This article was published
in the national magazine: "Full Cry"
(Printable
version - pdf)
Written by the late: Donald Cain
Foundation Blackmouth Cur Breeders Organization, Inc. |
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Hello to all our members, Blackmouth owners, breeders, hunters,
fanciers and to all our members, and we wish everyone a prosperous
and Happy New Year.
Our Premier Stud Dog this month comes to us from Referred
listed Breeder, David Thoms.
Thoms’ Blackmouth Cur cow dogs. Thoms’ Colorado, (McDonald’s Bubba
999 x Wright’s High Sierra), carrying 36.71875% Weatherford’s Ben on
ten crosses bred by David Thoms. Buckskin, black mask and ears,
Colorado is a solid 60 pounds in hard working shape, exceptionally
long body and legged, deep, wide chest, tight, high flank, nice arch
to his back, nice wide head, a real strong, chiseled muscled
conformation. David said Colorado is the tallest, longest bodied and
legged dog he has had. Everyone comments on how exceptional a
looking dog Colorado actually is, as well as his outstanding
athletic and working abilities. Very intelligent, easy, light
handling, listens well, you speak he always hears you. A medium
nose, very heavy winder, an outstanding find dog with plenty of wide
hunt. Extremely athletic, outstanding cat quickness, agility and
speed, hard catch dog (ear and nose, whichever he hits first), heavy
windmill hard, fast sweeping led dog that will quarterback hard, an
extreme lead dog on cattle.
All his outstanding attributes and abilities are
simply natural as Colorado started working on his own at five months
old. By six months he was winding and finding his own cattle. A very
physical working dog, the rougher it gets the better he likes it,
the harder he works the rougher he gets. Just a hard, fast rolling
dog, with intense, outstanding, complete and extreme focus, natural
athletic and working abilities, grit, drive, desire, bottom, heart
and intelligence, very complete in all his abilities, a dog David
said “Isn’t for Sale, Period!”
As a producer, Colorado is making an impact fast,
and his pups are very long bodied, deep leggy dogs. Most carry his
conformation and disposition. They want to work and could really
care less about being a pet. His pups start early and are very
independent, hard rolling, outstanding working and hunting dogs at
young ages. From his first litter by Naylor’s Lolly (McDonald’s
Bubba 999 x Naylor’s Sugar). Stoney Naylor has two pups going to
hogs hard. They started young and never looked back. By nine months
they were outstanding for their age in the timber. His last litter
by Toms’ Gato, (Wright’s Bounty Lobo x Wright’s Western Hell Kat)
were baying cattle before four months old that David has at his
house. He has several upcoming litters and I know we will be seeing
his sons and daughters rising to the top in breeding programs as
well. Colorado represents everything this breeders organization was
founded on, and as a Breed Standard representative, he is
outstanding. Colorado carries solid hard, deep line breeding,
however, he still carries a high vigor, which makes him the type dog
a breeding program can be started on, built from, used to improve
on, used to carry his line breeding on without worry of blood
burnout, and a dog a hand can make a living with catching the
baddest of the bad. Thanks, David, for sharing Colorado with us all,
we will be keeping updates on his pups as we get them.
David Thoms has bred Cur dogs for cattle over 50
years, a reputation breeder for four decades plus, breeding dogs for
his personal use on cattle. “I’ve always worked cattle with dogs and
truthfully wouldn’t know how to work them without good dogs. I
always had good dogs. I had to in order to handle the numbers and
type cattle we ran. When I was 12 years old, my dad bought a Cur cow
dog, and he was one eyed and dad paid $500 for him. That was the
1950’s, and at that time, that was a big price for any dog. I took
care of that dog, and we got some females and I was active in every
cross. I started all the pups and culled and kept the best. At a
young age I was taught the importance of culling hard and keeping
the most outstanding”.
In David’s words, “About 1999 I had bred myself
into a corner with the strain I had and worked 40+ years. I decided
to try Foundation Blackmouths. The big draws were the genetics which
had been proven for many years. The bloodline and breeding program I
bought out of only bred outstanding cow dogs first, this was
extremely important to me as this was all I use dogs for. They bred
true importantly in working style, natural working and athletic
abilities, natural drive, desire, nose, conformation, it was all
there.”
Being a cattleman, David used those first dogs
hard on cattle, studying all their natural abilities. When proven,
he bred and raised them and kept and started every pup on cattle
himself. “I started the pups from the first crosses, not a cull in
either litter. This was a first for me as a breeder. In late 2001, I
sold the last female I owned that carried my original blood. The
genetics I have now are better bred and known. One hundred percent
working litters and all these pups start early. From the first
crosses I started with every pup working at six months old, solid.
By a year, most were better than any finished dog I had seen.”
Throughout the last decade, David has
worked and proven his dogs hard, bred the best dogs to the best, and
the best genetics to the best genetics possible. “With our Original
dogs I had over those 40 years, I bred kept and used those dogs. I
sold a few males only. I couldn’t sell and know pups would work or
breed true to what they were. Today, I can take any stud dog I own,
and brood female I own and do anything I want to with them, and pen
any set of cattle with them. Before (with his original strain) I
have had two pens of working dogs and a cow run off and not a dog go
after her, let lone bring her back. That was a frustrating year and
half. With these Ben dogs I have now, if a cow leaves, they go to
her fast and hard. They catch as fast as they get there. I mean
right now and bring her back faster than she left. With all these
dogs, they are always busy, over here over there, be it hunting and
finding, wind milling, stopping, catching and bringing back a run
off, to lead style and hard quarterbacking. They are complete
control dogs. I’ve trotted behind a lot of dogs in my time and never
thought it possible to have this many dogs and everyone work
outstandingly and produce true”.
David stresses the point its genetics. “This was
going to be a hobby, raising a few litters to use and sell. It
turned into a business. The only reason is because I got into the
right genetics, pure and simple. When I got into Randy Wright’s
genetics, I could sell a dog and guarantee them without hesitation
and knew they would work. All those dogs used to develop these
genetics were used hard, catching what was considered uncatchable,
the rankest of the bad.”
At the onset developing his breeding program with
Foundation Blackmouths, David worked hard to maintain the
outstanding dogs he started with and worked hard with ever litter to
prove and improve his dogs. Through a lot of hard work, dedication,
knowledge and time, David has improved his breeding program over
those first three dogs. David uses and proves every dog they have to
be outstanding. He knows their strengths and weaknesses, and he
breeds those best working dogs to the best and the best genetics
possible.” I watch and listen for the most outstanding dogs and
genetics I can breed or buy, and I constantly am working in new
genetics to improve our breeding program. It’s genetics, pure and
simple.”
Today, David carries five finished proven stud dogs,
McDonald’s Bubba 999, Thom’s Colorado, Thoms’ Randy, Thoms’ Dandy
and Thoms’ Hornet, along with one prospect that is working well…
Thom’s Western Magnum. Bubba is the only hybrid Vigor outcross male
as all others are heavily linebred.
Females include Lucy’s Chara, one of the
first pups David bred originally; Flash’s Molly, Flash’s Sugar,
Thoms’ Coyote, Thoms’ Western Sally, Thoms’ Gato, Thoms’ Wanda,
Wright’s High Sierra, Wright’s Bounty Cayenne, Wright’s Western
Randa, and a young gyp, Thoms’ HS Little Chata that is really making
an outstanding dog quickly. Each female is line bred and represent
some of the most outstanding producers and working dogs we have ever
registered. Proving this fact, “the solid foundation laid in the
past is the future, its genetics.”
We look to the past at a very unselfish, humble, dedicated breeder
who has always worked to own and produce the most outstanding
working cow dogs possible, over 50 years to date. A breeder who
never needed anyone keeping his enthusiasm up about breeding dogs or
a profit to work hard and remain dedicated to breed the best
possible. A breeder for whom brutal honesty with himself always came
first, as it does today, his honesty and word to his customers mean
everything. Brutal honesty with himself led David to improve his
breeding program “drastically” in his words in the ability to
produce outstanding litters time after time with every pup working.
Had he had the attitude, “I have the best.” He would have never
improved his dogs and breeding program where it is today. This says
more about his character than anything even as a highly respected,
reputation breeder most considered to have the best cow dogs in
South Texas. David never quit working to improve, and this led to
his greatest accomplishment; one of the most outstanding breeding
programs ever established. The year 2008 alone saw David sell 54
pups to date to seven states and Texas with most reports of pups
starting solidly by six months old. The majority of his customers
use and work dogs hard be it on their own cattle or ranch or making
a living catching cattle for the public and day working. Ninety
percent of David’s sales are repeat customers. Most buy one or two
and call back and buy several. The problem isn’t having buyers –
it’s having enough proven females to produce pups for the demand. “I
breed cow dogs, and in the end, I want to be remembered as always
having good dogs and a connoisseur of fine cow dogs! David has
worked tirelessly to preserve, promote and protect the Original
Blackmouth Cur breed and this Breeders Organization. He is one of
our cornerstone breeders. His hard work, dedication, knowledge of
working dogs and genetics, time, hard use of his dogs, endless
support are very appreciated. We are perhaps prouder to represent
David Thom’s Blackmouth Cur cow dogs than he is of his breeding
program, if its possible. David has produced some of the most
outstanding dogs walking. David is one of few breeders to
consistently place outstanding dogs in the nation’s top breeding
programs at the helm – top hands and ranches all over the nation and
hunters. It is with great honor, respect and gratitude we inducted
David Thoms into the Texas Breeders Hall of Fame on January 1, 2009.
David becomes the ninth overall breeder inducted into the Breeders
Hall of Fame, and the seventh breeder inducted into the Texas
sector. No breeder has worked harder, been more dedicated, had more
commitment, been more knowledgeable or more deserving of this
induction and prestigious award. Thank you David.
Stud Dog of the Year for 2008 is Thoms’ Hornet
(Wright’s yellow Jacket 075 cWright’s Little Nina), a 60 pound light
yellow, black mask and ears, conformation described as “chiseled
from granite.” Hornet is deep, wide, heavy chested, tight high cut
flank, long body, nice arch in his back, long legged, strong, stout,
chiseled muscle, good heavy bone, wide head, heavy jaws, square
muzzle, a nice big eye and outstanding disposition. Hornet is an
extremely outstanding cow dog in every way possible –hard, fast,
steady hunt with plenty of range, good medium nose, hard windmill,
heavy, hard, fast sweeping front end lead style with plenty of
quarterback. If a cow leaves, she has had one bad day. He is a very
hard driving catch dog, cocked primed, loaded and ready right now,
all the time. A very physical, fast, hard working machine,
outstanding in every aspect. David has said many times, “Hornet has
it all, very complete in every aspect. He may well be the best dog I
own. If he is loose, go looking for cattle, that’s where he will be.
He lives and breathes cattle. He works as hard as he can. Bottom –
his stay is unbelievable, drive, desire, heart and real intelligent.
He reads cattle extremely well and can handle anything or any wreck
thrown his way. He is a true lead dog by himself of with other
dogs(s). Hornet always gives 110% and always has more if needed. He
lives to work, extreme intensity, nice handling dog that is just
outstanding and complete in every aspect.”
David was looking to Hornet to step up and become
his lead stud dog, and step up he did in a big way. Hornet carries
62.50% line bred Wright’s Yellow Jacket and 56.054685% Weatherford’s
Ben on 20 crosses. This was the first time in history one dog was
bred on such a high percentage basis, with this many crosses back to
him. Hornet is a genetic marvel, bred to be an outstanding producer,
and David certainly put him under pressure. David bred Hornet to
Flash’s Mollie and Flash’s Sugar. These pups carry
51.65235% line bred Weatherford’s Ben on 32 crosses. Every pup we
have had reports on were baying cattle before six months old and
started the first time they saw cattle and fast.
Wright’s Hard Twist at five months and 12 days old and
on the sixth day that Wright’s Curs had him, went to cattle and was
working hard in seconds. Two days later and the second time to see
cattle, Twist went to the cattle and when a bull came out fighting,
he hung him hard. He has never looked back, simply getting better
every day – just one example. His littermate, Wright’s Red Wasp,
went to cattle two weeks later. The first time he was put on cattle.
He has a huge mouth and is working and getting better on every trip.
Both are very outstanding young dogs.
Andres Garcia in Seguin, TX said at three months
old his gyp pup was baying hogs within days of getting her and she
is really turning on and making a nice dog at eight months. Bred
over Wright’s High Sierra, these pups carried 52.24609%
Weatherford’s Ben on 29 crosses. These pups also went to work hard,
are fast and natural on cattle and hogs.
Thoms’ HS Pretty Girl is a female David said may be the
best looking gyp he has ever raised as well as the most intelligent.
Bred over Thoms’ Star, these pups carried 42.480467% line bred
Weatherford’s Ben on 25 crosses – again super early starters. Thoms’
HS Little Chata went to work her first time out just days past four
months old and working solidly, hard, fast, rough working, and going
to cattle by herself before five months.
These are a few examples of how outstanding his pups
are working and how outstanding Hornet is producing over such high
pressure line breeding, proving he is just as exceptional,
outstanding, complete producer as he is a working dog. He also is
proving quickly that he deserved the Premier Stud Dog status. And as
expected, is a impact producer who will influence the breed for
decades to come. In David’s words, “The only reason they produce
this way is because I got into the right genetics to start with.”
This wraps things up for the month. Until next month,
please keep those cards, letters, and pictures coming our way and
those big yellow dogs in the timber.
Written by the late: Donald Cain |
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