dogs

[fisher]

I live in a townhouse now but am aways looking for my first house I would love to start a hunting dog now. My back door is a wolkout with a lesh for my wifes dog so there is a backyard. I dont think it is a bad thing to start a dog in my small home knowing that soon there will be a new house with a yard for my dogs.

Im thinking about a AKC English Springer Spaniel because there somewhat small good upland bird dogs but I dont know much more about them.

So what do you all think about this is it ok to rase a dog like that in a 750 sqfoot townhouse.

also I hunted 10 weekends this year so I was out alot and the dog would have been with my for all of this and so good winter fun when theres no hunting.

thanks

Jeff Krop

[LABS4ME]

Springers are good little dogs. My neighbor has one and my buddy just bought one. Just really research your lines... there are many breeders out there that have unproven lines and do not screen for inherited disorders. Also shy away from the 'show' or 'pet' lines.

Another small breed to consider is a field bred Cocker Spaniel. Field bred English Cockers are relatively easy to find and with a fair amount of research and effort, field bred Americans can still be had. Both thrive living in close quarters with their masters, are unparrelled in the upland fields and woods, and make yomen duck dogs for the 1st half of the waterfowl season.

After a fairly long quest, my 1st dog other than a lab in 20 years will be coming home Dec. 10th. It is a field bred American Cocker coming out of Pennsylvania. It is out of the same lines as an American Cocker who just recieved his Field Champion title, the 1st to do so since 1963. My wife always wanted a house dog, and I wanted it to be small and have a purpose... so we decided this would be a perfect fit. I'll get my grouse dog and she'll get her pet. They are very eager to please and from all reports I've gathered, fairly easy to train.

You can also look into Brittanys and Boykin spaniels. All these are small in stature and great upland bird hunters.

Good Luck!

Ken

[springerspeed]

Hi Jeff-

When I got my first Springer, I was in the same boat you are in now. I lived in a townhome and wanted a hunting dog. I had hunted over labs in the past and that was kind of what I wanted but, they were to big to have in the townhome that we lived in. So my wife suggested a springer. I now own 3 of them so things worked out for me. As long as you have a place to take them to run off some energy you will be fine.

I would agree with Ken about doing the research on the dog. Make sure you know what you are getting. There is a huge split in the breed between the show bred and the field bred springers. You will want to ask about hips, eyes and PFK. Those are the big 3 in springers.

Hope this helps you out,

The Cliff Clavin of Springers,

[Springerguy1]

Fischer,

Springers are a great breed for hunting upland game and will also retrieve in water, although you have to watch the water temp since they're not made for cold water. We lost our springer last Dec. and picked up a springer from Pine Shadows in March. We also have a 3 yr. old Brittany so we hunt under both a flusher and pointer. I think with any hunting breed of dog you'll want to make sure they are exercised. Springerspeed provides good advice about finding a good breeder, our first dog was from a back yard breeder and we ended up spending a fair amount of money on vet bills over the nine years she was with us. - not that there is anything wrong with a backyard breeder, I just think you take away some of the risk by going with a more reputable breeder. I will say that brittanies are a fine breed of dog as well. Our brit has hit full stride this year and it is really a rush to watch him go on point. The new springer is also doing well this year, her first year of hunting. My 14 yr old son runs the springer and she is very high energy in the field and is developing into a great little dog (34 pds).

[CFRay]

I can also recommend a springer for you. Great, smart, fun dogs that want to please. Look for a field line springer. I think you'd be very pleased with one of these athletic dogs.

[jigging-matt]

I had a Springer as a kid. What a great dog. Like the previous post, make sure you do your research. I think you will be very happy. One thing though they tend to have a lot of energy (A lot) often times more than the average pup, so be ready.

[Powerstroke]

I just got my first pup ever and we chose a Springer for many of the same reasons you did. My boy is 5mo old now and I love it. It is true about them being very energetic, but as long as you have the time to take you pup out and exercise daily you will be fine. My guy is a great family and house dog and he learns very well. I can't wait to hunt him next year.

The breeder I chose is in South-central MN. They are somewhat of a backyard breeder, but only because thats how they like to run it. They aren't a huge kennel with board and train services, they raise quality dogs with champion bloodlines. In fact my litte guy has several Pine Shadows and Sand Creek bloodlines as well as another bloodline with lots of awards. Any reputable breeder will give you copy of family trees with awards listed. The ones I have go back at least 5 generations. The place I bought from is Cedar Knoll Kennels. Kevin is a great guy and answered all my questions. We visited several times to look at dogs.

[fisher]

Ok I fond a breeder but I dont know how to read a Pedigree. the breeder wants $800 a dog and I dont think I want to spent that with out knowing so thing about the dog so HELP

thanks for all the good words!!

[fisher]

springerspeed do you know any wed site where I can find more info and are you breeding any time soon I saw that you had some pup for sale in june? can you email me with you email Im at [email protected]

[springerspeed]

Fisher you have mail.

[Double Griffs]

Hi Fisher,

I don't know a lot about the breed, but if you are interested in a pointer vs a flusher, you might want to check out the French Brittanys...I know they're smaller than the American Brits.

Have fun.

DG

[Springerguy1]

Fischer,

When you purchase a puppy, especially for that price, make sure you have plenty of guarantees in writing. One of the reasons I chose Pine Shadows is that they provide a satisfaction guaranteed or you money back (obviously, you need to return the dog as well). I'm not trying to be a spokesman for the kennel- I'm sure Springerspeed could provide some quality dogs as well. Just note that $800 is a bit pricey if you don't have guarantees in writing. If I could figure out how to post a picture on here I'd post a photo of our springer with a few birds she flushed and retrieved this year. As a note, I paid $600 for the Brittany and received written health guarantee, the springer was more because she was a started dog but we received a written guarantee for health and also that we could return the dog if we were not happy with the results or had any behavior issues.

[jbdragon17]

What are you going to be hunting? If you are only hunting upland game I dont think you can go wrong with a setter.

I can flush a bird myself just as good as a dog can if I know where it is . My female red setters are only 38 lbs each and you will not find a better family dog.

As far as living in a townhouse...If you are sure to be moving soon I think it would be ok. It will be a pup for a while. By the time the dog is 6 months old you will want to give it LOTS of exercise. I see WAY too many overweight dogs around.

[Blackshack!]

fisher, you got mail. I sent two emails to you . thanks mark

[roadkingclasic56]

I have had 2 springers in the past, one female, one male. Both hunted very well but I would have to give the nod to the female as far as paying attention to commands, ability to learn, and the over all family pet thing. The male did a good job hunting but was harder to train and at about 3 years of age decided he was the boss. Even though he was neutered. He became very possesive, started snapping at me, my wife, and anyone else including little kids when they did things he didn't like or expected things of him that he didn't want to deliver. The last straw was when he got up on the bed and refused to let me near it. He had claimed it as his own and wasn't about to let anyone else sleep there. I took hold of his collar to pull him down and when he hit the floor his hackles were up and he turned and bit me. To aggressive. We made a trip to the vet. End of story. The female we had, on the other hand was an excellent dog. It took very little training to get her to hunt properly. Never had to work on distance, ranging, or retrieving. The only thing we worked hard on were hand signals and she picked this up quickly. After a while she quit retrieving ruffed grouse though. She would find them and sit by them until you picked them up and the cripples she would actually lay down on them holding them under her chest and between her front legs. We never lost a bird. Excellent dog. Shedding was an issue since the dogs have longer hair. My sons were babies at that time and would come with hair in their mouth, stuck to their fingers and what not. There was lots of brushing that went on and literally grocery sacks full of hair removed. House training took some effort since they are some what hyper when young as mentioned by others. Patience with them is key. Gooood Luck!!