Hunting Dogs - What's Your Choice

[virgil]

15 hours ago, sodfather said:

Labrador Retrievers are my favorite I also had a springer spaniel that was a fun dog but Labs have that drive if you find a good one. Cooper is AKC JR and SR Hunter and will do just about anything from blind casts to whistle commands. I would love to brag and say I taught him everything but I had a professional trainer work with him on and off for the first  two years of his life. It takes a great deal of time to train a dog and time I don’t have so when I hunt I have a finished turn key ready dog. He’s also an amazing pet and knows how to turn that switch on when it’s time to hunt . 

Great pictures.  I had a chocolate lab years ago and she was a sweetheart.  Good for nothing but lounging around the house and begging for food.  But, the sweetest temperament.

[helmut in the bush]

I've had Labs my whole life, great dogs, had a Blue Tick too, he was an absolute killing machine

[Chef]

Not sure what kind of dog you mean

German Shorthaird Pointer. Best versatile gun dog out there


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[Rattler]

Don't have a dog right now, but the best bird dog I ever owned was a Hungarian Vizsla.  They also make great pets, well mannered and intelligent.  Pretty dog too!

 

Edited January 18, 2020 by Rattler

[rachunter]

On 1/15/2020 at 12:00 PM, Paula said:

Beagles

I had my heart set on beagles,but everything I read said they run away-bark a lot at home and are always searching for the next meal.Are these common habits that can be broken?

I wanted a bluetick and regular breed

[airedale]

22 minutes ago, rachunter said:

I had my heart set on beagles,but everything I read said they run away-bark a lot at home and are always searching for the next meal.Are these common habits that can be broken?

Any well bred hunting dog is going to born with drive to hunt game, under supervision they can be trained pretty well in obedience and can be controlled but left on their own they will follow their nose and take off for the hunt.

Beagles are one of the oldest hunting breeds and one of the most driven, unless they are under supervision they need to be kept in a fenced in yard or run because they are hunters. That being said they are one of the best for pet temperament and love people, with some training in obedience they can serve both as a wonderful companion and a hunting dog that are great not only on Rabbits and Hare but work well for Pheasants.

While most Beagles will run both Hare and Cottontails many are bred specifically for one or the other. Beagles for Hare usually 15 inch and larger are up on legs because of the snow, they generally have a colder nose and are speedy. They can gear down to hunt Cottontails but many still push them so hard the Cottontails will go in their holes before you can get a shot at them. Don't have that problem with Hare as they just keep on running and circling. Bred for Cottontails many are of the smaller size, they work a track more deliberately and slowly and you can get nice steady runs and importantly not drive the Rabbit to ground.

My Beagles were Hare bred hounds, Josie the black and tan color was the best Beagle I ever had, the two Blueticks are Branko bred and were very good in their day also.

Al

[left field]

5 hours ago, rachunter said:

I had my heart set on beagles,but everything I read said they run away-bark a lot at home and are always searching for the next meal.Are these common habits that can be broken?

Generally, I would say that it's better for both parties to find a breed whose temperament matches your needs and expectations instead of trying to force one into an inappropriate fit.

[ATbuckhunter]

9 hours ago, Chef said:

German Shorthaird Pointer. Best versatile gun dog out there


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Great dogs, except for the fact that they cant dive into cold water if you want to use them for late season duck hunting

[Doewhacker]

16 minutes ago, ATbuckhunter said:

Great dogs, except for the fact that they cant dive into cold water if you want to use them for late season duck hunting

There are a few reasons why I wouldn’t consider them the best, the lack of a coat is just one. 
 

They are the most well known and perhaps most popular though. 

[diplomat019]

7 hours ago, Rattler said:

Don't have a dog right now, but the best bird dog I ever owned was a Hungarian Vizsla.  They also make great pets, well mannered and intelligent.  Pretty dog too!

 

I really like them as well.  Looks wise (never owned one).  But I have heard that they are very sensitive.

[Doewhacker]

On 1/15/2020 at 2:42 PM, diplomat019 said:

Finding a dog with good proven hunting lines is what’s important.  Not that a backyard breeding cant make a great dog, but having a  proven track record lets you know what you are getting.

Testing to get that proven line proves the dog was trained and had a good day. What you don’t know is how many tries it took to get that good day, or if the testing was done at a club that the breeders run and decide who the judge will be. 
 

I put less stock than some folks in testing and I bet some have no clue what most titles on dogs mean lol. 
 

Hunt testing and dog shows for conformation mean about the same to me, very little. I’ve seen who wins in both scenarios and it’s often more about the owner than the dog. 
 

Ask to see a dog work and then determine if you want it’s pup. 
 

As for the op, don’t get a dog unless you can commit to daily/lifetime....

exercise more than letting it out to run around a small yard

training, obedience is the base of it all followed by teaching to hunt for you

Also don’t be surprised if a breeder tells you they won’t sell you a dog based on yard size or experience. 

 

 

[Chef]

Great dogs, except for the fact that they cant dive into cold water if you want to use them for late season duck hunting

They can they just get cold very fast but yes I would get a gwp if that was the case


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[Doewhacker]

13 minutes ago, diplomat019 said:

I really like them as well.  Looks wise (never owned one).  But I have heard that they are very sensitive.

Vizsla’s, Weimaraner's, Spinoni and many others require a good breeder and patience.  

[Doewhacker]

Griff owner for life here by the way. 

[Bolt action]

Gsp's are really good dogs. We had one, but it had too much energy for my wife. We ended up finding him a better home with more land to run around. 

If anyone is looking for something to read, there is a pretty good article about squirrel hunting with dogs in the new issue of game and fish. It spotlights curs and feists.

[rachunter]

4 hours ago, left field said:

Generally, I would say that it's better for both parties to find a breed whose temperament matches your needs and expectations instead of trying to force one into an inappropriate fit.

I'm still trying to figure it out.I've only had family dogs.I want one or two dogs I can take hunting,fishing,hikeing pretty much anywhere I go. I'm not getting them until I retire and can spend time with them just trying to figure out which breeds would be best.

 

[cynthiafu]

I have a mutt . I got from north shore animal rescue . He is great with finding pheasant  but refuses to pick them Up. Any dog I think can be trained . My mini schnauzer  found birds and ran rabbits .  I would go with a lab any day but it is your choice you have to pick your puppy . 

[Just Lucky]

I have a 10 year old standard poodle. Great family dog, good at retrieving,  but very skittish.  If she hears a noise she will run you over to get back to the truck or car. Also very vocal about her wants. Typical traits of the breed.

The worst part about taking her out is grooming her afterwards,  everything sticks in her hair. She is also black so very hard to check for ticks.

We just got a chocolate labradoodle and so far retrieves well, very curious about everything she sees and hears. Doesn't run away from loud noises which is good.Likes to bring back limbs from trees 3 times her size. And releases when told to. Loves to play ball.

My old poodle has taught her to watch out the window for squirrels in the back yard.

Took less than 2 weeks to train to ring a bell to go potty outside. Already scatters the birds at the bird feeder out back. We will see where she goes with hunting, time will tell.

[Nytracker]

Sounds like you need a lab for ducks ... beagle for bunnies  and a gsp for grouse and pheasants... yup sounds like you need 3 dogs ... 3 times the fun .

[squirrelwhisperer]

Sounds like you need a lab for ducks ... beagle for bunnies  and a gsp for grouse and pheasants... yup sounds like you need 3 dogs ... 3 times the fun .

She would make me live outside with my puppies lol


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[Nytracker]

No woman  can put a pup outdoors ... they will be on the bed and you would be in the dog house

[mjac]

I have owned 3 hunting dogs , Black Lab, German Short haired, Beagle.  Each has it's own hunting instinct, so getting a dog to hunt, rabbits and birds might be kind of tough. For instance the pointer wanted nothing to do with rabbits, and the beagle wanted nothing to do with birds !  The lab wanted nothing to do with anything but retrieving !   Hunting dogs require a lot of attention & time and training,  They are wired to hunt, they constantly want to be moving, especially the pointer,  he was non stop unless sleeping. Younger beagles are also a handful, once they get on a scent, the ears turn off, be prepared to chase a beagle,  but boy are they fun to hunt with once they are trained,  gps collar is a must.  All need lots of room,  do you have a home with property ?  Maybe narrow down what type of hunting you want to focus most on to narrow your search.   It is a big decision,  Labs are  probably the best temperament. One dog that might be close to all types of hunting  with training, to me would be an Airedale. Probably my next dog once my 14 yr old, now house  beagle is gone.  Finally, don't rule out a mixed breed, some of the best dogs out there for all around hunting

[Paula]

On 1/18/2020 at 9:34 AM, rachunter said:

I had my heart set on beagles,but everything I read said they run away-bark a lot at home and are always searching for the next meal.Are these common habits that can be broken?

I wanted a bluetick and regular breed

Blueticks are gorgeous! My dogs only bark at what they should or what critter might be in the yard. It's not as bad as people say. Yes my house dog is always looking for the next meal, I think it helps if you don't give in! 

Here is my house dog Chester, all he cares about is a car ride, any food and staying warm. 

[Rattler]

Very timely article for this thread....

 

https://www.nrafamily.org/articles/2020/1/12/4-hunting-dogs-perfect-for-families/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=insider&utm_campaign=0120

[Daveboone]

Llewellyn Setter!

We had one for quite a while. Wonderful disposition, nice size, beautiful. A lot of folks never heard of them, but they are a strain from English Setters back before the AKC etc. started to "domesticate" them. They are much smaller and compact, breed for the field not the show. The only problem...As soon as we got to our camp and she was out the door, she was hunting! She would be gone for hours....

In truth, she was never far away, and we could usually hear her bell. As soon as I walked into the woods, she would somehow know it and be at my side. They are an upland dog, usually used on grouse/ pheasant/ timberdoodles, but are often trained for ducks (but are too small and light for serious use). I would happily get another, but they need a lot of exercise to keep in shape, like any true hunting dog.