Hot vs Cold Nose

livingthedream

New member
So I have been able to go out and run bear with my good friends and they own blue ticks and I really enjoyed the experience. So I am starting my research into dogs (this forum has been an amazing help, thank you to everyone who posts). But from what I have read some people love a cold nose hound and others like a hot nose hound. So my question is when someone say a dog is hot nose do they mean, it smells the animal from 1 hour ago, 3 hours ago, the night before? Or is the night before considered cold nose? I just want to get an idea of what I should expect.

Thanks in advance!
 
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We always said that the hound will tell you how old the track is.If it is old, he/she will say"cooooold". If it is fresh they say" HOT!!! HOT!!!".
 
Originally Posted By: jbmaster We always said that the hound will tell you how old the track is.If it is old, he/she will say"cooooold". If it is fresh they say" HOT!!! HOT!!!". Aint that the truth
 
You really need both types of hounds because each day is different and atmospheric conditions change every hour. So you'll eventually need both type dogs. We have a rediculously cold nosed dog right now we got out of Jeff Allen, but she has never caught a lion by herself and she never will. Way too cold nosed. She can smell a track much older then any other dog, so she sticks her nose in every track. She's so slow following a track, she'll never catch up to one. So in this case a cold nosed dog isn't so great.
 
Well that's kind of what I was wondering. If I go with cold nose dog will have a dog that is going to smell every track in the woods and will try to find a cat or bear that was there a week before. But if I get a dog with have it really hot nose, then I will basically be taking a dog for a walk most of the time. Hence the need for both types of dogs, I suppose. Thanks for the input.
 
If you find a dog that can smell a track from a week ago give me a call. Only problem is you would never catch up to it. We have run coyote tracks back here that we knew where new the next day so they werent more then 8-10 hours old only problem is a dog that can smell a track that old may never catch up to the yote and get it jumped to fed in more dogs. Then again sometimes they go 100 yards and its up and running.
 
Here is a question that probly fits in here. I have heard of guys using a -strike dog-.They put a dog up on the hood of the truck,or in the truck bed,and let the dog sniff the air as they drive along.Slowly,of course.So,if anyone does this,is it better to use a hot or cold nosed dog?
 
well, its kindof a whole different type of dog. IMO, just because a dog can smell good, doesnt make them a clold nosed dog. some dogs just dont have the patients for cold trailing, even though they have the ability, some will get a good strong whif of it, and just want to lift their head, and burn it up, well, its too early, and they lose it, have to check back, and start again, thus making them a pis poor coold trail dog. a dog has to have brains and patients to make it a good cold nosed jump dog.

So that being said, you need a good dog that will throw his nose to the wind, and locate when he picks up some scent, and then find where the smell came from. again, just because a dog has a good nose doesnt mean that it will make a good rigging dog.

Just my oppinion, glad to hear what you guys think.
 
For me.... All these guys kind of summed it up. I think Jesse hit on the best. You can have all the nose in the world and if they don't have anything between their ear, they wont know how to use their nose. Just like Dean said...He has a dog with a awesome nose but she couldn't catch a cat, nothing between the ears. I would rather have a smart dog with no nose than a stupid dog with all the nose.
Some of the best rig dogs I have ever seen in my life have been real hot nosed dogs. You don't need a cold nose for a rig dog. Nor do you need a cold nosed dog for Bear. JMO
 
Forgot one thing. I breed for a cold nosed dog that can really grub on a track if it has to, but can run head high and put the pressure on the game if it has to. I believe you can have a very fast cold nosed dog.
 
Originally Posted By: Devin69 I believe you can have a very fast cold nosed dog.

I agree 100%. One of the best Fox Hounds i have ever owned Had a great cold nose, and was one of the best jump dogs i have ever hunted over. You could put him on a track with 1/4 inch of snow in it, and he would work it out, not only work it out, but if you watched him close, he would work slow, almost a walk, then sprint for a couple hundred yards when it got smelling allitle better, then slow right back down when it got bad, never skipping a beat, he would jump coyotes that allot of dogs would never have a chance at, simply because they wouldnt adjust their speed to match the scent they are getting. Beyond that, once a yote was jumped, if he winded that same yote to one side or the other, he would leave the track, and cut corners. Alot of guys dont like this, and it made it impossible for me to win a field trial with him, and i dont want most hounds to do it, but he never missed. Some would consider that cheating, which if he left the trail, and went to a spot he knew the coyote would cross, and laid in ambush, then yes, it is cheating on his part, but he wasnt, he caught wind, and took it. Again, he was smart, and knew that he didnt have to run as far that way, and i delt with it because he flat put fur on the ground!

R.I.P. Pepto
 
I have always liked to keep a little of both in my kennels when I was running hounds. I will agree it is a god thing to have both hot and cold nosed hounds.

Tim
 
Thanks for the input. I think this is really stressing the importance of having a good dog, one that wants to hunt. Now I know this is a bit of hijacking my own topic, but can that want and need to hunt be breed into a dog, I know they are not sure things when it comes to breeding but is this something that can a breeder can focus on?
 
Absolutly. Dogs are just like people, and alot of the charictoristics that make a dog a good hunting dog, come from genetics. Manerisms, Build, Attitude.....
All are genetic.

No cross is guaranted, but if you cross two dogs with totaly different traits, and like the traits displaied by both dogs, there is a pretty good chance that some of the pups will end up with a mix of both.

That may have came out way wrong. Its late, and im Tired, so im going to log out now before i make a total fool of myself, lol.
 
Alot of good info here guys, it turned out to be a really good read.

You guys have some really good advice, and THAT ONLY COMES FROM HUNTING YOUR DOGS.

Kudos gents.
 
Originally Posted By: Jesse lackeyif you cross two dogs with totaly different traits, and like the traits displaied by both dogs, there is a pretty good chance that some of the pups will end up with a mix of both.

I disagree with that. I think this is something everyones always hopes for but seldom ever happens. I think if you take two dogs with simular traits you are going to have a better chance of getting those same traits.
 
Originally Posted By: gonzagaYou guys have some really good advice, and THAT ONLY COMES FROM HUNTING YOUR DOGS.

Kudos gents. Lol my dogs sit on a chain all year long and for Christmas I let them off for the day.
 
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