what dog for ducks and grouse?
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I have one of Mike’s Pudelpointers as well. Awesome dog. It has been a real pleasure training him and watching his development.
Whether it’s pheasants or retrieving waterfowl he’s one of only a few creatures I’ve met who loves to hunt as much as I do!!
Whether it’s pheasants or retrieving waterfowl he’s one of only a few creatures I’ve met who loves to hunt as much as I do!!
How about a classic North American breed? I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Mine has well developed gun/birddog instincts. Her swimming abilties and determination are unreal as well as her devotion to guard home & family. Very happy having her.
RR
Mine has well developed gun/birddog instincts. Her swimming abilties and determination are unreal as well as her devotion to guard home & family. Very happy having her.
RR
Didn't read the whole thread before posting. I see that PPs are well represented.
Mine came from Mike's kennel as well.
Lololol, that's what, four Pine Ridge PPs in one thread?
How old is yours? They're the spitting image of Lola, down to the white star on their chest.
cant_rope_the_wind01
CGN Regular
- Location
- West central Alberta
Gotta love the chessies, the one breed that still has its natural hunting instincts still intac and not diluted or bred out of them by the non hunting show ringsHow about a classic North American breed? I have a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.
Mine has well developed gun/birddog instincts. Her swimming abilties and determination are unreal as well as her devotion to guard home & family. Very happy having her.
RR
Sorry, but you misread and/or misunderstood what I said. PPs will do ducks just fine. They are a versatile breed bred for waterfowl and pointing so duck "AND" grouse are right up their ally.
It is I who doesn't hunt ducks, not my dog or the breed.
This link may clarify things for you. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Versatile_Hunting_Dog_Association
SC
PPs are purpose beed to do both, as well as fur small game, and tracking big game. A dog that hunts, points and retrieves is the literal definition of a versatile hunting dog. Whether you use it for all of those is another and unrelated question.
I was being nice and keeping my mouth shut, but suggesting a retriever for grouse and ducks is like suggesting a hammer to drive a screw. The OP asked what breeds are good for that. The answer is a VHD. You MAY get a retriever that performs acceptably to YOU on grouse, but you're playing the odds. One does not go buy a retriever with the aim of grouse hunting with it. Teaching a dog to fetch birds in the water is easy - it's not a very high bar in the dog training world. Having a dog smart enough and with the drive to learn how to get truly good at hunting grouse is another matter. If chessies had that capability as a breed, then they'd be in the VHD breed category. Suggesting that a retriever is a better choice for anything other than retrieving is absurd. It's literally not what they've been intended or bred to do.
My guy is five. Mike wouldn't have sold me a smooth coat if I was going to waterfowl with it. I had to assure him that it was upland only. He does like the water though.
Same. Lola frightens me sometimes - we live on a long bay off the Atlantic and she's gone half a kick out and back just for fun. She likes the water a lot more than I do. I wanted a slick one too since I'm 95% grouse and rabbits and maybe 5% waterfowl, and hunt grouse as soon as it opens. I'm sure glad Lola doesn't run any hotter.
She's almost 4 1/2 so we must have got them like a litter or two apart. Still a total nut job, people ask me how old my puppy is all the time... "ahhhhhh, she's four?"
Londonshooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
I wouldn't tell a Chesapeake owner he wasn't a dog guy. More like he's a dog guy's dog guy. Comes down to are you an upland guy vs. a waterfowl guy. And I'm a pudelpointer owner.
I'd be very surprised to hear any real dog guy say that the Chessie is the only breed left that hasn't had it's hunting instincts bred out of it.
That's a laughably stupid statement. It sounds ike something someone with no experience with varied breeds of hunting dogs or any knowledge of dog breeding programs might say... which is why I ask. It's like saying "well my gun's the best gun and no other guns are good for hunting so there."
To put a fine point on it, the Chessie wasnt actually developed with hunting instincts. It was developed with retrieving instincts. A dog that you take hunting and a dog with hunting instincts aren't the same thing.
No knock on retrievers - if you need one, you need one. But it constantly amazes me how many retriever owners pipe up in these "what dog" threads suggesting them for upland game. I don't recall ever suggesting a guy in the market for a dedicated waterfowl dog go look at a GSP or Brittany.
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