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Pick a hunting dog breed for me!

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Skyflyer

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
I clearly remember my wife saying that when I stopped flying airliners and retired, that I could have a hunting/truck buddy dog. Pick me a dog that is mostly likely to:

Range closely (I know it can be trained for this, but some breeds are better than others).
Be Sweet by nature.
Be friendly to most people, but especially family (son is a grown adult now, so we have no kids or grandkids).

Mostly upland, some moderate weather waterfowl.
Reasonably easy to train (I am a firm believer in a disciplined dog at home and in the field)
Prefer a pointer or setter, but open to all dog types.
Prefer under 55 lbs, preferring around 35-40 lbs.
Prefer a male (fixed) in a particular breed, but open to females.
I'd be interested in training dog with a local hunt club.
One that doesn't shed excessively (I know all dogs shed, except perhaps a poodle or vizsla.
One that doesn't poop or pee...well, maybe next century!

Pictures welcome!
 
#3 ·
Skyflyer said:
I clearly remember my wife saying that when I stopped flying airliners and retired, that I could have a hunting/truck buddy dog. Pick me a dog that is mostly likely to:

Range closely (I know it can be trained for this, but some breeds are better than others).
Be Sweet by nature.
Be friendly to most people, but especially family (son is a grown adult now, so we have no kids or grandkids).

Mostly upland, some moderate weather waterfowl.
Reasonably easy to train (I am a firm believer in a disciplined dog at home and in the field)
Prefer a pointer or setter, but open to all dog types.
Prefer under 55 lbs, preferring around 35-40 lbs.
Prefer a male (fixed) in a particular breed, but open to females.
I'd be interested in training dog with a local hunt club.
One that doesn't shed excessively (I know all dogs shed, except perhaps a poodle or vizsla.
One that doesn't poop or pee...well, maybe next century!

Pictures welcome!
Click to expand...
German Short Haired Pointer
Image

13 yrs & 4 years.
I'd stay with a female if you want to stay in your smaller range.
My male, theo oldrr one, goes 75 lbs and he had NO fat.
The 4 year old female is 55 lbs.
I've never been without two.
MG
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
mg1polo said:
German Short Haired Pointer View attachment 1574597
13 yrs & 4 years.
I'd stay with a female if you want to stay in your smaller range.
My male, theo oldrr one, goes 75 lbs and he had NO fat.
The 4 year old female is 55 lbs.
I've never been without two.
MG
Click to expand...
I love a good GSP. The problem is I shot pheasants with a buddy who had the dumbest, far-ranging, most un-disciplined dogs and it made hunting a whole different Olympic sport! I'd love to see a well-trained one and see what they can do. Even a wire haired would do...so homely, but so sweet!
 
#7 ·
Skyflyer said:
I love a good GSP. The problem is I shot pheasants with a buddy who had the dumbest, far-ranging, most un-disciplined dogs and it made hunting a whole different Olympic sport! I'd love to see a well-trained one and see what they can do. Even a wire haired would do...so homely, but so sweet!
Click to expand...
wirehair's aren't homely! I've had them for 30 years now and shopping for a new pup myself. The best wire hair I ever had was about the ugliest pup you ever saw but she was a hunting machine and was a great family dog. She got less "ugly" as she got older lol. Wires do shed much less than other breeds. I've come to prefer wires without much wooly undercoat, much less work to clean up after a day in the field and dry quick after chasing ducks.

My buddy loves springers and they are a great dog but they shed a bunch and every burr and twig in a field seems to stick to his dogs especially in the ears.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
honcho, just teasing about the wire-hairs being homely. Out at my club there is a gentleman, short on years, is on his 3rd WHP since I first met him. I loved his dogs. Who couldn't love those big brown eyes, whiskery snout and sweet natures! I always thought about getting one, because I have never seen a dog get into the blackberry bushes to find a bird like his WHPs! Great dogs!
 
Discussion starter · #12 ·
ron (vt), years ago (about 20) my wife, son and I went to the home of a well-known local Brit breeder to put down a deposit on a Brittany. I had seen them at the Portland Dog Show. Normally I would only buy from a hunting breeder, but she and her husband were active hunters from the lines she bred. She also showed them and they won Best Sporting Dog or Best Brittany at the Dog Show. There are only a few breeds that show and hunt out of the same lines. English Cockers might be one and perhaps Boykin Spaniels.
 
#14 ·
English Cocker with British field pedigree. Attributes too numerous to list. Observe one work in the field and be around one for a few hours and all your questions will be answered. Your wife would soon be jealous of all the affection you receive from your Cocker.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Actually, I attended a training session with the best professional field trainer in the area using live pheasants and it was a real treat to see top dogs perform. I hunted with one of his fully trained Springers and he flushed a Cock within 5 minutes of hunting. I was teaching a 16 year old how to hunt. The dog flushed. The bird flew. The boy shot. The bird fell. The dog retrieved to the boy and presented the bird. Unbelievable.
 
#16 ·
shacked67 said:
I would recommend that whatever breed you pick comes from a proven hunting bloodline if you plan to hunt.
Click to expand...

What ever breed you decide upon the pup's pedigree is what you are paying for and you get what you pay for these days. A litter from AKC proven earned field title's show's the parents have a college education of proven train ability. Just being AKC registered doesn't mean squat.......even Jeffrey Dalmer had a birth certificate.
 
#17 ·
While I've always had pointing breeds, I had a couple friends that had Field bred Springers and Cockers, both were hunting and retrieving machines. Visualize a 20 lb Cocker bringing back a wounded 8 lb Canada Goose.

Look for a video of a Springer Field Trial, pretty impressive.

Pat
 
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