need dog suggestions

I know I am new here. BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some research.:confused: :confused: :confused:

Do not go to a puppy mill. If you are not spending at least $750 on a well bred dog, just WALK AWAY. Yes they are cute, and cuddly, and adorable, but PLEASE buy a well bred dog. If the breeders don't offer you a trial period, WALK AWAY. If the dog doesn't have papers, WALK AWAY. If the puppuy hasn't been to a Vet yet, WALK AWAY.

The purchase price on a puppy is peanuts, compared to its life time expenses. Vet fees, food, training, companionship are all way more expensive than the $750- $1500 purchase price.

If you need some leads on well bred dogs, I am a Lab Guy, but I do know, or can be in contact with, some Great Breeders, that you will not be disappointed with. Or, you can go to the CKC Website to find reputable breeders, of the breed you are interested in.:) :) :)

7.62mm
 
I like the labs myself...a little hyper when they're pups but you knock that out of them as soon as you bring'em home. BREaD TO RETRIEVE no doubt about that. my last one started bringing me socks as soon as we got her home and she was comfortable...never even had to train her to bring me s*#t or drop at my feet. my favorite color is are the black ones! choc's are beautiful but all in all the color is a preference thing.
 
7.62mm said:
I know I am new here. BUT PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do some research.:confused: :confused: :confused:

Do not go to a puppy mill. If you are not spending at least $750 on a well bred dog, just WALK AWAY. Yes they are cute, and cuddly, and adorable, but PLEASE buy a well bred dog. If the breeders don't offer you a trial period, WALK AWAY. If the dog doesn't have papers, WALK AWAY. If the puppuy hasn't been to a Vet yet, WALK AWAY.

The purchase price on a puppy is peanuts, compared to its life time expenses. Vet fees, food, training, companionship are all way more expensive than the $750- $1500 purchase price.

If you need some leads on well bred dogs, I am a Lab Guy, but I do know, or can be in contact with, some Great Breeders, that you will not be disappointed with. Or, you can go to the CKC Website to find reputable breeders, of the breed you are interested in.:) :) :)

7.62mm
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wow i would disagree on at least one of your statements. All of your statements with regards about selecting a dog from a breeder exellent. But i disagree about the one about spending big dollars to get a quality dog (are you a breeder??).
I'm a lab owner. Have a chocolate (cost me huge because of the problems, and i paid almost $1000 for her) and had a black. Both turned out to be gun shy dogs. Now i seen labs do amazing stuff including my own, but i have seen a couple of mixes that were found on the road, which swim circles around a lab, and retrieve more ducks than any well trained lab i know. I'm all for looking for that special dog, but it's all in the training the dog recieves.

Another good bird dog it the chesapeak (hope i spelt it right) bay retriever. Little bigger than a lab in size, but is as smart and hard working.
 
I hunt with Black Mouth Curs great dogs very versatile they are primarily used as coon dogs but I have mine retrieving ducks. I also use them for coyote calling
If you ask me they are the best
 
Yep, +1 to the Chesapeake bay retriever. Great dogs, although as with any purebred, you must make sure yours come from a reputable breeder. There are a lot of them out there with bloodlines as pure as the driven snow, and stupid as hell because they're so inbred...
 
Hussar_ca said:
wow i would disagree on at least one of your statements. All of your statements with regards about selecting a dog from a breeder exellent. But i disagree about the one about spending big dollars to get a quality dog (are you a breeder??).
I'm a lab owner. Have a chocolate (cost me huge because of the problems, and i paid almost $1000 for her) and had a black. Both turned out to be gun shy dogs. Now i seen labs do amazing stuff including my own, but i have seen a couple of mixes that were found on the road, which swim circles around a lab, and retrieve more ducks than any well trained lab i know. I'm all for looking for that special dog, but it's all in the training the dog recieves.

Another good bird dog it the chesapeak (hope i spelt it right) bay retriever. Little bigger than a lab in size, but is as smart and hard working.
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Hussar:

I guess I should Qualify some of my statements. I am not a Breeder. I am, however, an active member of a Retriever Club in Ontario. I Hunt Test, as well as do a "PILE" of Waterfowl Hunting. I almost live for Waterfowling.

I will agree with you that there are dogs out there that can retrieve to some extent, and it would appear to a lot of people that they are better retrievers than a Lab, or Chessy, Duck Toller, Golden Retriever etc.. But, and heres the hard part, buying a well bred dog gives you a shot at a dog that is Extrodinary at its task. You are buying into a gene pool that gives you a much better chance of not having problems such as, Hip Dysplsia, ACL problems, eye problems, ear problems just to name a few. All of these can be very costly even with Pet Insurance. As well, buying a well bred dog gives you a better shot at trainability, marking, handling, bidability, socialization, just to name a few. Do these dogs you know deliver to hand on a consistant basis?

I know you said both your previous dogs were gun shy, did they have sensitive hearing, were they introduced to gun fire in a manner that did not promote this. You also said that your dogs cost you a fortune, did you research the Breeding Lines of the dogs. Did you see both parents? Did you ask about any titles they might or might not of had. Were you given a gurantee with you purchase. Most well respected breeders that I know of give a gurantee of some form or another, so that the dog owner will have some recourse if these problems come up.

Would you go out and buy a firearm without doing a little research on it first? I would hazard that you would not. Other wise we would all be hunting and shooting Remmington 710's. All I am trying to do is save some angony from the premature loss or debilitation of our companions. All of which is costly, both financialy and emotionally. If all a person is looking for is a companion dog, that does a few retrieves on the odd occasion, I would still recommend purchasing a well bred dog. But as mjcurry stated "hi their
im looking for an easy to train waterfowl dog. i need some suggestions for breeds to look into. thanx" they are looking for info on a Well Bred Dog, IMHO.

Sorry if I sound rude, or you think I am being stuborn about this. That is not how I want it to sound. I am passionate about Dog Training and Hunting, and I am trying to give advise as best as I can.

Thanks
7.62mm
 
If you want a serviceable retriever that can do cold water waterfowl duty, plus a wonderful family companion and friend labs are hard to beat. Downside is coat, which litters your house daily with black fur. If you want an all weather fetching machine, get a Chessie - oily ornery stinky bull-headed but unstoppable. German Wirehairs (Draughthaars) are nice versatile dogs but temperment-wise they can tend to be aloof and aggressive and prone to fighting. I run GSP's and see wirehairs a fair bit and cannot fault their capabilities. I honestly could not rank them above a lab or chessie on serious water work, although I fully believe Jay's story on that wirehair (is that one of Tom Carten's dogs?). Chessies are also very aloof toughies which need a firm hand on the checkcord. I'm sure there are exceptions but this has been my experience with these breeds.

Regardless of breed, consider buying a started dog as opposed to a pup. As a dog trainer, I find that picking a winner from a litter is a bit like a lottery. If the dog is started and has decent credentials, you will pay a bit more but will have a more complete insight into what you're getting, flaws and all. Plus you didn't have to pay the feed and vet bills for a year! Young field trial dogs that don't pan out can be had for good prices and can prove to be exceptional hunters and companions. A major flaw in a field trialer may be inconsequential to a hunter, who may not care about a premature break on fetch or the ability to cleanly execute a multiple bird blind retrieve. But the point is you can see much more clearly what the flaws are and decide if you can live with them.

DO NOT buy a gunshy dog. Very hard if not impossible to fix.

Any sporting breed can theoretically hunt, just like any saddle breed of horse can theoretically run. Practice is another matter, particularly in breeds which have watered down the field blood in the name of the show ring, puppy mill or pet store. I have a female German Shorthaired pointer, a short coated breed not renowned as a water retriever, who made the most courageous retrieve I have ever seen. She stayed in the cold water and refused to give up on a cripple in broken timber and cattails in a DU marsh, even when I called her out. After a half hour, I became genuinely concerned for her and started in after her with chest waders. I found her staunchly pointing the still-alive duck amidst a dense patch of reeds way off shore. On my command she fetched. She was near frozen at that point and stayed wrapped up in a blanket at my house for nearly a day, so tired that she couldn't even rise to urinate or feed. But the next day she was raring to go.

I bought my female as a pup and got lucky. However she also could have been a bust. My point is that the breed matters less than the heart of the dog. If you can find one that shows a good temperment and a biddable manner, chances are you've got a winner. Those characteristics are much more apparent in a started dog than a pup.

I don't know whether this helps but choosing a hunting companion is a tough decision which should last a lifetime. Good luck!
 
I am a breeder

and I can recommend buying from a breeder that works the dogs. My dogs are all bred for work and althoughI wont sell to someone who wont look after it I wont insist on working homes. I should as I have had a ##### returned after a year as she was too much too handle. sadly for work she is almost ruined but will make a great pet and is about to go on to a friend who can give her a good life.
All pups are cute and the ones that are returned to breeders can be great workers later on. I have bought returned dogs at discount and one was the second best working ##### and best breeder that I have ever had.
This was her first son.

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We dont breed to make money but to ensure that we have great working dogs available to us. Our closest friends have bought from us and we have converted them into to beating and shooting folk.
My first ##### we never bred from but for a springer she can point, retrieve and has dragged a deer outof a ditch. The saying here is that a Lab is born half trained but a Springer dies half trained. You only get out of a dog what you put in and a dog isnt like a gun that can be dragged out at the start of the season with maybe one practice session. A dog 9 times out of ten thinks it is working even if it picks up a dummy instead of a bird and will put in the same effort each time!
No dog is a true waste of hunting time, just about any dog can have oits instincts tuned into howyou want it to work, its all down to you!

Oh and you pay twice as much for your dogs as we do here in the UK!
 
Brittany Spaniel gets my vote ... althought he only gets to retrieve geese ... as I don't hunt ducks up here ... he will swim forever to get them too ... ;)

Otokiak ... :cool:
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

p.s. here's Glasgo Pangniq(pangniq means bull caribou) ... ;)

GlasgoJason.jpg
 
I am not an expert about dogs (at least not now - although I used to think I was) I have owned/been owned by many dogs from daschund to Irish wolfhounds...and been exposed to a lot of different breeds...they are all great (as individuals) but within a breed there tends to be common traits exhibited ..... although perhaps this is more because the owners expect those traits/sterotypes and reinforce them with the pup during training....whatever.

I think Shepodyguide is right on the money though with his advice! Wish I had taken it myself a couple of times!

It helps to also get some expert help/advice once you select your pup...lots of good dogs have been ruined by poor (but well meaning) training
 
A German Short Haired Pointer is my current hunting partner. He's awefully big, no he's the biggest male GSP I've ever seen at 95 pounds. Wish he was a little smaller! Great field dog, good with kids. ect.

You can't go wrong with Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever or Labs. Both are excellent breeds for hunting and a smaller than a GSP. Vislas are also excellent, but my buddies dog is not good with children.

The bigger the dog, the more space you'll need at home for your new hunter partner, so keep that in mind before deciding.
 
Foxer said:
Weinerameirs are pretty damn good too - and they are fantastic family dogs, even better than labs.
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You get the evil eye for that statement:D
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There is a lot of good advice here from a lot of good dog people.
You can take a mongrel and teach them to hunt, I have done it, as all dogs are natural predators that have hunting instincts hard wired into their brains. When you start with a purebred though you will have a much better idea of what the dogs capabilities might be, especially if you know the history of the parents.

It sounds like mjcurry is looking for his first hunting dog and it would be best for him to stick to a breed that is known for it's even temperment and trainability.
A Hammerhead (Chessie) is a great waterfowl dog that will run most other dogs into the ground but as it has been said here they can be a little bit headstrong and are not the dog for a first time owner.
A lot of the pointing breeds can be a little tightly wound and need an open field on a regular basis to mellow them out.
A Lab or Golden Retreiver are the most easy going dogs out there and fit into most peoples lifestyles the easiest because you have to remember you will be living with the dog more than you will hunt with them. I will admit that I am biased though;)
 
My buddy has a Chessie/lab cross. I've never seen a dog that wants (needs) to fetch as much as that pup. You can throw a 3' long stick into a stand of tall scrub brush. He'll spot the stick, and shake the piss out of the bush until his stick comes down. Then he drags it out, and right to ya. Great disposition too. My friends kids (1~5yr)used to "water ski" behind the dog on the kitchen floor. Just grab the tail and go.
 
I say if its waterfowl you're after, go with a Labrador retriever.
I have a Lab and a GSP.The Lab is a great all around dog and much better in the water(than my GSP)They both have their strong points.
I have a friend with a Golden Retriever and she is a great dog aswell.
Get what ever you like but I say Labrador.Preferably BLACK.;)
IMG_0408.jpg
 
boney... The way your lab is looking at that grouse... it better stay dead... he he he... gotta love dogs!

Cheers
Jay
 
7.62mm said:
Hussar:

I guess I should Qualify some of my statements. I am not a Breeder. I am, however, an active member of a Retriever Club in Ontario. I Hunt Test, as well as do a "PILE" of Waterfowl Hunting. I almost live for Waterfowling.

I will agree with you that there are dogs out there that can retrieve to some extent, and it would appear to a lot of people that they are better retrievers than a Lab, or Chessy, Duck Toller, Golden Retriever etc.. But, and heres the hard part, buying a well bred dog gives you a shot at a dog that is Extrodinary at its task. You are buying into a gene pool that gives you a much better chance of not having problems such as, Hip Dysplsia, ACL problems, eye problems, ear problems just to name a few. All of these can be very costly even with Pet Insurance. As well, buying a well bred dog gives you a better shot at trainability, marking, handling, bidability, socialization, just to name a few. Do these dogs you know deliver to hand on a consistant basis?

I know you said both your previous dogs were gun shy, did they have sensitive hearing, were they introduced to gun fire in a manner that did not promote this. You also said that your dogs cost you a fortune, did you research the Breeding Lines of the dogs. Did you see both parents? Did you ask about any titles they might or might not of had. Were you given a gurantee with you purchase. Most well respected breeders that I know of give a gurantee of some form or another, so that the dog owner will have some recourse if these problems come up.

Would you go out and buy a firearm without doing a little research on it first? I would hazard that you would not. Other wise we would all be hunting and shooting Remmington 710's. All I am trying to do is save some angony from the premature loss or debilitation of our companions. All of which is costly, both financialy and emotionally. If all a person is looking for is a companion dog, that does a few retrieves on the odd occasion, I would still recommend purchasing a well bred dog. But as mjcurry stated "hi their
im looking for an easy to train waterfowl dog. i need some suggestions for breeds to look into. thanx" they are looking for info on a Well Bred Dog, IMHO.

Sorry if I sound rude, or you think I am being stuborn about this. That is not how I want it to sound. I am passionate about Dog Training and Hunting, and I am trying to give advise as best as I can.

Thanks
7.62mm
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7.62mm I did not mean to make it sound as a personal attack.

Yes both of my labs come from great bloodlines and Breeders. One is gunshy due to my brother shooting out his bedroom window for fun. I left my dog at my parents house and the dog was sleeping close to that window. My brother was shooting at a coyote in the back yard and didn't think of the dog. The other just never liked loud sounds. Slam the door of the house and she was looking for cover.

Those mix dogs i was talking about do produce in the swamp every year. As i'm sure do most well bred dogs. As for problems with dogs, well my one has problems with her ears and even thou i had a gurantee on the dog, i just couldn't return her. She's part of the family. And yes I would buy another in a heart beat. I'm actually think of a red lab next :D
 
I have had Chessies, Labs, Springers and mixed bred retrievers over the years... and some real dandys too. The Breed is Important but not the only factor that determines the success or ability of your dog.
If I ever get another retriever I am seriously considering a Portuguese Water Dog. The first time I witnessed one of these dogs work I was completely amazed, I asked the owner how long it had taken him to train the dog? He laughed and said "he just knows how to hunt man, I never taught him a thing!" The dog was making incredible retrieves in very tough conditions, simply an incredibly talented retriever.
I want one.
 
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