best hunting dog

[Leaddog]

Dogs are all what You make of them, not someone else. As musher and birddogger I've seen lots of egos in dog breeding. It all still comes down to your relationship and understanding with/of that dog. While I've hunted with some fantastic dogs, one of the best was my first husky. A 75# male Samoyed. That dog had a vengence for roosters. Our Spingers would follow every scent. He'd only perk up on fresh scents. Eyes brightened, ears stood together and his pace quickens. Very easy to read. He'd even stop and look at me if a bird froze in front of him til I told him 'Hunt it up.' Flushed, pointed, retrieved. Plus that big white dog was easy to see and follow even in heavy cattails, just follow the fuz. I'd get him black with mud, by the time we reach home he'd be dry and white again. Oh, he'd follow hand commands in any direction. Haven't had him around for along time now, but Shogun could hold his own running with champion field dogs. Of course he was a fine leaddog pulling the sled too. When sleddogitis took over, swimming to retrieve a duck made his day.

[FCspringer]

I agree here with the guy's on the cheap dogs. Most of the time the 150$ dogs have never been tested for heath issues. I stick around 700$ in each dog testing, before they can even become a canidate for breeding. So I my self could not sell one for that. But you may find one some where out there. But if there is underlying health issues in the dog not noticed in pups you may have twice or more the expence at the vet down the road for problems that start poping up, Hips,Joints, elbows, eyes, ect. You could save and get a dog from someone that does the proper checks on there dogs. Pluss get a guarentee in writeing. Alot of these problems have been getting worse over all in many breeds because of the lack of effort by the breeder to pay for the tests. there fore cheeper vet bill and cheeper dog. I believe firmly that you tend to get what you pay for. And there is no such thing as a free puppy. Good luck to you.

[JeffB]

I think going through a good breeder increases your chance of getting a good and healthy dog. That being said the best dog I have ever owned I bought a couple of days after I graduated college. I wanted a dog right away so I opened up the Fargo forum and saw a litter of yellow labs for sale and picked one up. I remember it was from a dairy farm by Mayville. It was probably the cheapest litter of labs in the paper. Since that I have hoping to get another dog like that one but the last two that I did research on and spent good money on haven't measured up to my first one. Not that the last two couldn't learn it just took a lot more effort. My current dog is starting to age and he is basically a freindly pet with no skill or real desire to please. When this dog sees his end I will do some research and spend some good cash up front. I hope I get another great dog.