Bird hunting dog - 2 year old rotty vs 11 year old lab

[Vince1]

would a rottweiler serve as a good bird hunting dog? i have a 2 year old rotty and a 11 year old lab (that pays me no mind) and was kicking around trying to train the rotty.

 

she great at finding trails in the woods and saved my butt twice with tthat nose of hers.

 

just wondering as i was reading another thread about birding

[Renegade Hunter]

I wouldn't see why not. You can teach a dog anything really, if you put the time in. I have a red nose pit that everyone hates on and says they are dumb. He can do everything in the book. Sit, stay lay down, speak and shake. Leave meat in front of him and walk away, he doesn't touch it till I come back and tell him to. I have been trying him out with hunting type stuff and he is great! he loves to swim and can track a coyote forever.

[Lawdwaz]

.

 

she great at finding trails in the woods and saved my butt twice with tthat nose of hers.

 

 

 

What did she find for you?

[Doewhacker]

Don't waste your time with either dog, the lab is to old and a rott is no hunting dog. The bird dogs I have are started at a young age and have the instincts breed into them and even they require lots of training.

Would you drive a dump truck on a race track against race cars?

Think about a pointer of some type for your next dog and train it up. It's the best!

[Daveboone]

My Rottie is a constant companion when I am in the woods. She stays close, and is very active with her nose. She has found and flushed quite a few grouse and woodcock for me. I highly doubt I can train her to point, but she works fantastic as a flusher. I do at least as well with her as I did with my English Setter, who tended to range much further out in the woods. I actually enjoy jthe time with the Rott more. I am very casual in my grouse hunting, as is the dog. We have a fun afternoon in the field. Actually quite a few Rotties have been used for hunting. Go ahead, have fun with her.

[Renegade Hunter]

Exactly. If you are looking for a hunting buddy to take and flush animals out of brush, the rottie can do it. All I have to do it point to my pit and say "Get em up!" and he goes in there with his nose down. Great dog. Don't knock em unless you've had em!

[Elmo]

I'd go with the 2 year old Rott simply because he's younger.  If that's what you got, then that's what you got.  Work with it.  The Rott might not be the ideal hunting dog but I'm sure his nose is still better than a humans.  I've used shawnhu as a flusher and got 2 pheasants out of it.  Shawnhu has the worst nose of any hunting dog and very disobedient.

[Early]

Before I had a hunting dog of my own, I would unchain my neighbor's 800 lb. German shepherd, appropriately named, SARGE and take him along on my forays for grouse, pheasant and rabbits.  Sarge had a helluva nose:  I'd send him in one direction with the command, "Find a bird!"....He'd romp away, and I'd move out on a parrallel path.  He rather regularly flushed game that came in my direction, and I even whacked a bird/rabbit or two.  The real fun came when Sarge and I engaged in some rather testy discussion to decide who would get to eat the bird/rabbit.  Hell, any dog can hunt.  It is we hunters who struggle at it rather clumsily!

[jesse.james]

Before I had a hunting dog of my own, I would unchain my neighbor's 800 lb. German shepherd, appropriately named, SARGE and take him along on my forays for grouse, pheasant and rabbits.  Sarge had a helluva nose:  I'd send him in one direction with the command, "Find a bird!"....He'd romp away, and I'd move out on a parrallel path.  He rather regularly flushed game that came in my direction, and I even whacked a bird/rabbit or two.  The real fun came when Sarge and I engaged in some rather testy discussion to decide who would get to eat the bird/rabbit.  Hell, any dog can hunt.  It is we hunters who struggle at it rather clumsily!

 

Holy crap lol.  800 lbs

 

BTW my Bernese Mountain Dog loves the woods.  She doesnt listen worth a damn around the house but when she gets out in the woods she is a perfect. 

Edited September 15, 2013 by jesse.james

[ny hunter]

I would stay with your Rottie you work well together and you both have fun and you get birds.Why get another dog?