For you guys running a trapline dog is there any particular breed or cross you like over others? Would you rather run a male or female. Is there any special training you did or just take them along every day? I know most western guys run dogs so I was just curious what is considered a "good" dog for the trapline.

Get a terrier if you're serious about using them 12 months a year. Get a curr if you want a dog to ride in the truck and be civil at the house

For company on the line or as a tool for a specific use? Mine go as my furry sidekicks. St. Bernard’s, heelers, now Max the super mutt. Train them to be good animals and to listen very well, then take’em along. No breed is better than any other, in this respect.



Owl

I've had Airedales forever, took them with me whenever I could, so thats what I use, Iam prejudiced for them. Get a dog and train it to do simple things --come stay etc.they'll catch on.

The best dog there is would be one that listens to you regardless of what your doing. Anything else is gravy.

I use a lab. Any dog will have to have manners. When you give an order it should want to do what you command. Labs work close and want to please. I work in the water year around and she is with me. Till recently when she got bit by a dang cottonmouth. She will swim in front of me back and forth just like a dog on land working right to left. If she smells a tree a beaver bumped it.

She has dove under water and came up with beaver (already trapped), several times, She chased one out of den that I shot. When I blow dams, when I bring out the explosives she will stay by my side till I set it off. Then she will run to see if its clear. Staying by my side she learned on her on. I can use her to push on getting up or out of the mud.
Dang good blood trailer too. I get calls for help.

She has trailed and held at bay red wolves (on drags) till I could get to her. She even kept a black bear distracted while I could release her. She was around 300 lbs and had two cubs. She is smart and I can teach her anything I want to. She will find spent shell casings, mine, for reloading and one sorry poachers. She even found a key I lost. I had looked for over an hour and she found it and brought it to me in 30 sec.

She is a service/working dog and travels with me. She will walk by my side through a motel and never leave my side. She is a 110 lb female English black lab that will guard my truck and then let babes hang on her.

To answer your question, get a dog bread for what you want to do, training will be easier. I like females better, except for the every 6 months issue. I think they want to please more and hunt just as hard as a male.
To me first and most important it must do what you want when you want it done.

I will start to lose my voice about half way through the day. I can make a kissing squeaky noise to get her to look at me and then I can use hand signals to get her to do what I want. Dogs will learn verbal, sound and visual signals and will learn them quick. I can even clap my hands and she will come and load up.

Keep a dog with you all the time, working or in the house and you both will learn each other. Take care of it and it will know you are and it will do the same. All of my working dogs I have had, I have a working collar. When that collar goes on it time to work. When it come off, its time to play and goof off.
My daughter has a hound mutt. He has the same good manners but when it comes to hunting (Working) he will work like a hound. He likes to range and run 10 times farther than my lab. He will come back to check and see if I am still coming. Get a dog bread for what you are wanting to do and the two of you will work well together.

Bottom line, best partner you will ever have

Get a jagdterrier or Airedale if you're serious about using your dog. It will be very rewarding and helpful. If your a dog guy it will be easy. If your a first time dog owner maybe get a lab, beagle or some other breed with not as much drive.

Look for the best breeder you can find and or afford, if your looking for a trapline dog only talk to guy's breeding dogs for that. I find a reputable breeder and tell them what I want and let them pick me one.. Ive never been disappointed. After that you have to get the dog in the field. Don't try and start them to young let them get hungry for it. For me M. Or FM. Doesn't matter, given a chance most pup's from a good breeder will turn into a great dog.

I'm in this club. I have a Jag/ Airedale cross. She is a sweetheart to people, but any critters, it's game on! Perfect size, weighs right at forty pounds, and lots of good sense. I've posted pics of her before on here, but she is my constant partner on the line.

Anything will work. I like jagd blood mixed with anything. Also drathaar is hard to beat for trailing drags and killing everything you see without getting a scratch.

Take look at Siberian Laikas (either west siberian or east siberian). They are a very loyal dog, great in the woods, they are child friendly, they don't run-off like huskies, even though they might look similar they have a completely different temperament. One word of caution; they don't do well with house cats; they view them as game.

Other than trailing an animal on a drag, any other duties they have?

They can locate where canine's have urinated and help you locate other potential sites for sets. Treeing and hunting of course but companionship is a biggie in my book.

X2.

They do run off occasionally, because they are extremely autonomous, but do so with a purpose (they are treeing dogs in the first place, and spending the night barking at a sable is their idea of a perfect pastime). Even so, they find their way back home/to the cabin without problems, but a GPS collar saves a lot of nerves. Male laikas tend to be a bit lazier and will usually follow you more or less closely, especially young ones, while females are more eager to wander off, scanning the forest around. Another good thing about them is that they have mighty enzymes that let them thrive virtually on any food (most people here feed their laikas with "dog porrige", consisting of a cheap mixture of cereals cooked with equally cheap local fish), and are overall a very healthy breed. And they get along well with cats, as long as they are from the same household, but all other cats are sables to them






.

All of my dogs hate house cats, as well as their owner! lol. They keep them from trying to adopt my living quarters, that makes me happy!

What Lee says about cats!!

Clydes been the best dog I’ve ever owned. 1/2 Catahoula 1/4 black mouth cur 1/4 Airedale

Looks like those Finnish dogs. How big do they run?

^^^^^
Those Finnish dogs are closely related, some people refer to all of them as Spitz type dogs; pointy ears, tail curls over their back etc.. Some are specialized breeds such as the Karelian Bear Dog, Husky, Samoyed, Akita, etc.. Some people think the Laika might be the original domesticated dog that these other breeds developed from.

Hello there . Mark Zagger gave me A guy in Montana. Frank .Hes been raising decoy dogs and trapline dogs for over 25 yrs. Im picking up one this October. He’s gonna be around 22 weeks.They are A mix of A Dorn dog and irish terrier.