Choosing a Dog

[WRO]

If pudelpointers were at all competitive in wild bird trials, I'd have experience with them.

Plenty of neighborhood experience, there's one that pisses on my ash tree twice day. Another one two houses down is so manic it can't be outside without a lead (despite the family paying a small fortune on 1:1 training sessions).

A friend has a couple, his bitch is probably one of the best hunters around.

I, like you, prefer ft dogs though.

 

[DG1010]

Personally I want a duck tolling retriever, but after reading these comments I should consider a pudelpointer

 

[johnnycake]

Personally I want a duck tolling retriever, but after reading these comments I should consider a pudelpointer

Go to a training day or test event with your local NAVHDA chapter and spend some time with some. I love my pudelpointers, but they aren't for everybody. Ava might not be the highest scoring dog out there and will never compete in Dos Perros' precious trials, but hot damn is she a pleasure to hunt with. She put in 9 hard miles in the mountains today and didn't miss a beat.

 

[KurtR]

Personally I want a duck tolling retriever, but after reading these comments I should consider a pudelpointer

You have a very very very small pool of tollers to choose from if you want a good one. I have seen one of the few who qualified for the master national and nice friendly dog but when it came to working i would never own one.

 

[Crete]

There are three breeds that I'd seriously consider:
GSP
Brittany
Vizsla

Labs are generally a little wound up for my liking plus who wants to hunt over a retriever when you can hunt over a pointing dog.

Weims are good dogs but from the few that I've seen are not the fastest to train. They'll train but it takes longer. Like labs they are generally pretty big dogs too.

Now there will be a bunch of folks along to disagree with me.

Good Luck with the new pup.

 

[Jason Snyder]

11 month old Drahthaar female.

 

[rbljack]

Personally I want a duck tolling retriever, but after reading these comments I should consider a pudelpointer

We had one (duck trolling retriever) . It wasn't a bird dog but was a great family dog that was very smart. Minimal training and he still learned to potty train, sit, stay, leave rooms when asked, get in the truck, fetch, etc. One thing I will mention about the breed.....the long hair can cause issues. Not only in keeping them groomed, but our boy constantly fought with ear infections. So if you go with one, make sure your keeping the ears cleaned out on a regular basis.

RIP SCOUT!

 

[WRO]

There are three breeds that I'd seriously consider:
GSP
Brittany
Vizsla

Labs are generally a little wound up for my liking plus who wants to hunt over a retriever when you can hunt over a pointing dog.

Weims are good dogs but from the few that I've seen are not the fastest to train. They'll train but it takes longer. Like labs they are generally pretty big dogs too.

Now there will be a bunch of folks along to disagree with me.

Good Luck with the new pup.

For every good weim, there's a plethora of show line trash dogs.

I love my setters, they should be on your list. Great family and hunting dogs.

 

[Longleaf]

One more vote for Pudelpointer, they are one breed that has not been acknowledge by AKC so they have never been bread for show (they may have recently been accepted). PP breeders will not even sell a dog to someone who isn't going to hunt it, most require you to be a NAVHDA member and at least run the dog in a NA test. Breeders have done a very good job with these dogs.

Moose

 

[loganwayne]

Going to pick up our 4th French brittany Saturday. Wife put a deposit down on a puppy while i was out of town bird hunting for a week. Cant be mad, its from a breeder ive had alot of interactions with the last few years and watched the parents in trials and hunting as well as previous litters of pups. Will also be getting one of the pups that the breeder was "holding back for himself".

If you want a dog get involved and go and watch a trial or go hunting with a guide that has the breed you want. you'll quickly find who has the dogs that work for you.

 

[Dos XX]

We have 2 American Brittanys. They shed quite a bit. If you brush them regularly, it is better. The oldest will be 3 years old in April. The youngest just turned 18 months. The oldest one was pretty wild when he was a puppy. When he turned 18 months, it was like a switch was turned off. He became very calm. It was almost overnight, too. It was so much of a change that I took him to the vet and had blood work done. I thought he might have been sick. He is amazing in the house and is a hard hunter.

They young one is way wilder than the older one ever was. He is hell on wheels, but man he hunts with gusto. The older one hunts in a more businesslike manner and has since he was as puppy. Being that the young one just turned 18 months, I keep looking for the calming change. All that said, they both live in the house, and the young one does well in the house. He is more of a lap dog in the evening than the older one, who is more likely to go hang out it in his crate by himself. They are two very different dogs.

Can't stress the exercise part enough. I walked 80 miles one month with the oldest dog, and this wasn't during hunting season. Having 2 of them does allow them to run each other's battery down, though.

 

[Grisha]

We went with a pudelpointer. Fits your criteria, and I had the additional requirement of waterfowl. She is awesome in every way. She has a medium course coat that can collect burrs. That's the only thing to consider. She also doesn't shed, which was a wife ask, and I supported. A smooth coat PP will shed and a wooly is one to avoid for hunting.

Mind sharing breeder? After a lab and Britt when I was younger finally looking at another gun dog. Have settled on a draht but pp's have always intrigued me. My main concern has been limited breeding pools

 

[chizelhead]

We went with High Life Pudelpointers in Redmond, OR. Rod Rist is the breeder. He's tight with Bob Farris, and I recommend talking with Bob. The sire was was from Bob Farris' Cedarwoods and the dame was High Life's. The other breeder I would talk with is Jess Spradley with Cabin Creek Gun Dogs. Feel free to PM if you have other questions.

 

[rocknry09]

Hey all,
I am starting to do some research on bird dog breeds and training. hoping to get a dog in the next couple years.

I am wondering if anyone has recommendations on dog breeds that would work for me. I'd also like some advice on training and bird dog ownership in general.

I owned an English Setter for several years. I inherited him from a family member, who could no longer care for him. He was 8 when we got him and was never trained, so he wasn't much of a hunting companion, but he was a sweet and gentle guy that did very well with the two newborns we brought home to him as they grew into toddlers. We sadly had to put him down last year.



I'd like a dog that

1. Will do well hunting primarily quail and grouse in both open and thick terrain. I live in northern California where things tend to be thick, but will travel some to more open terrain. I guess versatility is important
2. Will do well with children.
3. Hypoallergenic if possible (My wife was pretty allergic to the English Setter, and that hair got everywhere)
4. Needs to be okay at home while wife and I are at work.

Considering wire-haired griffon, brittany, and some others, but still in the research stage for sure.

Any advice or resources to point me to?

GPS checks all of the items on your list

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I started with a Visla in the 1980s.
She was great on quail, huns, chuckars, and even pheasants.
But got really cold sitting in the duck blind.