Hunters with Dogs

[stesch_s10]

Just curious who all hunts with mans best friend, what you hunt and what kind of dog you have. My German Shepherd just turned 8 month old and I've been training him to pheasant hunt. Being from South Dakota and seeing nothing but labs and pointers, I decided to take on a GS. His first "hunt" (first time in the field with guns and chasing birds) was at 5 months old and let me tell you... there is nothing wrong with a GS as a pheasant hunter. He had less then 2 months training on him the first time I took him out. I expected him to walk next to me the entire time, never find a bird and if he did find it, I figured he would just chew it up.

Well whatever training he remember he heard the gun shots, looked in the sky for the bird and would go right for it. I'd see him pick it up, I'd give a double blow on the whistle and he comes running back with a bird. Now for a 5 month old GS to do that.. I was impressed. So for all you haters thinking that certain dogs can only do certain things because they were "bred" that way... I have proof.

As of today like I said hes 8 months old and still training on the finer points. Like searching for the birds, getting direction commands and good ol' exercise.

[mmcnx2]

I hunt pheasant with britanys. I have 2 that I got from same breeder a few years apart. And I must admit I cheated and they were both finished when I got them. They hunt hard, point very well and both retrieve.

[EJSG19]

I'm also a fan of the Germans when it comes to hunting dogs.

We have a German Shorthair Pointer named Tango. He's a pheasant dog (or anything else in the upland area.)

Suffice to say, you'd have to pry him out of my cold dead hands before I'd ever let him go.

[JJ]

I'm a lab guy here. Both my labs come from pointing lab lines. Both were allowed to become flushers, but if the bird hold tight the older one will lock up solid. The younger one (avatar) hunted his first season this year, and was a little too wound up to flash point for me ever, and I am not concerned if he does ever (though he showed potential as a pup).

I have seen mutts, beagles, and other breeds work just fine with appropriate training, as bird dogs. Anyone that tells you that ONLY XYZ breed is acceptable for hunting can take a long walk off a short plank. Some dogs have it, others don't. I have seen dogs from well known breeders have next to zero actual huntinng instinct.

[mnglocker]

I used to take my shelty out for flushing pheasants, she's getting very arthritic now, so much so that I don't want her to hurt herself. There's no hope of her retrieving crap... ever. However, she's got more prey drive than my lab, so one mention of "where's the birdies" and she was off to the races in the field kicking birds up.

[hammAR]

How many dogs does it take to change alight bulb?

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

Rottweiler: Make me.

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with mysqueaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb!

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Chihuahua : Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or 'We don't need no stinking light bulb.'

Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it.. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

[smurfman]

I currently have a German Wirehaired Pointer and an English Setter as my main hunting dogs. These are my third of each and are likely the ones I'll stick with. My early dogs were non-hunting breeds and they hunted with varying degrees of success. My first dog was a wirehaired terrier/spaniel (so the ad said) mix that did not mind putting up birds but wouldn't have anything further to do with them. A Dalmation appeared sometime and it was a fair flusher of birds. I used a neighbor's German Shepard a few times and it also put birds up but it was then a race to the bird as that dog would seriously crunch any bird that showed a spark of life. Currently, a Maltese/Yorkie shares the home and last fall was her first year out. She does not mind very well so she has to drag a check cord around so I can catch her when necessary. She put up a sharptail grouse on her first hunt and a couple of woodcock later. I took her with to North Dakota pheasant hunting last fall and she put up two hens but no roosters. The birds I took with the other dogs were proudly claimed by her and I have a picture of her with the birds on my cell phone.

[stesch_s10]

My German Shepherd doesn't have a problem with eating or shaking the hell out of the birds. He's been trained on frozen pigeons and pheasants as well as live pigeons... and they flop and flush and all and he will grab it and bring it back... He also doesn't play with squeaky toys so he doesn't have that urge to make something squeak all the time haha.

[lenny7]

What part of South Dakota are you from? We hunt pheasant, mainly in SoDak (south of Miller). I always intended on getting a German Shorthair, but an opportunity came up for my lab that I just couldn't pass up. I have not been disappointed. On his second trip to SoDak, when he was 8 months old, he start showing a point even though there's no tendency to point in his lineage. Not knowing how to properly work a pointer, I started walking up behind him, made sure everyone was ready, then yelled, "Get 'em!!!". He just finished up his third season and he's a solid triple threat. He points, he flushes, and then he retrieves. And drive? This dog does not know how to quit. I hear people say that labs can't go all day every day but I'm glad no one told my lab that. He won't want to move when we get back to the farm, but by morning he can't wait to go. Even the -20F windchills we faced last December didn't slow him down. He's also one of the most well behaved dogs I know.

I've left him intact. Some day I want to get a pup or two out of him. Beside, it's not like he can come home pregnant.

In this first picture, that's my dog's brother & mother in the background.

[stesch_s10]

I grew up in Redfield, 20-30 miles north of Miller. Anywhere around Redfield is were I hunt. It looks like you've done your part in raising a good hunting dog and bringing the kid into the sport. The best thing my dad did for me was take me hunting at a young age and get me started in hunting.

[Holland&Holland]

How many dogs does it take to change alight bulb?

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we've got our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code.

Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

Rottweiler: Make me.

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with mysqueaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I've led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven't missed any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture.

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb!

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Chihuahua : Yo quiero Taco Bulb. Or 'We don't need no stinking light bulb.'

Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle...

Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it.. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

You forgot beagle "I'll change it, wait, is there food involved in this somehow?"

[VikesFan1]

I don't know about light bulbs... but that beagle loves to hunt!

[Holland&Holland]

I don't know about light bulbs... but that beagle loves to hunt!

And sleep!

[cobb]

Koda and I after a good day.

[grousemaster]

Is that a bunch of hen pheasants in one of the pics? Might wanna take that one down....I run 2 English Setters....king of grouse dogs and very good on everything else