Bird Dog

[Guy Miner]

Suggestions for a bird dog please?

Our family pet, loveable but useless wire-hair fox terrier, is growing old. It's going to be time to put her down eventually. Not yet, but likely sometime this year. She is NOT a hunting dog, just a pet.

Am not overly interested in duck & goose hunting, though there's plenty here to be had. Mostly interested in renewing my hunting of quail, chuckar & pheasants, here in the local hills. Maybe grouse too. Want a dog that will help me find them, hold, then retrieve. Must be a decent house pet as well, getting along with me and my wife.

Dog will get daily or near-daily exercise. This will be easy to arrange as I walk almost every day anyway, as does my wife. We have a modest size, well fenced yard. Dog will sleep inside, becoming both companion & hunting dog. I'm okay if this isn't the worlds highest energy super-duper hunter.

Not all that fond of the puppy stage, but will live through it again if I must... :roll:

Your thoughts?

Thanks! Guy

 

[SJB358]

Guy, ask Cheyenne about her Boykins. She seems to think very high of them and seem like great all around dogs. If I had not have just gotten two boxers (ultra high energy), I would love a hunting dog.

 

[DrMike]

There are a number of good looking and highly trainable dogs that I would consider if I were to look for a dog. Labs have a reputation of being somewhat dense, but all that I've been able to observe were pretty good to work with. I suppose that I'd prefer a chocolate lab, just because I like the colour. The ideal of a Weimaraner looks good to me. The German Shorthaired Pointer is another dog that would make my list. I guess I prefer short hair dogs

 

[Guest]

Good hunting dogs would include the German Short Hair, Weimaraner, Boykin, and Brittany. Each of these comes with some downsides, for certain. The Brit and the GSP are pretty high energy, though in many instances that's not a bad thing. The Brit is very territorial, but again, not a terrible thing. I believe the GSP and Weimaraner are also a bit territorial, but not to the degree the Brit is. I have a GSP mix (with either Great Dane, Rhodesian Ridgeback, or both, and perhaps some sort of pony!) who was very high energy when she was under about 2.5yrs. She's still energetic, and very territorial. She's not "other dog" friendly at all, and very protective of our kids, which I like, though. She's just a housepet, not a hunter, because we got her at about 1.5yrs old and she was already beyond training. She's a very smart dog, though, and manages to let herself into the house by opening the door with the lever door handles. If I could just get her to shut the door behind herself, I'd be fine with it. I have had friends with Brits, full-blooded GSPs, and one Weimaraner, and all were good companions, both afield and at home, though each was happier afield than anywhere else. I hear that Boykins are excellent housepets and are good for the kind of hunting you're wanting, as well, but I have no personal experience with them.

 

[Woodycreek]

You could almost throw a dart at a list of bird dogs and get a good pick. I prefer Labs since some of my duck hunting is on big water. Labs are great for retrieving and can be taught to point also. I ended up going with something just as hard headed as Lab!

Tank the knucklehead Cheaspeake Bay Retriever.

 

[HTDUCK]

Guy you need a Lab.
They are more than just duck/goose dogs.
Can be trained to do about anything.

Howard

 

[SJB358]

You could almost throw a dart at a list of bird dogs and get a good pick. I prefer Labs since some of my duck hunting is on big water. Labs are great for retrieving and can be taught to point also. I ended up going with something just as hard headed as Lab!

Tank the knucklehead Cheaspeake Bay Retriever.

Is that a treestand sticking out of his mouth? :lol:

 

[Polaris]

For predominantly upland hunting, and a good family dog I would pick an english springer spaniel. They will do occasional water work as well. A lab will work, but they're a dime a dozen and there are a lot of poorly bred ones out there. You really need to know what you're looking for. Most you find will excel at retrieving, but finding a good flusher that isn't boneheaded and iron mouthed is a challenge. Everybody thinks they're a Lab Breeder. Most springers you find still come from quality working stock. They are agile, tireless flushers of upland game and eager to please, they tend to work close if properly trained and the white color makes them easy to track in cover. They have a high energy level, so as long as you have kids to tire them out, you'll be OK.

If you want a pointer, an english pointer, pointing Brittney or German Shorthair would be a great gundog but none of those will make as nice of a family pet as a english springer. Do not overlook the golden retriever, although field-bred dogs are difficult to find and tend to run expensive. They are great family pets, but tend to do better in flat terrain.

 

[Woodycreek]

Is that a treestand sticking out of his mouth? :lol:

Nope! Just the foam out of the seat :mrgreen:

 

[SJB358]

Is that a treestand sticking out of his mouth? :lol:

Nope! Just the foam out of the seat :mrgreen:

That was hands down one of the funniest things I've seen. Glad it wasn't my seat! Ha

 

[JD338]

Guy

Labs are great dogs. They can be trained for bird hunting, get along with the kids but very protective of all family members.
We have a Yellow Lab Basset Hound mix. 90 lbs of stupid but don't show up unannounced!

I am going to take him with me this spring turkey hunting. He loves the woods and is very willing to sit and watch as I call in birds. He also enjoys going out to the rifle range with me. I keep him back by my truck and off the firing line and he is just fine with it. Rifle shots do not bother him.

JD338
JD338

 

[cloverleaf]

Guy,
Dad raised and hunted German Short hairs when I was young. Nothing serious mind you but hey, we were in SD. What can you expect? We never did have one that would retrieve worth a darn, (force breaking to retrieve is a pain). However, they were marvelous to watch and work behind when it came moving pheasants and partrige (SP?) out of the thick stuff. For some reason they all seemed to like the water. Our experiences ranged from Stubborn- bull headed, very intelegent, to just down right daffy but all were wonderful hunters and great family dogs. My mother did some day care for little kids at the time and there was never any worry about the kids and the dogs. As a fact even the most timid of them would put herself between the kids and any stray dog that happened to show up. They were wonderful.

My Irish Setter, less so but she spent the first three years of her life in a college dorm room. The "pet"of a girl who thought she was just "so pretty" :roll: Talk about a curtain climber. She was kind of a project for my Dad. He would say, "If you let her run along side the truck for a mile first, she hunts pretty well...." In the end she would point beautifully, but she was WILD. I think he was looking for a photo OP. She made a wonderful cntrast to a GSH on point.

In recent years I have had wonderful times with a little golden retriever mix that belongs to some one else in the family. Obviously I have not hunted over her, but she retrieves naturally, is intuitive, fun loving and of a perfect demeanor. Were I able, I would bring her home. She currently lives on the end of a chain as she has taken to running cattle down in Nebraska, but that was more from neglect than anything else. Some people just shouldnt have dogs :evil:
257 Ackley has a Vissla (SP?) that is a super cool dog. Lots of energy in that breed, great hunters from what I read and hear.

All that said my best "hunting Dog" was a Mut. He was obviously a "flusher" and had to stay at home when the "real" dogs went pheasant hunting. But he was absolutely fearless , loyal, retrieved to my hand ANYTHING my rifle could take form as far away as it managed to get(a fact that probably irked my Dad some what :lol. Although he'd chew on it a bit first.... :roll:
OK, OK thats not what you asked....sorry to many dogs. A pic of Grandpa, a big nasty 'ole Cat and the Mutt. Smoke was half Shepard, half Collie and would hunt anything with fur and four feet. He loved to see that rifle.....

A GSH or a golden Ret. mix with some spaniel or setter thrown in. A springer is a nice dog. 'bout the right size to sleep in the house and still big enough to be fun. Main thing is to either find a MUT with the likely looking characteristics (IMHO they are just a little tougher- but that could be an old wives tail) or buy from a reputable breeder who knows the history as it relates to dysplasia, eye health etc. Oh if you want a real "tank" of dog get a Chessie. They can hunt, will retrieve anything from the sofa to the mailman on comand and you can leave your wife home alone with the door unlocked and not worry. I would take to the hills with a well broke Chessipeak any day. Be warned though, what I learned from a friend and mentor who had them is that they are tough and smart. They take time, consistiency, persistience and a strong hand. Most of the worth while ones do no matter what breed IMHO.

CL

 

[257 Ackley]

Might as well throw my .02 in. It sounds like you are looking for a pointer more than a flusher, so most of the labs and such are out. I have a Vizsla which is similar to a German Shorthair in temperment and field abilities. A better choice as a pointer/retreiver may be the German Wirehaired Pointer (especially the retreiving part). I have hunted over quite a variety of pointers and think the best overall dog for upland birds was a Brittney. Not as big as some of the others, but great nose, retreiving and temperment.

Not many things in life more fun than watching a good pointer lock in and wait for you to tell them to "get the bird"!

 

[super-7]

Well it depends ..... How high do you want to hold yer chin while hunting?
I'm a lab or chessie guy , my self but geese are my main objective.
Gsp is probably a good option , I always wanted a springer .

 

[Guy Miner]

Thanks for the thoughtful input guys. It's going to be a while as our little wire-hair fox terrier has never been good with other dogs and I'm not going to introduce a newcomer to upset her in her old age.

Tell you the truth, I've forgotten how old she actually is - we got her when the kids were young, and they're in their 20's now... Dang. She's at least 15 I'd guess. Seems to have been around for about forever. Blind in one eye and going downhill, but lots of pluck left in her. She has done a remarkable job of keeping the back yard cat free. When she was younger & faster, she'd supplement her diet with the occasional quail or other bird caught in the yard!

So - no new dog while the fox terrier still rules the roost - but yes - I'm doing my research, asking my bird hunting buddies all sorts of questions. Mostly intend to hunt pheasant, quail, chuckar and the like - maybe grouse too. Very frustrating to flush a covey of quail, knock one down, and not be able to find it because I don't have a dog with me, so I haven't done a lot of bird hunting in recent years.

Only marginally interested in duck & goose hunting. Good stuff, and I like to go now and again, but it's not really my thing. Once or twice a year with someone who has their own lab or chessie is fine with me.

Quail though... We've got gazillions of 'em here in the local hills, and a good population of chuckar too. Some pheasants, though nowhere near as many as I'd like to see.

I'll puzzle this one out and eventually will say goodbye to our silly old half-blind fox terrier. Then will make a choice.

Thanks again, Guy

 

[FOTIS]

a Lab.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Guy,

I can't say enough about pointing labs. I owned one out of Cashmans kennels in MN. My male Buck was sired by their Raider dog, who if you ask anyone who knows anything about pointing labs, will say that Raider is the best of all time. http://www.cashmankennels.com/raidersoffspring.html

I picked him up in March of 1998 and by October 1998 he was fully trained in both whistle and hand signals by me. Greatest dog in the field I have ever seen. I can honestly say that in 9 years of hunting him, I never lost a hit bird when he was with me. Pheasants, chukar, quail, doves, ducks and geese were what we chased.

I used to take him once a year to Elkhorn Outfitters ( pheasant place in mid ohio) with a bunch of college friends for a day of pheasant hunting. It was one of those awfully bad days for pointers. Dry and windy. They released 14 birds into our field and after 15 minutes we let him go. He found and pointed all 14 birds and we hit 13 out of the 14. The next closest group had found 7 birds, and these were the Outfitters professional pointing dogs. I had 4 or 5 people offer me HUGE money for Buck that day. Made me awfully proud.

One more quick story since the writing juices are flowing and the memories are hitting me harder than a 150gr Partition Gold out of a .270.

Second week of November 2000. Indianola NE. Myself and 8 others guys traveled from Colorado for a 4 day bird hunting excursion. Drove through a whiteout. Heavy snow. Birds holding tighter than a burr on fleece coat. We release the dogs (my Buck, a springer spaniel, and a flushing lab). Buck was working the field and about 70 yards ahead and to the extreme right of me. He locks up in a beautifull point. I was in the middle of the guys so I instructed the end guys to walk in on a 45 behind him. Well they walk in up pops a......"ROOSTER".. Buck follows the flight of the bird and watches it fall to a full load of number 4's. But wait... he's not sitting as I had trained him to do on the flush... he's still pointing. " Hey Pat what's wrong? Bucks still on point?". " Keep kicking brush, maybe theres another one!" was my reply...

"ROOOOOOOSTER" up came number 2. Another load of #4's brought the bird to the earth and Buck watched this one fall from his normal sit position.

"Fetch dead" I commanded and he went to the second bird on a line and brought it to hand. " Dead Bird" was given and in about 45 seconds he found the first bird and brougt it to hand.

One of the proudest moments I have ever had in the field.

Cashman raises some outstanding pointing dogs. They hold point all day long, are english so they are taller and not as blocky and are bred for field work. Buck was at home in the duck blind or the pheasant field.

My good friend in Colorado has a grandson of my Buck ( I bred him 7 times), and his dog is only a year old and already has placed 1st, and two seconds in the three pointing competitions he has entered..

Here he is a day before we had to put him down in 2007. He was way to young to be taken from us and he had years of drive left. Its too bad cancer had other plans. He was a great friend. I know he is up in the great pheasant fields in the great beyond waiting for me to release him with an all too familiar " find the bird"...

 

[SJB358]

Awesome dog Pat! That's a great animal right there.

 

[DrMike]

Your Buck sounds like a true gem, Pat.

 

[Guy Miner]

Indeed he does. Thanks for sharing that. Wow...

Guy