what dog for ducks and grouse?

If you go hound, you are entering into a whole different game...and you better know what you are getting into.
I love them to death, own one and have had many, but you need to know hounds before you set yourself up for a good ten years with one.
 
Big Game said:
My vote goes to the Springer Spaniel.Awesome Upland and Waterfowl dogs. They also make a good family dog as they are very gentle. Lab would be my second choice but the amount of overbreeding can make for some iffy bloodlines. Whatever dog you choose ask to see the parents if possible. Chck ancestry and ask for guarantees against displasia. My first Springer Quinn coiuld hold her own in the marsh against any Lab in the early season. Once the water got cold the labs and Chessies did better. On upland the Springer is a flusher so action is fast and you better be ready. If you're a not a quick shooter a pointing dog may be a better choice. I guess it depends on what you're going to hunt the most. Try reading a few good dog books like Gundog or Waterdog they may be helpful. Anyways, Good Luck.
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And thus my Springer spaniel X Lab mix (pictured.)
Best of both worlds.
I'm glad someone agrees.:)
I got her from a rescue and what a better mix to find on my first try!

She does a wicked flush and covers just about every 10' square area within 60' of us just by instinct. (great for tiring the pooch out too. Just add tall grass or woods and away she goes!)

I brought her duck hunting this fall twice as she's about a year and a few months old (No training what so ever other than "go get it" or "bring it here" training and she went and retrieved about 3/4 of the downed ducks!!!

We had to toss sticks towards the ducks she never saw fall so she'd go to get the stick and see the duck. There were 3 we had to get with the canoe at the end of it too as they were near a small island and for whatever reason she wouldn't go near it.

Just took these now.

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Iron Glove said:
Suppport a true Canadian breed and get a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever aka "Toller".
The only dog that will bring ("toll") the ducks in for you and then retrieve it too.
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Anybody here own one of these?? I have heard about them, they seem 'interesting'.
 
Nice SpringerLab...cool!Maybe the best of the both worlds....if you can find one?

My last dog was Springer,went to the "Big Orchard" in Sept/06 at the age of nine,rest his high strung soul.

I wanted a do-it-all birddog,(which for me in NB meant woodcock,grouse and waterfowl)that was big enough to hunt yet small enough to live in the house,so I settled on a Springer.We had a great 9 years together,some fantastic days of uplnd gunning,but IMHO he fell a little short on the marsh.He was full of energy and oh so eager to please,but physically,Springers just aren't built for waterfowling.He loved the water and would fetch like a Lab in open water....but heavy,flooded grass/marsh was overwhelming.Just didn't have the strength and size to plow through it,nor the coat to withstand cold soakings,even in the early season.He was an opening day duck dog and that's about it.....I felt too bad watching him soaked and shivering in all but the mildest weather to put him through that anymore after the 1st couple seasons....they just aren't made for it.

I've hunted upland over Labs before,during and since then and they are every bit as good as any flushing breed and far superior over spaniels in the marsh,especially once the ice starts to skim over.My next do-it-all dog will be a Lab.Size be damned,they don't take up any more room in the house than a Springer and shed less.
 
Good luck with your purchase!

Here is my new guy and future bush buddy. His mother is purebred lab and his father is lab/chow "I've seen pictures of him hanging from bears necks at our local dump" LOL "his dad is the dump guard dog" Pup's name is Diesel @ 8 weeks old and very smart for his age!

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B-N said:
Anybody here own one of these?? I have heard about them, they seem 'interesting'.
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Yep, we have a Toller but she's gun shy :( so she's "just" a pet. Great dogs tho' and we do know many that are accomplished hunters.
There is another Gunnutz who is familiar with Tollers - I believe he goes by the name "Toller" - go figure. :D
 
bill c68 said:
The lab is a canadian breed as well but was developed and perfected in brittain.
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Ah yes, the ubiquitous Lab. Dumber than a bag of nails and everybodies friend. ;)
There are only 4 breeds that are recognized as "True" Canadian breeds:
1. Newfoundlander
2. The Canadian Eskimo Dog
3. The Tahl Tan Bear Dog - now extinct and
4. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
We "Toller Snobs" have to keep reminding the Lab people that Labs, although they have Canadian roots, but are not truley a Canadian breed as they were developed overseas. :D
In all seriousness tho, Labs are fantastic dogs and well suited for most hunting endeavours. Daughter has a wonderful Chocolate Lab and although she ain't a Toller, she's a close second best. :p
 
My neighbours have a chocolate lab. They gave me a key and i let her out to play with Remmy when they are late coming home from work.

This dog is super intergalactic hyper. I get mowed down every time i open their door to enter the house to let her out.

If the dog makes it past me and into my house, by the time i grab it by the neck it is already choking on my dogs food that was in her dish for the day and it's ALL gone! She don't even chew. Just inhale and hope she gets it down before i grab her! LOL. She's actually quite funny (glad it's not mine though)

I really wanted a choc, lab untill i met this one!.

Mike
 
Here's my choice, my two year old lab hauling back limits of 12-14 lb Canada's
for the morning and then walking for chicken in the afternoon.
3 to 4 nights a week training at the retriever club and any type of retrieve is possible.

GingerwithabigCanada.jpg
 
Iron Glove said:
Ah yes, the ubiquitous Lab. Dumber than a bag of nails and everybodies friend. ;)
There are only 4 breeds that are recognized as "True" Canadian breeds:
1. Newfoundlander
2. The Canadian Eskimo Dog
3. The Tahl Tan Bear Dog - now extinct and
4. The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
We "Toller Snobs" have to keep reminding the Lab people that Labs, although they have Canadian roots, but are not truley a Canadian breed as they were developed overseas. :D
In all seriousness tho, Labs are fantastic dogs and well suited for most hunting endeavours. Daughter has a wonderful Chocolate Lab and although she ain't a Toller, she's a close second best. :p
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I once hunted over a tolling lab, that was pretty cool

Anyway, what about the extinct, St John's Dog? this was the forefather of the Newf and the Lab. Was it a Canadian Breed? I honestly do not know.
 
If you want one dog to do both upland and water work well you would do well to go with one of the versitile hunting breeds. As otheres have already mentioned they are breed for this purpose. I live in New Brunswick and have a German wirehaired pointer who cam proform both tasks well. Late in the season ( Late Nov and beyond) I am really careful about sending him into the water....if the tempature is to low...they do not hold up as well in cold water as the retreiver breeds do....but t he trade off is that they excell in the feild and perform very well in the water provided the conditions are not too extream...
 
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