Best Pheasant/Grouse/Family Dog

[johnnycake]

I’ve been around some that are really good upland dogs, but meh waterfowl and Vice versa, never one that really excels at both.


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Hit me up in Alaska sometime, maybe we can reinforce that opinion. Or maybe we can change it. Either way, I'm sure we could find some trouble.

 

[Dos Perros]

I’m not sure the quality of versatiles you’ve hunted with. Experiences will very. That has not been mine

The competitions used to select for the best bird finders in the world never select versatiles. It's not by accident.

 

[Dos Perros]

To add on, there are wild grouse trials. Wild birds on public land. If I were after a grouse dog, I'd look to see who was winning those, because it so directly applies to what I was trying to accomplish.

 

[High Voltage]

Our GWP, Kimber is a retrieving machine, and awesome tracker. She got a prize 2 in NAVADA UTILITY test last summer. We breed her to a handsome Import from Germany. The studs owner said he has been the easiest dog he has trained.
Link to rokslide add. GWP puppies.

 

[whoami-72]

Sooooo everyone is throwing out fancy dogs and that's cool. But, don't forget about good old golden retriever. If trained well, they are better hunters than the average dog and better family dogs than most hunting dogs. They do shed though. And they will likely be a flusher which is doable but not ideal for birds.

 

[Wrestler034]

 

[johnnycake]

The competitions used to select for the best bird finders in the world never select versatiles. It's not by accident.

Never say never. The problem with absolute statements are that they become easy to refute, even if by an anomaly. A pudelpointer named VC Cedarwood's Man O'War has been NSTRA Champion (in addition to being a UKC Retriever Champion, and a Versatile Champion with a maximum score at the NAVHDA Invitational).

 

[Montucky]

Buy a lab & a sweet new vaccum cleaner…don’t try to weigh the odds

 

[jumpychukar]

If you are looking for a ruffed grouse dog specifically (or just a wild bird dog), I'd look into the Cover Dog Field trials to see what is winning. Especially since you are in MN - these dogs all run in the woods for grouse and woodcock on wild birds in the fall and spring. Also, in the trials you walk (shooting dog) so the dogs usually don't range as far vs an all age dog (horseback) which in my opinion is better for a personal hunting dog.

Plus - you can see the dogs run, if they calm down on the chain/around people, and talk to the breeders/handlers about them. https://members3.boardhost.com/coverdog/

 

[KurtR]

Never say never. The problem with absolute statements are that they become easy to refute, even if by an anomaly. A pudelpointer named VC Cedarwood's Man O'War has been NSTRA Champion (in addition to being a UKC Retriever Champion, and a Versatile Champion with a maximum score at the NAVHDA Invitational).

I went and looked at his story I like reading about the good dogs through out time. I can go on huntinglabpedigree and read about the past champions and hall of fame dogs for hours. My dog has the bolo spots which come from DC Banchory Bolo born in 1915 its fun to go back in history.

HuntingLabPedigree

Online Labrador retriever pedigree database

www.huntinglabpedigree.com

 

[Dos Perros]

Never say never. The problem with absolute statements are that they become easy to refute, even if by an anomaly. A pudelpointer named VC Cedarwood's Man O'War has been NSTRA Champion (in addition to being a UKC Retriever Champion, and a Versatile Champion with a maximum score at the NAVHDA Invitational).

That's a totally different game selecting for a different set of abilities. I don't personally put much stock in trials run on poultry; you shouldn't either if you're after a grouse dog.

 

[Dos Perros]

Plus - you can see the dogs run, if they calm down on the chain/around people, and talk to the breeders/handlers about them. https://members3.boardhost.com/coverdog/

In my fairly limited experience, the dogs bred for competition can be very sweet house dogs if they are allowed to be. My buddy's Berg Bros setter slept on his son's bed every night.

 

[johnnycake]

Gotcha DosPerros: NSTRA doesn't count as one of competitions used to select the best bird finders, and we should just accept your admittedly fairly limited experience as the end all be all authority in the subject, and ignore the various other realities to the contrary.

 

[Dos Perros]

Gotcha DosPerros: NSTRA doesn't count as one of competitions used to select the best bird finders, and we should just accept your admittedly fairly limited experience as the end all be all authority in the subject, and ignore the various other realities to the contrary.

My fairly limited experience was related to competition bird dogs as house pets and family dogs. Most of them don't live that kind of life.

If you could produce for me any NSTRA dogs that even qualified for a wild bird all age AF field trials I would be shocked, although I guess there could be some out there. I sincerely doubt it, though.

 

[Bluefish]

I've never hunted with a Brittany or Setters.

I have hunted over a few Brittany’s. Awesome dogs. Would not quit. I expect they are pretty high energy at home, but have no experience on that aspect.

 

[johnnycake]

If you could produce for me any NSTRA dogs that even qualified for a wild bird all age AF field trials I would be shocked, although I guess there could be some out there. I sincerely doubt it, though.

You do realize that a lot of NSTRA events are full of english pointers, various setters, GSPs, etc. many of whom also compete in field trials of all different types? But based on your posts, maybe you don't know much about NSTRA. It is an interesting organization, and the trials have their strengths and weaknesses. Just like NAHRA, NAVHDA, AFTCA, AKC, LMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (at this point despite making it up I wouldn't doubt that that one exists as a dog group somewhere). I don't have a membership to search the AFTCA database, nor do I have an interest in shelling out $25 to prove you wrong (again; or rather to 'shock' you) for you to then move the goal posts (again).

 

[Mosby]

I currently have a GSP and a Vizsla. Both make nice family and hunting dogs. Over the years, I've had pointers, retrievers, setters and vizsla's. I've loved them all. I hunt by myself most of the time, so I am not too concerned about their shortcomings or what somebody else thinks of my dogs....I just buy what I like and my wife tolerates them as best she can.

I have become a Vizsla guy. They are different and have shortcomings but I enjoy their goofiness. Finding a quality Vizsla can be a bit difficult. There aren't many quality breeders or a lot of litters to choose from. The best have waiting lists and some can be difficult to get a pup from if they don't know you. It took me quite a while to know what to look for and where to find it. There are no Berg Brothers in the Vizsla world.

The midwest has some outstanding GSP breeders and finding a quality GSP is much easier IMO than some other hunting breeds. For the average guy looking for a quality, low maintenance field hunting and family dog, I think they are hard to beat.

 

[Dos Perros]

You do realize that a lot of NSTRA events are full of english pointers, various setters, GSPs, etc. many of whom also compete in field trials of all different types? But based on your posts, maybe you don't know much about NSTRA. It is an interesting organization, and the trials have their strengths and weaknesses. Just like NAHRA, NAVHDA, AFTCA, AKC, LMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ (at this point despite making it up I wouldn't doubt that that one exists as a dog group somewhere). I don't have a membership to search the AFTCA database, nor do I have an interest in shelling out $25 to prove you wrong (again; or rather to 'shock' you) for you to then move the goal posts (again).

I am aware, yes. I am saying that those dogs are not the best bird finders, and if they were, they would be competing in the venues that select for those abilities.

I am notionally aware of NSTRA. It's a poultry shooting competition, which has little to do with wild bird hunting.

I haven't moved any goal posts, but I'll succinctly summarize:

1) A versatile won't hold a candle to a well bred pointer, setter, or brittany in terms of bird finding ability.
2) The OP should consider looking at wild grouse trials and finding a dog of similar breeding to the ones winning those trials.
3) OP shouldn't worry about a dog with that kind of breeding making a poor house pet; conditioned properly there is a high likelihood he or she will do just fine.

 

[Dos XX]

I have hunted over a few Brittany’s. Awesome dogs. Would not quit. I expect they are pretty high energy at home, but have no experience on that aspect.

Brittanys are high energy. All sporting dogs are high energy. If you want them to be chill in the house, they need to be raised and trained to act right in the house, and they need to be exercised, a lot when they are young, less as they get older. There is no free ride on the chill in the house thing.

I have two of them. One is 2 years old, and the other is 9 months old. They are great in the house. I walk them several miles a day as well as work with them in the yard on retrieving, whoa, here, etc. I wouldn't trade for them.

 

[Szwampdonkey]

Brittany