dog recommendation?

[mad-bomber]

there is no dog like a lab! just dont ever break their spirit!! use treats and rubs to train them. i knew nothing about traing dogs and i have three a yellow,black and chocolate the yellow is mother to the black and the black is the father of the chocolate and they are great in the field and in the blind.

[3dvapor]

i would strongly suggest a gwp.  labs are probably the best for ducks or geese but if your going to hunt a considerable amount of upland especially chukar the labs arent built for that type of hunting especially consecutive days.  its like entering a 100yd sprinter into a 26 mile marathon.  your upland dogs are constantly running covering wide swaths of ground.  ive hunted over lots of dogs and currently own setters while my hunting buddy has labs which are also excellant just not as efficient in the desert , sage and rocks.  the breeders that are selective breeding their dogs only after extreme mandatory testing and scoring is the way to go in my opinion.  ive been really impressed with the gwp (dd's).  i would suggest you pay a visit to one of their kennels and witness the dogs in action im almost sold on one.  would love to have a blood trailer in archery camp just another plus

[huntress4203]

I have to jump on the lab bandwagon myself although I had goldens for years.  Their coat is a little harder to deal with.  We have a labxgolden right now that looks more like a lab and she's shaping up to be a good dog.  LOVES to retrieve and carry, is very birdy and doesn't blink when a gun goes off.  We don't hunt birds but may have to start.

                                          Glo

[Clumber]

Might also want to take a look at Tollers.  Smaller dog, cuter than a bug in a rug wearing a santa hat.  They are on our short list for future "oddball" (aka non-Clumber) in our pack.  I get the next oddball choice and that will either be a Dobe or a HoneyRun.  Jeni's next round will almost certainly be a Toller.  We have met a few at conformation shows, and from what we have read they are so versatile you can almost get them to drive the boat and use the duck calls for you.    I am not a waterfowler, but then 5ish years ago I wasn't a Grouse hunter either, so could happen.  Currently duck hunting sounds boring and COLD, but I am often misinformed... LOL

National breed club's info page L http://www.nsdtrc-usa.org/toller_info.htm

and they certainly can compete in the Cute Puppy category as well...

And I do know of some Clumbers who do waterfowling, but I don't know enough about that to recommend either way.

Not in any way tossing a vote against a Lab, btw.  They are awesome too.  Just tossing out another option because the only thing more fun than researching breeds is opening your new pup's crate for the first time.

Give Jack a smooch on the noseball for us.  We'll keep him in our thoughts.

~tracy

[griff]

HEAR ARE A COUPAL PIX, I THINK. WILL TRY TO GRT THE BETTER ONES IF I CAN FIND THEM. THE BOY TOOK THES PIX WHITH HIS CAMERA SO THEY ARNT THE BEST. AND I JUST FIGURED OUT HOW TO POST THEM.

[griff]

OK I DID IT. SOME DECENT PIX. THE ONE ON MY PORCH WAS THE END OF LAST SEASON ONE DUCK AND ONE PHEASANT. ONE THE LAKE THIS SUMMER FLOTING ON THE TUBE WHITH THE WIFE,  TOOK MY BROTHER TO THE BIRD FARM, THAT DOESNT RILLY COUNT BUT YOU KNOW, AND ONE IN THE FEILD HUNTING GROUSE. LOOKING FOR THEAS MAKES A GUY REALIZE HOW FEW PIX HE HAS. HE WILL BE TWO AT THE END OF JANUARY. A WELL ROUNDED DOG .

[mad-bomber]

i will agree that the labs are not a desert marathon runners but...a lab can do everything and i have never seen a brittany or spainel or? do a 300yd retrieve on a wounded goose in the current, with a tangle of seaweed.......in 10 degree whether! ha i win.sorry us LAB lovers are a little proud of are friends!

[carpsniperg2]

i will agree that the labs are not a desert marathon runners but...a lab can do everything and i have never seen a brittany or spainel or? do a 300yd retrieve on a wounded goose in the current, with a tangle of seaweed.......in 10 degree whether! ha i win.sorry us LAB lovers are a little proud of are friends!

i am with you again mad-bomber, i breed akc labs and would not have another dog in the field than a lab can do everthing and more that them hyper springers 

[mad-bomber]

i like pointers too, pointers are great for running all day up and down breaks for chuckers but cant waterfoul? golden retrievers are great but you spend two days getting briar and huckleburrs out of their hair.  why not have a dog that can do great at everything?

[Shannon]

Who said pointers can't waterfowl? They haven't hunted over my dog. I will say that my pointer won't handle extreme cold like my labs though. Here in Western Washington we don't get extreme cold very often. The labs I have had couldn't hold a candle to my pointer during chukar/hun hunting. You don't see many 300 LB guys running 100 mile marathons. Labs and pointers both are great dogs but everyone has to decide for themselves what type of hunting they enjoy and do the most. When you answer that you pretty much answer which breed of dog you should get.

[mad-bomber]

Who said pointers can't waterfowl? They haven't hunted over my dog. I will say that my pointer won't handle extreme cold like my labs though. Here in Western Washington we don't get extreme cold very often. The labs I have had couldn't hold a candle to my pointer during chukar/hun hunting. You don't see many 300 LB guys running 100 mile marathons. Labs and pointers both are great dogs but everyone has to decide for themselves what type of hunting they enjoy and do the most. When you answer that you pretty much answer which breed of dog you should get.

or just buy a lab. i would love to see a pointer go after a winged goose in 2ft of weedy mud.no way the pointer could catch it in there and if he did that goose would sink the dog. or a pointer to sit quite for 10 hours in 20* snow with icicles on his hide and eyes.a lab can hunt steep desert chucker all day.might not being running as fast as a pointer half way through but the lab cab still do it.im not saying pointers are not good dogs.im just saying they cant do everything labs can do.

[fishermanjoe]

dont know if anyone has suggested it but have you thought about a pointing lab?

[Shannon]

Show me a lab that can run like a grey hound and then slam on point with head high, leaning forward, tell straight up, and one leg lifted. Sometimes it takes your breath away. Never seen any lab that can do that even the pointing labs. I will still stand by my statement and say get the dog that suits you and your hunting. If you do mostly upland hunting you would be mistaken to buy a lab IMO. If you only do waterfowl I would think your mistaken to buy a pointer. Sure both dogs can do both and some can do them both well. It would be like recommending getting an F150 for every customer. Its not going to fit everyone's needs.
I have only had labs until my most recent dog and trust me she can out hunt any lab I have ever seen on upland birds. Especially after 5-6 days of all day wide open spaced hunting. I also enjoy the beautiful points.
To each there own.

[TEX-X]

  

[mad-bomber]

ok,bring your pointer down to my pheasant spot with my me and my lab.it is a river with 200yds of cattail and thick buckbrush on each side. if a pointer can even get in the brush to hunt i will be amazed. and do all these pointers retrieve? i would hate to go walking through that mess and jumping into the river to retrieve my birds.glad i have a lab.ok im done i like all dogs! pointers are "ok" too.