn't rig a track. I don't think barking when the back ups lights come on is inherited either.

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: vt
Posts: 1256

b]How many of your rigg dogs bark, when your backing up?[/b]



lol mine havent learned that one yet


but they sure will bark when i meet my hunting partner on the road- - lot of times we both rig and then get together to run-- and they expect to run when they see his truck and his do the same when they see mine----

i call that a bark fest -

one time we tried shutting them up and couldnt do it -- so just drove on

got nother strike and dogs trailed rite thru where we had met an couldnt shut them up



when one gets a strike he will usually key the mike on radio - and when my mutts hear that they may blow up too--

they learn lots of stuff i guess that i never tried to teach them --lol

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Oct 2004
Location: Park Falls, WI.
Posts: 487

One thing that hasn't been talked about much is the focus it takes to be a good rig dog. Some dogs are aware of scent 100% of the time. Others do not have the focus to be a good rig dog.

It doesn't take as good of a nose to smell a bear as it does to track an old bear track. A medium nosed dog that is always looking for a bear will out rig a colder nosed dog that looses focus.

Some dogs can be sleeping and still smelling for bear while other dogs are just out for a ride after they have been going for awhile.

Kyle

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2007
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 126

A lot of good answers guys. I pride myself on rig dogs. Its genetic lines for sure. If two collies rig, you breed them you will get a good percent of rig dogs. My line of walkers is rig dogs, and I can cross out to a female which isn't rigging, but a good cold trailer,and end up with some rig dogs in the pack of pups, kicking back from my line. If I cross two lines of rig dogs, they will almost all rig. Yes, you can bring it out of them, but they either got it or they don't and good natural rig dogs will be doing it by a year old with a fair chance, rigging with others that know how. So, I strive to find a female from a line of rig dogs, when I outcross. I have four pups from my last cross, and all were rigging by 8 months. Cant say they were honest yet, but it is natural, the rest is up to me. I've seen many guys ruin a potential rig dog, also, by being to hard on them in the box, training a pack of rig dogs, is a chapter in its self, to read them and guide them into something you can be proud of and trust. we have gravel or blacktop, so looking for tracks is impossible, got to trust them. LOL

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: May 2006
Location: Gauley Bridge,Wv
Posts: 2938

we had a 7 year old dog that we put on teh rig drove a while he would blow up on a coon i mean try to tear the rig off the box that was teh first time and the very first rig dog we owned we didnt train him or nothing

__________________
CopperHead Kennels
Gauley Bridge,Wv
Chris Neff
Home (304) 632-5029
Cell(304) 651-5973

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged