Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Superstition Mtns., AZ
Posts: 1166

I'm starting this thread to continue a conversation with americancooner (also known as Jim B.).

It started like this:

americancooner- Don't mean any disrespect but what will makes your x bred hounds better than what Mr. Ganus has produced? I know that you got your original Hounds from him and he gave you hounds for your start. What are his hounds missing that you can improve on? Have his lines not worked for you?I have followed Mr. Ganus' leopard hounds for several years and your leopard dogs he gave you from his stock. I thought that they were the best dogs available from reading your posts. What has changed?I have been thinking of switching from English to Leopards. If the breed is not improving, maybe it's to early to change. What traits are lacking in Mr. Ganus' hounds? What hounds have you bred in to the Ganus stock the last 5 or 6 years to make them better? I saw on a post that you said you had been x breeding for that long.I hope that if they can be improved that you accomplish it. Good luck.Maybe I'll try a dog from you when you get to breeding good. Thanks for the info.

Dan McDonough- They all can use something more. The best dog I've hunted with was my Jug's Sparklin Rachel out of Wick's Camo Jug and Schulze's SParklin Susie. She could have used a thicker coat of hair. I would have liked it if she was kennel quiet and they can always use more endurance though I never did wear her out cat hunting 6 days a week through our Northern winters. She did get a little soft about coming out of the box when it was less than 15 degrees below zero. That's a pretty short list of shortcomings though, but still...she could have been more. I have not made another that was better than she was but she was a freek.

I'm going to make the crosses anyhow but I would like to be able to put them back in if their good enough. The likelihood of that happening is low.

Ganus dogs are very good but I guess I'm spoiled and want even more. I think Ron would say the same. In fact, I know he would say the same. He's always looking to improve.

This reminds me of a long ago interview with John D. Rockefeller. When he was asked how much money is enough? How much money do you need? He responded, "Just a little more." I feel the same way about dogs.

As far as what I've put into the Ganus stock to make them better...nothing. With the exception of a few litters, I've mostly just bred brother to sister to reshuffle the deck so to speak. I have been trying to get another Rachel with at least one improvement (like that thicker coat of hair). The best "other" cross I've made was the cross with a dog named Dutch. Ducth was out of Abbott's Mtn. State Bandit (Myer's Bone Hollow Scout x Abbott's Mtn. State Sadie) bred back to his mother who is a Jug x Susie dog.

One more thing, the best Ganus dogs are not lacking in any of the main traits and that is why I like them so much as a base. They also hold up well to inbreeding as long as you don't expect a 7/7 turn out. There is always a dinger in the litters but it always been well over 50% turnout and that is very good in my book.

americancooner- I'll watch how your X bred hounds perform in the future. Have you got any pictures of that Rachel dog or your other hounds treeing cats? What traits do you think you will add to your hounds that they currently don't have going for them? There is a guy out Montana way that has some bang up Leopard hounds treeing big cats. I can't remember his name. Are his hounds Ganus dogs too?
Thanks.

americancooner- The boys and me were talking at the coffee house up town this morning in Minnesota and talking about your post. My buddy Jan said he bred cross up dogs for years and got some bang up hounds but it didn't transfer to his other dogs on crosses. If Mr Ganus' hounds don't have any holes, what are you trying to improve. The boys said maybe you want to strike out on your own and make your own name. How do you get aholt of Mr. Ganus? Id like to ask him about his hounds.Oh, and the man in Montana is Riley. They told me his post was on big game hounds site. Is he still around? We run coyote mostly. How do the other leopards hounds do aginst your Ganus dogs? Would they do good on coyote? Our buddy jason has a running dog cross leopard dog that is a good coyote dog. They have been talking about starting their own line of running hounds crossed up with them dogs and registering them as X bred. My English dogs are run on coon and my running dogs are Goodman, July Trigg cross with some calaloula in the mix. Good luck with your hounds. Maybe they will work out for you crossing them up. Keep us updtaed.
Thanks. Jim B.

__________________
Dan McDonough
507-261-9121 (C)
jagdlep@yahoo.com
Superstition Mtns., AZ
American Leopard Hounds
& Lurchers

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Superstition Mtns., AZ
Posts: 1166

First off, your nickname of americancooner is newly registered and your use of several places from my past makes me suspicious of you but I will respond as long as your questions remain above board.

I'm going to go through your last two posts list style so I don't miss any questions.

1. I have one picture of Rachel on a treed bobcat and and two of Dottie. I believe that is all but I may have one more floating around on my computer somewhere. I don't take many pictures if you don't count all of the pictures of my dogs on the chain or in a pen. I know that's disappointing but even if I have a camera with me I very rarely use it. And also, the picture of Rachel on the bobcat tree was taken by David Peightal back when Rachel was his dog and I wasn't anywhere near the event.

2. I think these dogs I hunt could cover a lot more of the world when freecasting. Most of my dogs are lazy in my book. A pleasure hunter might think not but pleasure is a subjective term and I derive pleasure from a dog getting something up and running even when it's tough to do so. With GPS and a good handle on my dogs, I don't need them to hang around the -200 yard mark unless they have already struck.

3. Nick Riley's dogs have a good percentage Ganus breeding. Cammy is the strongest for it. Ganus didn't make any of it but none of it would be there if it weren't for his intervention. He's more like the conductor of that orchestra, at least where it concerns Cammy. If your interest in this is greater than what I've satisfied, you can send me your e-mail address and I will send you the pedigrees and layout the history behind the dogs in Cammy's pedigree going back 4 or 5 generations.

4. All dogs have holes or at least aspects that each individual owner would add to or subtract from. Jan's dogs are made of different ingredients than mine or anyone elses. Different ingredients = different outcome.

5. I am not concerned with putting my name on dogs except to make it easier for others to trace their development should they like what they see and want to do some breedings of their own. Aside from being responsible to the idea of good documentation, I have no further intentions for the way I identify dogs.

6. Ron Ganus 574-289-1998

7. Nick is still around and still has dogs to my knowledge.

8. I'm assuming by competition you mean in the coon hunts. They do very well but they don't always win...about like any good line. I've handled my dogs right out of the #1 spot more often than I've won with them but I've never been more than average when it comes to handling dogs in hunts and all of mine run cats too which is usually their down fall in a hunt. Dan Minten, Travis Sterick, Dave and Jess Smith could answer that better than I because they have been in a lot more coon hunts than I have.

Your not that far from a few good ones. Hopefully you can get out and see a few of them sometime soon.

__________________
Dan McDonough
507-261-9121 (C)
jagdlep@yahoo.com
Superstition Mtns., AZ
American Leopard Hounds
& Lurchers

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1442

I'll come to MN. In a heartbeat and chase some bobbers around with you, both pure Leopards and crossbred ones if you want. Almost all my leps are bred just like Dan's.

__________________
Lonetree Kennels "Where dogs are made one tree at a time."
Home of-
David and Jessica Smith 605-270-2674
GRNITECH 'PR' DERBY CITY SANDY
GRNITECH GRCH CASH'S CAMO JUG OF SHINE
--2012 National Grand Nite Champion American Leopard Hound
--High Scoring Leopard 2012 Autumn Oaks
--High scoring Leopard Saturday night at Leopard days 2011
--Qualified for the 2011 UKC World Hunt.
--High Scoring Leopard of the 2011 UKC World Hunt
--Breed Winner for the 2011 Purina Race Hunt
--2011 South Dakota State Hunt Champion
CH RYLEIGH'S GRIM REAPER
--Tri-State Coonhunters Association 2010 Bench show dog of the year

And the Redbone--
2013 Tri-State Overall Bench Show Dog of the Year:
'PR' CH RAGGED RIDGE CJ (Willie) co-owned with Bob Julson

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Mar 2006
Location: Superstition Mtns., AZ
Posts: 1166

There's your best bet right there and on bobcats too, that's an extra treat. I wish I could come with. We'd have a good time and I like English dogs quite a bit too. Not to mention, you can take 5 cats in MN. to boot. We have to wait around 8+ years to get a tag in Wi.

__________________
Dan McDonough
507-261-9121 (C)
jagdlep@yahoo.com
Superstition Mtns., AZ
American Leopard Hounds
& Lurchers

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged

Registered: Sep 2007
Location: South Dakota
Posts: 1442

Or coon, but your traveling for the coon

__________________
Lonetree Kennels "Where dogs are made one tree at a time."
Home of-
David and Jessica Smith 605-270-2674
GRNITECH 'PR' DERBY CITY SANDY
GRNITECH GRCH CASH'S CAMO JUG OF SHINE
--2012 National Grand Nite Champion American Leopard Hound
--High Scoring Leopard 2012 Autumn Oaks
--High scoring Leopard Saturday night at Leopard days 2011
--Qualified for the 2011 UKC World Hunt.
--High Scoring Leopard of the 2011 UKC World Hunt
--Breed Winner for the 2011 Purina Race Hunt
--2011 South Dakota State Hunt Champion
CH RYLEIGH'S GRIM REAPER
--Tri-State Coonhunters Association 2010 Bench show dog of the year

And the Redbone--
2013 Tri-State Overall Bench Show Dog of the Year:
'PR' CH RAGGED RIDGE CJ (Willie) co-owned with Bob Julson

Report this post to a moderator | IP: Logged