Best style

[Officially Retired]

A natural head specialist will keep himself out of trouble but for how long? He has to be extremely athletic and strong to keep himself out of trouble for the whole deal. Just aiming for the head itself can win but the dog will have to be in top shape and out last his opponents on every deal, therefore limit his chances of being a multiple winner.
A one dimensional chest, shoulder dog will win if he has a strong drive and a hard mouth. They usually don't do too well against head specialist who'll hold them out.
Leg dogs rarely win. If you have one, don't even think about showing him. He will get peel off as soon as he grab that leg and there goes his mouth. Everyone knows losing 1-2 wheels won't stop a bulldog from scratching.
Backend dogs are monsters IF they can get to the backend with their mouth at full strength. Going to the back is the hardest spot to get to and it require a lot of strength. When they do get there it's the easiest way to cur out a dog or kill it cause that's where the kidneys are located. Damage the kidneys and the dog's body shuts down. Backend dogs don't do we'll against head riders.
Troat dogs are dogs with killer instincts. They automatically will try and finish off a dog every chance they get. But to do so, they need to be strong, rough, good wrestling abilities and have some mouth. They will require putting a dog on its back to finish them off.
The style I prefer is an ear dog, who has killing instinct. The ear is the easiest spot to get to and hold onto for a very long time. By controlling the ear, i can guarantee your dog will come out on top every time. I've seen plenty of dogs get killed by the ear. After :45 minutes of getting bit by the ear, a dog will have a major headache and start losing its mind, causing him to cur snap at anything near him, even at his handler. Ear sucklers just need to be smart enough to stay on the ear and stay behind the other dog. That might be the reason some old timers crop their dog's ears.

Excellent post, I agree.

That is exactly what my Stormbringer dog was: an unGodly-strong ear dog, who could kill you with one or two throat holds.

If my little Icon dog would have had teeth, there aren't many dogs who could have whipped one side of him. And, even without teeth, he whipped everything he was ever put with, even spotting considerable weight. The actual owner of Ch Robert T. Jr. used to call Icon "The Ear Dog" ... or "Baby Robert T"

Jack

[skipper]

We also have to take into consideration on what we are looking for. An ear/facedog is very hard to beat. Is it the best style to kill a dog? I don't think so. A mouthy throat dog is way more dangerous in that way. A stifle dog is usually very effective when he hits the sweet spot. I don't think there is a best style out there. There are styles to prefer into various opponents. With that said I really like facedogs. Get me one of those with plenty of finish and I'll be a happy camper.

[D.dob]

Face/head that know when, its time to go for the throat and finish the job.

[AGK]

[Ez Country]

A good throat dog will kill you and never get hurt, had 1 that stayed out of trouble better than most head/ear/face dogs I have seen

[D.dob]

I agree with that Ez but must be strong as hell. Got 1 that gets behind the back of the jaw and stay on the side and around they go lol...

[FarmersChoice]

agk i agree completely those who know know i guess

[Officially Retired]

We also have to take into consideration on what we are looking for. An ear/facedog is very hard to beat. Is it the best style to kill a dog? I don't think so. A mouthy throat dog is way more dangerous in that way. A stifle dog is usually very effective when he hits the sweet spot. I don't think there is a best style out there. There are styles to prefer into various opponents. With that said I really like facedogs. Get me one of those with plenty of finish and I'll be a happy camper.

Good post.

My Icon dog couldn't kill a dog like Silverback could, but I still think he might have been able to beat him at even weight.

Regarding face dogs, my dogs have pretty much been ear/face specialists for 23 years ... as that is all I have ever bred for (mostly) was head dogs. And, no doubt, face dogs are much more punishing!

Still, with that said, every ear specialist I ever had whipped the face dogs in schooling. Icon whipped U-Nhan-Rha, Poncho whipped Turbo, etc., etc., etc.

Even the old man who had the ace ear dog Ch Robert T. Jr. also had a face dog who bit so hard he would remove the entire muzzle off a dog from the eyes forward. The opponents of this man's face dog literally lost their entire upper palate ... and yet, in a kennel fight, the ear specialist Robert T. killed that face dog without getting a hole in his skin in return.

This is why my personal preference is an ear dog that will finish in the throat.

Jack

[BlackHeartWarrior]

I Love a Good Head Dog. Nothing beats a sight of a Dancer in the ring. But my all time favorite is a stifle dog.

[Chase1]

My personal opinion is a swapper.