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Canis lupus familiaris, our domestic dog. It can, by careful breeding, take on an astounding variety of forms and specialized functions. James Land has been breeding his dogs for more than 30 years to accomplish a single primary goal: to efficiently eradicate hogs under the conditions in which he operates in South Texas. We are not talking about guided hunts in search of a trophy boar hog. James typically directs teams of hunters in coordinated efforts to kill large groups of hogs. Frequently this involves dogs, sometimes to find them and other times to drive them toward hunters waiting in ambush. Depending on factors such as the location of the hogs in open, cultivated fields or in thick, thorny brush, or the temperature and humidity, which affects the dogs endurance and their ability to follow a scent trail, or a host of other factors related to equipment and personnel, James will carefully pick the character and number of dogs to kill the maximum number of hogs.
There are general characteristics that James looks for in his hog dogs, but he makes exceptions in special circumstances. Color is important. A pure white dog is disadvantageous because it stands out too much, especially on a moonlit night. Besides prematurely alerting the hogs, it may be the first member of the pack to suffer natural selection after catching the eye of a bad boar hog. Black is also not a desirable dog color because it can be mistaken too easily for a hog when shooting in heavy brush. These are some of the reasons that James over the years has chosen red as the color he selectively breeds into his dogs. Actually more of a paper bag brown, the color originates from South Texas short-haired cur dogs used to round up cattle in heavy brush. James' old line red cur dogs brought with them a genetic predisposition to move out ahead of the hunter and actively seek their prey. This is a huge advantage when it comes to locating virgin scent trails that have not been disturbed by human and horse scents or car exhaust as the dogs move about in front of the hunters.
The other thing that characterizes James' red cur dogs is their tendency to surround and hold a group of hogs as if they were breakaway cattle or perhaps even drive them back toward the hunters. Many hog hunters use very aggressive dogs like pit bulls that will go in and grab the first hog they encounter, causing the other hogs to scatter. James has some catch dogs that he calls "alligators", but they are used more under special circumstances, such as to subdue a bad boar hog. Normally he wants the dogs to circle bay the hogs and wait for him to sneak up to assess the situation and position the hunters to maximize the number of kills. Thus, James' hunting style lends itself well to dogs that are athletic, smart, and tough enough to hang with an irate group of charging hogs for hours if necessary without being overly aggressive. This is not a small order for a dog breeder and trainer. James spends years developing each of his dogs and the ones that make the cut and survive to maturity are highly prized by him and his wide circle of hunting friends.
James typically crosses his dogs with certain breeds to get the traits he prefers. The amount of red cur dog can range from 1/4 to 100% to get the smart cow herding instincts. String is one of James 100% red cur dogs as seen in the photo. He sometimes mixes in a 1/4 to 1/2 greyhound to get long legs and swiftness for gliding over cultivated fields and tall grasses. A 1/4 bull dog can be tenacious and less sensitive to pain, which can be good, but too much of an aggressive breed like pit bull or dogo can disturb the balance of cautious teamwork he tries to instill in his dogs, all in the name of increasing the efficiency of his hunts.
Another breed that James likes is the running walker foxhound for its energy and long ranging stamina. A good example of this breed was a remarkable dog named Buster, which was 1/2 running walker and 1/2 bull dog. He was a one of James alligators that could be counted on to help control a bad hog from the vantage of the hog's right ear where he would remain locked while his teammates took up their own favorite catch positions. One of Buster's contemporaries was a crazy dog by the name of Beto, a 3/4 red cur dog and 1/4 bull dog mix. Beto's favorite spot was on the nose of the hog, which, while serving to distract the hog to the advantage of the other dogs, inevitably proved fatal to Beto. In the photo the dogs can be seen working a massive boar hog with Buster on the right ear and Beto hung by the collar on the hogs left cutter. The hunter is trying to free Beto and clear enough dogs away to put his rifle on the hogs head for a clean shot. Normally he would have stuck the hog already but as can be seen by the empty sheath, his knife had fallen out somewhere along the trail.
 
Two other notable dogs of James are Lil'Blue and Blaze. Lil'Blue was mostly red cur dog with a little running walker and a dash of bull dog. Blaze is still with us and is 1/2 july, a breed with great stamina and grit, and 1/2 brindle cur dog, a rough cow herding breed. What Lil'Blue and Blaze had in common was that they both concentrate on the hindquarters and genitals of the hog. This is a very important role to play in catching a hog because it forces the hog to sit, taking away its primary source of thrust. The back end of the hog is also a relatively safe place for a dog, giving them a chance of living a longer, more productive life. Lil'Blue and Blaze can both be seen at various points in the Hogs and Dogs video doing their part in helping James do the best job he can for the farmers and ranchers in South and Central Texas.
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