Hunting Dog

[Watz_Hunt]

What is a good all around hunting dog? Tell me what you have and what you primarily use it for. I would like to get a good idea of what a quality hunting dog would be.

[gasman]

I recently aquired a "AKC Chocolate Lab" to train for hunting and new family member.

I chose a lab for being a natural working dog and a great family member.

[Curly]

Labs can hunt almost everything.  Good for ducks, geese, and upland.  And very good family pets too. 

That said, my lab was too hyper to sit in a duck blind......it could have been the trainers fault (me) but he just didn't have any patience. 

He was an excellent upland bird dog though and my best friend.

[GoldTip]

 

I have a 92lb Chocolate Lab, male who will go all day and just the last 2 seasons(he's 7 this spring) has he settled down enough to be a good Duck hunting companion.  When the hunting and shooting was hot, he'd be right by side and retrieve anything that was there, but if the hunting was slow, he was going to go do something else.   Upland he will run till he's dead hunting birds and still will to this day, just goes and goes and hunts well and hard.  As far as for being my buddy, I couldn't ask for a better one. 

[Ossahatchee]

Here's one for you to consider if you hunt a lot of different game and in different conditions.

http://drahthaar-trulyversatile.com/video

[Watz_Hunt]

So a hunting dog can be a pet too? my wife seems to think that they would stay kenneled up all the time until it was time to train or to hunt.

[boneaddict]

I would say bird dogs can for sure.  Not sure about hounds.

[Watz_Hunt]

Ok well my wife suggested a Brittney because her cousin has one any thoughts on that?

[WA_duck_Hunter]

Always hunted with a Golden Retriever. Great for waterfowl. Flushed many an upland bird for us. Think they are great house pets too. But heard some can be a little more temperamental, not so with mine.

Goldens all the way!

My grandparents neighbors have a Springer, never trained to hunt but it is the nicest dog I have ever seen. Don't know about the Brittney.

[runamuk]

Ok well my wife suggested a Brittney because her cousin has one any thoughts on that?

The britneys I have been around were wonderful family dogs, I know they make good upland dogs but not sure how they fare for waterfowl 

[Curly]

I don't think a Brittney would be a good all around hunting dog.  They would be best for upland birds......they would likely get too cold for waterfowl.  And they are pointers.  To me, and all around hunting dog would have to be a flushing type dog.

Another dog to consider is a Boykin Spaniel.  I know there is one member on this board that has a boykin.  They are great little dogs.  They have Chessepeke Bay retriever and some type of spaniel in their lines.  They are similar sized to a britney, but they are flushing dogs and have a wavy coat similar to a chessepeke.

[ThePascoKid]

The Boykin is a neat looking little dog I had never heard of one until this thread so I googled them, they would be a lot harder to get your hands on than a Lab and according to the info I read they don't like the real cold water as much.  It's hard to beat those crazy Labs I'm on my 4th, had one since I was a kid.

[WAcoyotehunter]

sure hounds can be pets and hunting dogs.

[bigdave]

wow, that last post gives a whole new meaning to the term "lucky dog" makes me want to take a nap just looking at them.

[TheHunt]

Here's one for you to consider if you hunt a lot of different game and in different conditions.

http://drahthaar-trulyversatile.com/video

+1, This is the all purpose dog