what dog would be right for me?

[Ely Lake Expert]

Let me tell you about my experiences. The first "hunting dog" we got was our golden retriever. She is an old girl now, almost 15. She is and always has been a great family dog and very good with kids. Both of her parents were good hunting dogs. She was around guns and was fine. Then the first time we took her out pheasant hunting at 11months, she went right out stayed close and covered the whole area did a great job completely on instinct. Then she got her first bird up, we shot it over her and she ran back and hid under the truck never to hunt again. She won't even look at a gun. She is a pretty timid dog. So all in all her instincts are good but the big bang was bad. It seems like alot of goldens are timid, so I think if that was your choice you would need to break him/her into the shooting part of it more slowly.

Then our next 2 dogs were her pups. Our golden was accidentally bred with a purebred chocolate lab. Out of the 9 puppies we kept 2 of them and gave/sold cheaply the rest of them to family friends. They were also great family dogs, good with kids big and little. One of them was timid like her mom and really didn't get into the hunting, but loved to come with so she could follow my dad and run into his heels when he stopped . The other one which I called moose due to the fact that she was a 110 lb female. She was the best hunting buddy I could ever ask for. She had the best nose for pheasants out of any dog I have ever hunted behind. I always knew when she was on a bird, her tail would go like crazy and she would get a bit of extra hop in her step. Once we shot the bird, she would go anywhere and always find it whether it be cattails, water, or long grass. Only thing that was tough is when late season birds ran instead of flushing, she would chase them at full speed and we had to run after her and hope the bird flushed soon enough to get a shot. It was tough grouse hunting with her though do to the fact that most places were too thick and tough to shoot grouse out of the air. She was also quite a duck dog, with the exception of when there was a more aggressive dog with, if the other dog went out for the duck she sat and watched patiently. When it was just her, if a duck fell or soared she was after it and almost always came back with it. She was a great swimmer and loved everything about every kind of hunting. They both passed in June of 06, I sure miss them Then there was their sister Elimay who we gave to a friend of ours. She was the best duck dog I have ever seen in my life. The owner was a hardcore duck hunter, but not a pheasant hunter so I never saw how she was at that. Anyway, she was known to get any duck that fell. Some neighbors who hunted on a point at least a quarter mile down, if they shot a duck and their dog got it, but Eli saw it fall she would swim all the way over to them go in their blind steal their duck jump back into the lake and bring to us. I saw her do this many times. They always came at the end of the day to collect ducks from us, they thought it was as funny as we did. Sad thing is our golden outlived all of her pups, I sure am happy she is still around though. So really my point is, don't be afraid of a mixed breed if it comes from hunting breeds.

Now, we have 2 German shorthair pointers. The are on their second year of hunting and actually one of them retrieved her first 3 ducks this weekend. The other one doesn't quite get it yet. They are both fantastic swimmers that love the water, but after the first few weeks of duck season the water usually gets to cold for them with their thin coats and then the have to stay home. I have gotten a few grouse behind both of them, but their specialty is definately pheasants. Last year with no significant training we took them out in the field, it sure is fun watching them point. It was completely natural and we found and shot birds everytime we went out. They were pretty good about the retrieve once they learned it wasn't their lunch and I am sure they will only get better. Also they are extremely friendly dogs, very good with adults and bigger kids. Though I would be a bit nervous having them around real small children due to the fact that they are very energentic and don't necessarily look before they take off running and they do like to jump a bit when they get real excited, but you can train them not to do that and they are getting better about it. Either way I love hunting with a good dog and just dogs in general. Maybe this will help with your decision.

ELE

PS. I do agree with one of the above posters that if you can get a second dog, you should. They sure do keep each other busy and happy.

[kgpcr4]

wire haired pointing Griffons are OK dogs but you have to look at them once in a while LOL. They are the only breed i would consider for myself besides my pointing lab. I have been on hunts where the Pointers played out in the cattails and just did not hunt them hard. They are ideal for grass and open country hunting but i hunt alot cattail swamps and that kind of cover and the lab is outstanding for that. Also thier temrament is usually good and make great family pets. No one dog will do everything the best. That dog has not been born yet. You have to look at what you want it to do and then select a breed. For me a pointing lab is tops! They are growing in popularity all the time. I also love the shorter hair as you dont have to pull burrs out all day long.

[uplander]

I still say two dogs......One pointer one flusher/retreiver I won't even mention a certain breed thats completely up to you....Just do your homework don't believe just because some guy on the internet says his breed is the best..That it is .....Dogs rule!!!!! All brreds have thier strong points and thier shortcomings..So don't believe the hype!!! Get out there and try to hunt with a few different breeds and pick what you like best...Have fun and good luck...........Uplander

[kgpcr4]

Uplander is right! Its not one size fits all. For me i love a pointing lab but that is not the right dog for everyone by any means. A good 10ga goose gun would suck as a grouse gun. to heavy, big and slow, Like wise my 28ga is not a goose gun by any means. decide what you want it to do and then look for a dog that fills those needs.

[cw642]

First off, this was a loaded question that we all knew was going to get the mine is better than yours answers.

Secondly< I forgot for a minute that we live in the land of 10 million labs. So I will explain my comment about not looking towards a Lab, as it was not a very clear statement. The biggest factors I see is the gross overbreeding of the labs,non hunting breeding's, and the multiple heath problems they are prone to. Until these issues are corrected I personally will never suggest a lab to anyone, not even as a pet. Sorry if my comment offended you Ken but with your vast experience with them I think you would agree that it takes a great deal of research to find a good hunting lab with healthy genetics. I know you brought up the fact that pointers may be harder to train, but I would rather spend my time and money training a breed with fewer health concerns. In my opinion ALL hunting dogs take a great deal of time and bird exposure to be well trained, and just because you are not accustomed to training pointers does not make them harder to train. That type of stereotype does not help anyone either.

CW

[tmvikings]

Brittany----they will do it all! And will never quit (NEVER)!!

[Snag]

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Good morning,

My father, Cousin and I are interested in all pitching in to buy a dog but I would like to be more informed on what you guys think would be a nice dog for me.

1) Get along with kids

2) can hunt and do the following things

A)Be a good pheaseant dog

B)retrieve downed ducks/geese

c)Retrieve doves

i will look into the breed of dogs in your responses thank you.

david

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Almost any hunting dog would work for your needs exluding the non versatile pointers. Once you decide on a flusher or pointer, that will narrow it down.

I think Labs and Goldens make great great family/hunting dogs. Just need to do your research before buying.

If you plan on hunting alot, Drahthaars and Pudelpointers seem to have the strictest breeding policies. I'll be getting one of these or a Griffon for my next dog in a couple of years.

[jigging-matt]

Do the research like other posters have recomended. I purchased a Brit this spring and love him. He is a great family dog, seems pretty smart, and has one heck of a personality. That being said, he also has a ton of energy, which if you like being outside (not a problem in my house), is great. If you are more of a couch potatoe, probably not for you. What ever breed you choose, Good luck, hope you get everything you are looking for. When it comes to training, these guys on this site have great information also.

[MrsLBowels]

Never met a toller I didn't like. I am speaking of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. The smallest of the retrievers. Excellent family dogs too. Will retrieve anything!! Visit Vermiliontollers HSOforum for some great information on the breed and what breeders expect from you as an owner of one of these "little river duck dogs". Tolling means to lure-in or entice. Our dog has proven this many times by 'playing' on shore, like a fox, and the ducks/geese will make full U-turns and land to check him out. It is truely amazing!!! AND easy to train...they are too smart, you have to be one step ahead of them at all times. He is the best upland bird dog I have ever had too.

[LABS4ME]

CW, thanks for clarifying your position. I too, agree that the trend in labs is not necassarily going in a positive direction. With that said, there are many fine labs that are going to be sound, well bred dogs that will give you want you want... it takes researching pedigrees and breeders like anything else in the sporting dog world. The diverse abilities of the breed speaks reams as to it's popularity. As I've openly posted before, I firmly believe when a dog moves into 1st place in the AKC rankings for popularity, it usually signals it's demise. But I would never tell someone to shy away from them, but to do more investigation to find a suitable dog. It is still quite easy to find a breeding where a potential health concerns are close to zero... if you buy one out of the paper willy-nilly, buyer beware. I wouldn't even say it takes a great deal of research... I can point people to dozens of kennels that have sound dogs, that are calm and tractible and still hold all the physical traits a lab is suppose to possess (including a proper coat). I think it is harder to find a good Golden or Springer (but I know of many wonderful kennels of both of these breeds too)as there are even more pet / show stock of these breeds than even labs. Both of these breeds have countless genetic faults that need to be cleared when picking a litter, not unlike many other sporting breeds. Many dogs in those 2 breeds have lost their hunting ability. What I mean by this is: if you just randomly pick 10 litters of these 3 breeds, you'd end up with more hunting labs than either the other 2. Very few labs do not possess their hunting traits, but many have lost their physical traits, and many have lost there calmness. But I still would never tell someone to shy away from Labs, Goldens or Springers. They are great breeds, you just need to beaware of what you are buying before you buy it.

As far as harder to train, that is based on my experince (I owned a shorthair) and some of my friends hunt pointers ( so I see what their training regimens are) and just what seems to be posted here. Maybe 'harder' is not the right term, but something in the range of you generally need more time and knowledge to pull off a good performing pointer. I still think a flusher is an easier 1st dog. And that is purely my opinion and may not fit everyones perception.

I, as many others on here have posted, do not have 'the mine is better' mentality. Some do, and it's a shame. I think every breed of gun dog is a thing of beauty and I love hunting behind any of them. I don't even have a problem leaving mine at home to enjoy an afternoon hunting behind someone elses dog or breed. I have added another breed to my repitore and eventually may even get another pointer. I'd love to get a Setter and work him in the woods each fall. It may happen, it's almost happened twice.

Carry-on the debate, I still feel my list of 6 breeds will fit his bill.

Good Luck!

Ken

[JDM]

The original post's desired traits point to (get it?)a retriever. If he is inexperienced, I really do think a lab or golden is his best option. That doesn't mean that another breed wouldn't do a great job for him. Hunting dogs are kind of like buying a vehicle. They will all get you there, but do they take care of your personal requirements. From what I read on this board, it is pretty clear that we all hunt in different ways and have different expectations of what is acceptable performance - Slow, fast, different terrain, different species, house dog, kennel dog, kids, no kids, training exeprience, point, flush, steadiness, etc...

To sit and bad mouth certain breeds on what is probably an impression given by one untrained dog is not really fair. I can say that I have hunted behind some terrific labs and some that shouldn't be allowed to even carry the name of the breed. Same for german shorthairs, brittany spaniels, springers, american water spaniels, golden retrievers, flat coats, vislas, and those wired haired breeds. Every breed has it's own version of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can also say that I have never seen a perfect dog, including titled dogs. Even the good ones have quirks or weaknesses. We just learn to live with them due to our affection and respect for the animal. As I have said many times on this board, YOU are the only one your dog needs to please with their behavior.

I am excited for him and his quest for his first dog. The first one always seem to carry a special place in our memories.

[USPENAMC]

yes its mostly as a retriever i would guess because i lose alot of doves and dont have any other means to retrieve downed ducks or geese. This in turn has led me to try and pass shoot at this time so i havent gone out much for duck hunting or geese hunting. The past 2 years we have hunted pheaseant on foot (no dog) so any little help would be nice. As long as they can give us better odds of finding birds on the field and on the water its good.

[JDM]

You sound like a perfect candidate for a retriever. Buy a pup now and you will be ready for next year. Another thought is to call around to different trainers to see if they have a started dog or trial / test wash out. Many of the washed out dogs make TERRIFIC hunting dogs. They may cost you a little more up front, but all in all, are usually not a bad value when compared to a brand new puppy. The best part is that you could go hunting immediately. I know someone who bought one last year and she is a great hunting dog.

[FrankGWP]

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I, as many others on here have posted, do not have 'the mine is better' mentality. Some do, and it's a shame. I think every breed of gun dog is a thing of beauty and I love hunting behind any of them. I don't even have a problem leaving mine at home to enjoy an afternoon hunting behind someone elses dog or breed. I have added another breed to my repitore and eventually may even get another pointer. I'd love to get a Setter and work him in the woods each fall. It may happen, it's almost happened twice.

Carry-on the debate, I still feel my list of 6 breeds will fit his bill.

Good Luck!

Ken

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Amen - now if someone wants to start a "which breed is best" post. That would be fun too!

[1runhotshot]

No doubt! Nothing better than a GSP on point over a rooster! I don't own one because I do the waterfowl thing too much in late season but none the less, AWESOME!

If you are looking for a lab pup there may just be a nice litter for sale right now on this site (SHAMLESS PLUG)

[Swamp Scooter]

Just another thing to consider...How often will you be doing the actual field work with jobs and kids?? Some dogs need more work than others either in the field or exercise. My experiences with some and I said SOME of the wirehairs is that they are a bit protective to the point of not dealing well with other dogs or kids. Just another question to ask when you are looking for a breed/dog. I have a Chessie and Vizslas. Both are good but the V's DO retrieve very well from land and water and are a nice short haired dog for the house...so kennel dog or house dog?

Some of the strains of retrievers, labs, goldens, chessies really do stink with their coats so look at that too. How much room do you have in your fenced yard? If you have not had a dog for a while I will be the first to suggest this as I have not seen it...Look for a STARTED DOG! You will save yourself about 9 months of work and hose training and be able to get to see what you really have when you buy it and not what you can make of it. It is a ton easier to finish/polish up a started dog than to do it yourself or pay a pro to get your dog schooled up. The kids will bond to the young dog just the same and you will skip out on a bunch of stuff you may not want to deal with anyway. Just a few thoughts.

Keep on looking and ask more questions than you think is necessary so you are completely convinced that you have chosen the right dog and not just the right breed.

Good luck.

[PikeBayCommanche]

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First off, this was a loaded question that we all knew was going to get the mine is better than yours answers.

Secondly< I forgot for a minute that we live in the land of 10 million labs. So I will explain my comment about not looking towards a Lab, as it was not a very clear statement. The biggest factors I see is the gross overbreeding of the labs,non hunting breeding's, and the multiple heath problems they are prone to. Until these issues are corrected I personally will never suggest a lab to anyone, not even as a pet. Sorry if my comment offended you Ken but with your vast experience with them I think you would agree that it takes a great deal of research to find a good hunting lab with healthy genetics. I know you brought up the fact that pointers may be harder to train, but I would rather spend my time and money training a breed with fewer health concerns. In my opinion ALL hunting dogs take a great deal of time and bird exposure to be well trained, and just because you are not accustomed to training pointers does not make them harder to train. That type of stereotype does not help anyone either.

CW

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That is the case for every breed. Obviously you have not had much experience hunting over fine field bred labradors.

Health concerns??? All dogs are going to have them. There are many fine breeders of great labs in the state of minnesota that offer very few litters a year.

[ReelTimes]

"Every breed has it's own version of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I can also say that I have never seen a perfect dog, including titled dogs. Even the good ones have quirks or weaknesses"

Well said. Every dog does some things well and others not as well. At some point, you find yourself having to decide "flusher" or "pointer". Unfortunately, I am down to one dog right now, which is an english cocker. He has a number strengths that I wouldn't trade for a different breed and yet some things that other breeds can do better. For example, I will say mine isn't going to bust cattails all day long or for 4-5 consecutive days without wearing out. Yet, I have never hunted under a more enjoyable dog in grassy cover. I don't think I would personally own two of the same breed.I have always had labs in the past and they do cattails well. But I also do a ton of grouse hunting (which my cocker does well) but have also given thought to an english setter this time around. Maybe its time to try something different....although my gut is telling me another lab because that is what I have been used to training all my life