[James Gates]

You have heard us talk about Florida Hog Dogs..Here's LucyLu, the latest member of the household. Her mama is a Robinson Green Eye Pit @ 75 pounds and her daddy is a Florida Red Cur.....The Florida Cur is a cow working dog that has been developed over the past 150 years by cattle people here in Florida. They were a common dog until after the second war, when Florida was open range. They are getting rare now. The Cur will weigh around 70 pounds (male) and 60 pounds (female). They are a tough, long winded dog that can handle the heat. They are very even tempered. We use 1/2 and 1/4 Cur for the best hog dogs. They will bay and worry a hog, but will catch on command. They are very quick!
Where the pit will just charge in and get cut up, the cross will work a hog watching for an opening. The boys have to used cut vest on the Pits, but not on the Cross. This dog weighed in at 40 pounds before she was 6 months old! When she is two years old, I will breed her back to my full blood pit, Tyger.

Now you have seen a real Florida Hog Dog....Regards, James

 

[Marshall Stanton]

Some pup!  Look at the micheviousness in those eyes!  Bet she can chew up a set of boots in no time!

Great looking pup sir!  She should be a great companion.


Blessings to you!

Marshall

 

[RugerNo3]

   A beautiful pup, James. A brace of them would really get the job done, IMO. Their weekly feed bill would be a decent chunk of change, I gather.

 

[James Gates]

RugerNo3...These are working dogs, pure and simple! Ay night they sleep in the bedroom doorway. They have been called "threshold (sp)" in the past. She's now six months old and weighs in at 45 pounds. My male, Tyger, is out of the John Clardy bloodlines. the Tiger dogs are yellow/tan brindle strips. He's "Retired" now at seven years old. I've seen him, years ago flip 300 pound hogs and never got cut( except a few scratches. He still active. They live to be quite old. No matter where I go, he's there!They earn every bite they eat, patrol the place like guard dogs, but remember everyone who we allow here. On LucyLu 2 year heat I will breed her back to Tyger, who is full blood Pit.  Having the two on the place at night is like having a "cocked double barrel shotgun"!
Anyway, I'm glad you like the picture....Remember though these are hog hunters, and live for the sport. They are big babies to people they know.
Best Regards,James

 

[MtnGun]

James, that is one FINE looking pup.  As I am typing this, I've got an Old Family Red Nose dog sitting at my feet.  I love these dogs....


     Randy

 

[James Gates]

Randy...Thank You and it sounds like you know bulldogs!
I have a real neat picture of my great grandmothers brother taken in 1899. He was a US marshall. He went to Cuba
as a 1st Lt. in the Florida Cavalry and then to the Philippines as a Capt. The picture is without his guns, but he carried four..a pair of 7 1/2" SA Colts in 45 Long Colt, a 1886 Winchester in .45-70, and a Greener 10 ga.In the picture he is kneeling down by his Morgan horse ( he was 6'5") with three bulldogs that were his "deputies". My family has raised bulldogs for over 100 years. There are lots of Rednose Pits in this area of Northwest Florida. There are some Old Green Eyed Bulls also. I like 1/4 to 1/2 Florida Red Cur. LucyLu is now 6 months old and weighs over 40 pounds. Her mama weighe 75 pounds! My John Clardy Tyger Pit weighs about 65 and he's now "retired"! If you saw the movie "The Yearling" those were John Clardy's dogs that fought the bear. The bear was also his and lived in the backyard.
Best Regards, James

 

[MtnGun]

James, I would love to see that picture!  Would also like to know more of the green eyed dogs.  There are many pits with red noses, but the Old Family Red noses ALL have red toenails and yellow eyes.  My boy Jack is one heckuva dog........

Randy

 

[James Gates]

Randy...I'll see if Marshall will but a scan of Uncle Harry on the forum somewhere.Sometime soon Little Hank and I are going out and look at these dogs. I heard one sad rumor though, that they had some hip problems. Over the years we have watch very close to avoid any line breeding and I know of no hip problems on the bloodlines we work with. We don't sell dogs and kinda keep it in with "Family and Family Friends" we never advertise, but only talk as we are now. It's sad, but as the cattle business folds down in Florida, the Red and Yellow Cur is getting to be a very scarce breed. In early days of cattle in Florida the country was mostly scrub. The dogs had to get them out. A real Cur will not catch, only drive and bay. They have an excellent nose and will run anything you teach them. They are deep chest and high hips. LucyLu can, from a sitting start, jump into the back of my 3/4 ton truck...and she will only be 7 months old the 10th. We breed back the Pit to give grit and scratch. They are very quick and many catch on the nose, instead the ear. They will throw their hips and shake like a Pit. The Cur is short hair, a little longer than a Pit, and many have a streak of short corse hair down their back. Keep in touch and best regards, James