antler/upland hunting dog

[savagelh]

I'm looking at getting a new puppy some time this year and I plan on training it for retrieving shed antlers and taking it hunting for upland birds. I'm considering a chesapeake or lab. Any other breeds to consider? Also has anybody trained there dog to retrieve sheds? Any info you could share or point me towards is appreciated.

 

[Longwalker]

If you are looking at an upland bird dog, I can't endorse your choice of a retriever, which is a specialized breed developed for use on waterfowl and in water. Almost any of the European versatile breeds would suit your purpose better! The versatile breeds, such as the German Wirehairs or shorthairs, the Vizla, Large or small Munsterlanders, Pudelpointer, Griffon, the French Brittany, English setter and many others would almost certainly be a better choice. They have been developed to be upland bird pointing dogs.
Any dog with a good nose can find and retrieve antlers. if you prefer a flushing dog, springers have beed developed for that purpose and do it extremely well.
Like you, I once thought that retrievers were the best choice for various jobs until I was exposed to good versatile dogs doing their stuff. I like and enthusiastically support hunting retrievers for the job that they were intended to do, but in my opinion there are far better choices for upland bird work.
A very good reference that I can recommend is a new book by Craig Koshyk of Winnipeg - POINTING DOGS VOLUME ONE: THE CONTINENTALS It is very well researched and explains the pros and cons of each of the versatile European breeds. It is a good place to start your quest.
There is a club of dedicated hunting dog enthusiasts in Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Gun Dog club. We hold training days, some clinics, and also host standardized field tests for versatile hunting dogs. Please check out our club and come as a guest to a training day. I promise that it will be a big help in your search for a new hunting companion!
You may PM me if you would like to correspond on this further. I live East of Saskatoon and am a member of the Saskatoon Gun Dog Club.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

I love labs. I have always hunted with labs. My old girl was phenomenal on uplands and waterfowl. I will get another lab soon.

I have hunted over some champion pointers, and enjoyed myself, but I prefer the labs. I often hunt uplands in the morning and switch to jumping ducks on the canals and puddles in the afternoons and evenings. A well trained lab transitions quickly and is the best choice for me, and also for my family. But, that is my preference and you need to do some reading on all of the potential breeds and decide which is the best match for you, your family, lifestyle, and hunting style.

 

[savagelh]

thanks for the replies. PM sent to longwalker. I used to have a great chesapeake and he was an awesome upland dog. I've also had 2 black labs and they were both gun shy.

 

[Cinch]

I agree with Longwalker, a Lab or Chessie would be near the bottom of the list of working dogs I would choose for upland and shed hunting. As Longwalker explained, retrievers are breed (and best) for waterfowl hunting. They are also good flushing dogs for pheasant hunting, though they wouldn't be my first choice if I wouldn't also be using them for waterfowl hunting.

 

[kamlooky]

I would duplicate this border collie lab x.
She has been a treat.
Smart, cunning, nose, and easy to train.
Love this little German Shorthaired Pointer, but man
oh man the patience one needs.
Combine the wisdom and nose of the cross breed and you
can't go too far wrong.
Either that or the good Lord gave me a blessing in the form
of a dog.

 

[TheTooner]

...
There is a club of dedicated hunting dog enthusiasts in Saskatoon, the Saskatoon Gun Dog club. We hold training days, some clinics, and also host standardized field tests for versatile hunting dogs. Please check out our club and come as a guest to a training day. I promise that it will be a big help in your search for a new hunting companion!
You may PM me if you would like to correspond on this further. I live East of Saskatoon and am a member of the Saskatoon Gun Dog Club.

I inherited a MinPinPom (Miniature Pinscher/Pomeranian.) Can you guys help me train it to hunt anything other than shoes, pens, backpacks etc.?

 

[oldbill]

I inherited a MinPinPom (Miniature Pinscher/Pomeranian.) Can you guys help me train it to hunt anything other than shoes, pens, backpacks etc.?

I believe the CKC breed standard on MinPinPoms suggests that they are great bait for fishing. Pike and musky especially. They also make great targets. Though I dated a girl with a rotten little min pin that liked to bite, so I may be a little biased.

 

[Thinking]

I have to agree with the advice to look at the versatile/continental breeds, they are defiantly the way to go IMO. Ask yourself this, do you want a retrieving dog that hunts (well, at least for an hour or two), or a hunting dog that retrieves? Retrievers and VDogs are worlds apart when it comes down to it.

 

[savagelh]

first and foremost I want a pet that is good with my family. I spend equal time looking for sheds and hunting upland. About 3 days a year for each. Whats a vdog?

 

[Thinking]

first and foremost I want a pet that is good with my family. I spend equal time looking for sheds and hunting upland. About 3 days a year for each. Whats a vdog?

Sorry, I got lazy. VDog is shorthand for versatile dog.
There are great house dogs amongst all breeds, just make sure you meet the parents and see dogs from previous litters if you can, more information about future temperament can be gained this way than by any other

 

[savagelh]

thanks everyone. time to go look around to see whats out there.

 

[Republic of Alberta]

I have a black lab. I did some training with him to find sheds and he has actually found some and brought them to me. I think I still find more than he does, mainly because he is just to busy running around like an idiot smelling for deer turds. The couple he found I would have never seen them as they were under grass and leaves.

To get him started all I did was have him sit. I would walk out and set a deer antler on the ground then walk back to him and tell him to find the antler. I made it harder and harder until I got to the point were I would not let him watch me hide it. Then we went out shed hunting and after he saw me find a few real ones he knew what to do. It was really easy to get him started and I have a lot more fun with him shed hunting than any other activity, including hunting.

 

[rral22]

first and foremost I want a pet that is good with my family. I spend equal time looking for sheds and hunting upland. About 3 days a year for each. Whats a vdog?

Three days in a year is not nearly enough to keep a dog sharp. You will need to do a LOT of training (and even really good training is not hunting) to expect any dog to do a decent job of what it was bred to do on only 3 days a year.

Do you have the time for the training? Do you really need a dog for 3 days a year?

 

[maple_leaf_eh]

I inherited a MinPinPom (Miniature Pinscher/Pomeranian.) Can you guys help me train it to hunt anything other than shoes, pens, backpacks etc.?

I believe any CFL placekicker would welcome the opportunity for a self-recovering dynamic trainer. Just about every team needs a better kicker these days.