[2006HighSierra]

I know these aren't even in the same category but I'm torn between the two. I've usually just kept labs but right now I don't have a dog aside from my wife's 7lb miniature weenie dog which I'm not sure if it counts as a dog. Now I'm more partial to the hounds since I use to **** hunt. And my wife absolutely loves black and tans. The biggest thing I'm uncertain of right now is how good of a *pet* they make. I've always had and been around hounds that were strictly business. They lived in their lot until it was time to drop the tailgate. Never knew of one kept in the house and hauled around everywhere which is what I'm looking for. Just a companion for most all times I'm not at work. I know the heelers fit the bill and are smart as heck plus would be abit smaller for being in the house. I'm just worried that with the hound its gonna do what hounds do and follow its nose everytime it ain't on a lead. So I'm worried I'll let it out in the yard and it'll take off over the next ridge top following something. I'd greatly appreciate any input you folks have on the subject.

 

[thearborbarber]

I have a red heeler. He's like a blue healer but has orange/red tint to his fur. His is incredible loyal and good indoor/outdoor dog. He can go about 12hrs in the house without messing. He does suffer from OCD and needs work to do. If you try to crate him during the day he will tare it apart to get out. He is security oriented. After we leave he makes a "security sweep" and then lays at the top of our stairs on look out. He also gets an endless supply of toys to herd and bones to chew so he doesn't devise his own work to do on ma's couch and chairs. When dealing with "strangers" he goes up to them in an aggressive manner. If the "stranger" doesn't pose a threat he gives them a sniff and backs down. If the "stranger" is a friend of mine and I address them as they approach he goes up to them with nub (he was docked before we got him) wagging and is real friendly. Just don't have anyone try to sneak up on me or ma.

He tolerates the cat we have but could just well do without it around. He does well with other dogs but tries to herd them like cattle. All in all we'll always have a heeler. You'll never get a warmer welcome when get home but don't let the mug fool you.

 

[Dr. A]

Wow, those are two entirely different breeds. The hound can surely be as spoiled and people oriented as anything, and in fact have quite a few in my practice successfully encumbered in trying to become the head of the family. The Blue heeler on the other hand is just like the arborbarber describes. They can be challenging to keep occupied, and after having a border collie, simply would not be for me. I'm much more attuned to labs myself. The hound will likely be challenging to have "come" when called if something interests him. They can be laid back and complacent given the right set of circumstances. They need and prefer a fair amount of exercise. The choice would be simple for me. a lab. ;D ;D. Whatever you do, visit and observe the parents. Most of the time you get what they are and with a little training may be able to improve upon.

 

[Ranch Dog]

I have a red healer as well. Well said above. I live on a ranch but my dog is in and out with me. They seem to do better as a companion rather than as a dog. They need a mission... as was said OCD!!!! You teach them to do a lot of things and they will do. A dog waiting for you to come home would be a depressed dog. I've had cattle dogs as companions for 20 years now.

 

[LT]

Neither... get a Blue Tick ;D

I have a male Blue Tick and a female Red Bone.... I'm sorta partial to coonhounds At least you already know the challenges with coonhounds since you had them before

 

[Oz]

I have a red heeler. He's like a blue healer but has orange/red tint to his fur. His is incredible loyal and good indoor/outdoor dog. He can go about 12hrs in the house without messing. He does suffer from OCD and needs work to do. If you try to crate him during the day he will tare it apart to get out. He is security oriented. After we leave he makes a "security sweep" and then lays at the top of our stairs on look out. He also gets an endless supply of toys to herd and bones to chew so he doesn't devise his own work to do on ma's couch and chairs. When dealing with "strangers" he goes up to them in an aggressive manner. If the "stranger" doesn't pose a threat he gives them a sniff and backs down. If the "stranger" is a friend of mine and I address them as they approach he goes up to them with nub (he was docked before we got him) wagging and is real friendly. Just don't have anyone try to sneak up on me or ma.

He tolerates the cat we have but could just well do without it around. He does well with other dogs but tries to herd them like cattle. All in all we'll always have a heeler. You'll never get a warmer welcome when get home but don't let the mug fool you.

[

Why on earth would someone dock a heeler's tail? Or was he a Smithfield and born like that?

Mark.

 

[LT]

Both of my coonies are pets. They're both relaxed for the most part inside the house... although I do have to keep the Bluetick in a crate when I'm gone. He's broken 3 windows going after cats. The Redbone is usually lazier than my 11yr old basset when she's inside the house

 

[thearborbarber]

Why on earth would someone dock a heeler's tail? Or was he a Smithfield and born like that?

Mark.

I got him from the pound and the owners before us did it for some reason. I agree not the smartest thing in the word.

 

[Oz]

I got him from the pound and the owners before us did it for some reason. I agree not the smartest thing in the word.

There is also the Smithfield Heeler, and they are bread with a very short tail, come in blue or red like your dog.

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080921232809AAvcEWO

Check out the link.

Mark.

 

[miatakix]

Yep, my mom's blue heeler is just like the other guys described. Not a bad breed to get if you are able to make it work, exercise, and keep its mind engaged. Pretty ideal breed if you exercise it a lot and want a companion, or need to herd cattle. It'll need lots of walking, playing fetch, etc. Walking alone probably isn't enough.

Very protective and obedient to the owner it bonds to. Very, very smart, too. Not too likely to run off, they aren't called heelers for nothing. My mom's, we never even had to teach her how to heel, she just did it naturally since she was a tiny pup.

But I cannot overemphasize how much exercise they need. We used to joke about teaching her to follow the truck so she could burn off that extra energy...but we were half serious. We never did that, but it is a good thing to pull out the mountain bike from time to time and let the pup follow you going as fast as you can for a good long while (preferably on grass, it is better for their joints than on the street or sidewalk) ;D They tend to love doing that. Of course this is possible only in the country...

My next dog will probably be a German Shepherd or Collie. We had an older shepherd/collie mix for a short while when I was in high school. Outstanding dog.

 

[Oz]

Very protective and obedient to the owner it bonds to. Very, very smart, too. Not too likely to run off, they aren't called heelers for nothing. My mom's, we never even had to teach her how to heel, she just did it natur ally since she was a tiny pup.

.

Gday Ryan. They're called heelers because the nip the heels of cattle when they are working.

Cheers,
Mark.

 

[miatakix]

Yep, you're right, Mark, I had forgotten that. She does that with my mom's other dogs, too ;D

At least this one does also follow us like she's glued to you. Even just walking around the house.

Great dog you guys bred for all of us ;D

 

[Ridgerunner665]

The best ******* I ever had was a Black & Tan...bred out of good North Carolina bear dog stock. Tennessee Big Wheel line from his sire...and I forget now what his mother was, but she was all bear dog...and a darn good one...I hunted with both parents before buying a pup. The male was as good a **** dog as any I ever saw (and I've seen a few )...but I still say Thunder got his good instincts from his mother...I personally witnessed her staying treed for 12 hours...barking the whole time.

Thunder would do the same...I hunted him in competition a few times, but after most of the "other" guys saw what he was made of...they killed me on the cold tracks (wouldn't wait a few minutes for him to lay it up)...soon as he gave a locate, the "hot nosed" dog owners were ready to go somewhere else and hunt. (He treed quite a few times that the other dogs wouldn't even join in...but we did find the ****...I prefer cold nosed dogs)

Those competitions are geared towards fed ***** in known locations...put most of those dogs out where they have to actually go find a ****, and they are lost (literally)

Anyways...that was off topic...what I meant to say was that Thunder was also a wonderful pet, house broke, well mannered inside (lazy when in the house), great guard dog (he meant business...was not afraid to fight, and had the scars on his ears and face to prove it)....very friendly with Brock, my son, who was just a toddler when Thunder was around...he was the only dog Brock wasn't afraid of...Thunder took all of the ear pulling, horseback riding, teasing with food, and tail pulling that Brock dished out...and never once offered ANY aggression toward him at all...it was like he understood that Brock was just a pup (in a sense)

With that said...dogs are individuals with their own attitudes...and they do vary.

An 85lb. Black & Tan that decides to be aggressive...would be quite hard to control (there is a difference between hounds and bulldogs...hounds instinctively know how to kill stuff)

 

[Charlie98]

My wife's grandfather lived on a farm in Iowa and he always had Blue Heelers for working the cows. He bought a Red and all she wanted to do was sit on the porch and sun, so he got another Blue. When he passed away, my wife's mom brought them both home to Texas... sort of 'retirement.' Fox (the Red) was living it up, but Blue (the Blue, go figure...) never let off. She slept with one eye open and you could see her paw was tensed up... ready to go!

When my daughter was younger, Blue used to chase her and try to nip her heels... ;D

We actually fell in love with Blue, and now my daughter and I joke to mom about getting a 'Blue Heeler Puppy!' all the time... half serious and half not. Our backyard is NOT big enough to run a Heeler, but I think it would make a good dog if raised properly. They do need to keep busy, or have some purpose in life.

Photo of Blue and Fox right after they came down to Texas, around 2003...

 

[Marla]

My American Bulldog Stubbs walked on to my property already bobbed by his previous owner. They threw him into the street when they realized his eyelashes were going into the eye after 3 months old. They felt they could not sell him as a pure breedwith that defect. Prior to releasing him they bobbed the tail so boar would not grab it when hunting for them. Marla

 

[2006HighSierra]

Well although I do some farming, I don't know if I could keep a Heeler occupied all the time. I'm at work usually about 9 hours a day but the rest of that time I should have the dog with me be it going to town or in the woods scouting and hunting. I've been thinking of a pack of Alberts black and tans for bear hunting but it'd be a good little drive just to go train them where legal. I love blueticks alot too but black and tans just always have a special place to me. Best dogs I've hunted have been some of the alberts line from Gene Hicks in Sweetwater TN. Back to the debate between the two is one thing I want a smart dog which I know the heelers are. I've never really saw and super smart b&ts aside from hunting related things. The dog likely will have security detail too sometimes because of stinkin' weisels and coyotes that think they need some of my hens and wife's rabbits. I've already saw what a mess a big b&t can make of a coyote so that's a plus for them.

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I bought a female pup from Gene Hicks several years ago...she did OK but didn't make the grade for breeding stock.

I'm not knocking his dogs...there are good and bad ones in every litter of pups...I picked her out myself.

Sweetwater, TN is not too far from home for me, about 90 miles or so.

 

[LT]

An 85lb. Black & Tan that decides to be aggressive...would be quite hard to control (there is a difference between hounds and bulldogs...hounds instinctively know how to kill stuff)
[/quote]
Yessir... Elwood(avatar photo) stays around 82-83lbs. He's very gentle with kids, but rougher than Mean Joe Green with me. He's about the strongest dog I've ever had. Playing tug-o-war is interesting

Part of the reason I have coonhounds is to keep the critters and stray cats outta my backyard and house. They caught a good sized rat under some brush in the backyard last summer and shredded it. Ya wouldn't guess the killer instinct by look'n at them with those long ears and laid back personalities....

 

[Ridgerunner665]

Thats a darn good lookin Bluetick LT...good color and good ears...probably a good nose too (it usually comes with good ears)

 

[MyDogsHunt]

Well,,, since you're partial to hounds ya might want to take a look at the Cur breeds.
Kinda like a hound with brains. LOL

Easy on the house.

Hell on a tree.

Put one togeather with a good German bred versitale hunting dog and there ain't much you can't hunt.

And the real beauty is, the both of em don't weigh any more than the average B&T..

Charlie

Oh yea,,, for the guys that don't like docked tails I gotta tell ya, I wouldn't own a dog with a tail reguardless of breed. Only thing they're good for is getting caught in the door of the dog box and beating the grandbabies in the face. LOL