Brittany poodle mix

[idcuda]

Of course, everyone's mixing every breed with a poodle nowadays. Anyone know if the Brittany poodles are good upland bird hunters? I'm not too interested in getting one, but it's a possibility. I would imagine they'd be about half or 3/4 as good as a full-bred Brit. It's hard to find anyone with real-world experience and there are a lot of unknowns about these doodle dogs.

 

[Mark]

I'm not a fan of any mixed breed for a working dog.

Dogs bred for a purpose, such as Brittany Spaniels and Labrador Retrievers don't benefit from being crossed with a poodle. Poodles were once retrievers (typically ducks), but that has essentially been bred out of them.

I used to run AKC hunt tests with my labs. Over the 8 years I was involved I saw maybe 10-15 standard poodles running the tests. A duck is shot on land and the dog goes to get it and delivers the bird to hand. A dead bird is then thrown and the dog goes to get it and delivers the bird to hand. Both birds are less than 50 yards marks. Then the scenario is repeated in water. Not one poodle was able to complete a junior hunt test. Most never made it out of the land series. And those few that got through the land series weren't interested in the water at all.

Of course there are exceptions, I'm simply sharing my personal observations of standard poodles. There are still proven poodles that are bred to hunt, but they're the exception today rather than the rule. Of course there are worthless pure bred dogs that have no hunting skills so choose your breeder wisely. If you want a working dog, make sure the dog comes from dogs that are proven hunters. That way you'll have a better chance of ending up with a dog that hunts.

There's no good reason in my opinion* to add a poodle or any other breed to any dog, especially working dogs. If you want an upland hunting dog, that's what you should focus on. If you want a water dog, that's what you should focus on. I see no benefit to diluting the breed of any pure bred dog.


*I'm not trying to be disrespectful to anyone that owns a mixed breed hunting dog. These are simply my opinions. Your results may vary.

 

[slick]

I think a lot of the poodle influenced breeds are there so people can market and sell them as hypoallergenic dogs. Funny thing is, only a percentage of the pups will actually be hypoallergenic. It’s a genetic thing, and it’s not a 100% passed on trait. Plus no dog is 100% hypoallergenic. Anyways..

As for mixed breeds, all purebreds were mixed breeds at one point in time. As much as I agree with having proven parents and other relatives within the lineage, there are solid quality mixed dogs. You’re just taking a bigger chance with one.

When I’m in the market for another dog, I’ll be doing my due diligence for NAVHDA proven lineages. Any dog can be an outdoor companion, not every dog can be a staunch bird hunter.

 

[Forks]

Sounds like a "Broodle" to me (more like Brutal). I'll stick to my pointer's and shorthair's.

 

[idcuda]

Thanks everyone. I think all the comments make sense and brutal is probably the right name. The poodle thing is an odd fascination right now and it seems to be mainly just for house and family dogs. I'll be sticking with Brittanies. Best of luck to everyone this season!

 

[tt_johnsclist]

I’ll offer a different perspective of sorts. I’m a professional duck guide (at least as professional as you can in that field) and ironically enough very allergic to labs and most dogs. I’m on my second labradoodle, no allergies at all and no complaints. I’d hunt those dogs against most of the labs around our club. They hunt hard, love the water, and have a unique intelligence that purebred labs lack (no offense lab lovers). They don’t handle the cold as well, definite drawback in December Ohio.

That being said I think I’d pass on a Brittany poodle for upland hunting. Mine have never shown any upland interest and it takes a ton of drive to make a good upland dog. I wouldn’t consider trying field trials with mine either, they are great in the marsh on a hunt but not fixated enough for trial precision.


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[idcuda]

I’m on my second labradoodle, no allergies at all and no complaints.

Thanks for the input. The allergy issue is the only reason the subject even came up - my kid is allergic to dogs. But, instead of a poodle mix, he's going through allergy shots. It's a win-win, he gets tortured with endless shots and we don't buy a doodle!

 

[npm352]

I own hounds and also corun a bird dog kennel for training and breeding brits. Cove Mountain Kennels.... houndsmen are pragmatists and mix all the time...and it works. Bird dog guys are snobs, but could probably produce better dogs by crossing. However, for trials and hunt tests AND puppy price, it has not caught on. Id love to see a brit crossed with an english pointer or gsp. I would not cross anything hunting dog with a poodle. Their hunting abilities were bred out a long time ago. Id go pointer to pointer only...no versatile dogs to pointers or retrievers or flushers to pointers. You want to excentuate the main hunting trait of a brit...pointing.

Id never do it because brits are great hunters already and the puppies would be worthless....however...I would LOVE to see a "mutt" stake for akc field trials...thatd make people do it more.

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[Matt W.]

I'm not trying be argumentative, as this is road can be as dangerous as "what truck," "what bow" and "what caliber".. : )
Below is just my opinion and why I have that opinion.

I think that breeding is far more important that we realize. I am no expert, but the book I link below helped me recognize the importance. My interactions with other breeds & dogs through my participation in NAVHDA events (NAVHDA - Working to Foster, Promote, and Improve the Versatile Hunting Dog Breeds in North America) further reinforces this belief. Some dogs just have it, and IMHO selective careful breeding enforces that. Most of our modern sporting dogs started as a cross of something way back when, so I am not saying crosses won't work, just that the process should be carefully thought through....

I am a novice dog trainer, but its amazing to see my dog's natural ability take over! I am a big believer in buying the best bred dog you can afford, tailored to what you want to do. For me it was a versatile dog, and after much searching and a few years of research it was a Pudelpointer. Some guys get lucky, but I'm not that guy, so I take every advantage I can to maximize success.

This book by Bob Farris is very informative. Even if you are a die hard fan of your specific breed, his expertise on specific breeding standards and applications is a time worthy read, and applicable to any breed... Breeding & Training Versatile Hunting Dogs: Bob Farris: 9781985413382: Amazon.com: Books

Unless you are just a die hard single focus upland or waterfowl hunter, I'd like suggest you take a look at Versatile Hunting Dog.
The Case for a Versatile Hunting Dog | Remote Pursuits

Just my opinion and worth exactly what you paid for it... : )

 

[Randyb1969]

just get yourself a wirehair you'll be happy

 

[idcuda]

just get yourself a wirehair you'll be happy

Got a French Brittany; I found a great breeder locally. She's a nut ball at 6 months, but I think she'll be a great partner for my American.