I’ve given away lots of pups over the years from Labs and Lab crosses with Pointers to pure bred registered Treeing Walker Hounds, Blueticks etc. One problem that comes up especially with new dog owners is adjusting your life style to handle all the additional time and maintenance a dog requires. Many folks can’t handle the additional cleaning if you keep them inside. I own everything from Duestch Drathaars to Labs to Olde English Mastiffs. And more plus have grandsons that really need a dog but their Mom cannot handle it. I gave 7 Labs away this year to kids for pets and they are great family dogs.
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Hunting & Fishing Looks like I need a dog
- Thread starter mzvarner
- Start date
Our best hunters and best pets were females. The males get interested in other things very easily....and if you're just going to chop his balls off why didn't you get a female to begin with???
Hello GrouseFeather here, I have had several upland bird dogs as follows: French Brittany, German Shorthaired Pointer, English Setter. All of these dogs were very good hunters and very good with children. I currently own a GSP she is almost 14 years old and has always been great w/ children and an excellent bird dog both grouse and pheasants. All dogs have there hunting strengths and my current friend along w/ the French Brittany have been my best dogs. GF
BTW, my son has two GSPs and both are great with our grand daughter
Second on the English Springer Spaniel if you are looking for a flusher and retriever. Mine have hunted and retrieved everything from dove to snow geese to rabbits. But I would not touch a bench (show) breeding due to rage. Not all have it, but it is horrible if you get one that has it. I would only go with a field bred ESS. Fantastic with kids and in the house. If your looking for a pointing breed, a Brittany spaniel is a great choice. I've had very nice English Setters that were great with kids and in the house, but they can be a bit aloof. Another choice is a field bred English Cocker Spaniel. Great choice also, but can be a bit difficult to train if your not tuned into training techniques to deal with soft dogs. https://essft.com/litter-announcements/
Our latest pointer pup is a european import. 100% working lines both sides of the family. So different (in a good way) from the majority of the local "show" breeders. She is awesome.
Her father
Her father
FWIW I have a mostly Azores cattle dog and Pitbull mix, he hunts anything on his own and is good around small kids and infirm older people. Not sure around other dogs or cats, I'd bet he's kind of iffy on that honestly. He can get really excited and will body check grown folks, it's the Pit in him I guess. Mine is super independent like a cattle dog, but obedient to the pack leader and territorial like a GSD, no separation anxiety or heel nipping out of him though. Medium intelligence, between a lab and GSD I'd say. His night vision is insane, but he's goddamn invisible in the dark.
About 85lbs, usually low energy, needs explosive exercise. Tug of war for 30-45 minutes a day and he is all set. Grooming is a breeze, he sheds very little but year round so gotta keep up with sweeping and vacuuming. Not really a hiker just cause he's so muscular but he gets along just fine. He loves swimming but he's not too quick at it. He's gotten deer, squirrels, groundhogs, turkey, coons, rabbits, you name it and all practically on his own. I don't do bird hunting but safe bet he could pick it up in a day flat for the price of a bag of treats, he retrieves squirrels for me in the spring.
About 85lbs, usually low energy, needs explosive exercise. Tug of war for 30-45 minutes a day and he is all set. Grooming is a breeze, he sheds very little but year round so gotta keep up with sweeping and vacuuming. Not really a hiker just cause he's so muscular but he gets along just fine. He loves swimming but he's not too quick at it. He's gotten deer, squirrels, groundhogs, turkey, coons, rabbits, you name it and all practically on his own. I don't do bird hunting but safe bet he could pick it up in a day flat for the price of a bag of treats, he retrieves squirrels for me in the spring.
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Man, your photo here really makes me miss my dads old police dog.. He was such an awesome GSD and still one of the best boys we have ever had. Lived to be 14 too, which is rare in a working dog. This photo of him and I is circa 1987/8?
I grew up with golden retrievers- good upland bird dogs great water dogs, as an adult I had Labs, now I only have one answer for a pet - kids dog- natural born hunters and work dogs- Curs- Black mouth - treeing or mountain. We have treeing Curs, friendly as a golden smarter than a lab- as loyal as a German Shepherd- maybe not so great on ducks but let them diff anything you want to find or hunt and they will find one and bay/tree it, even bears and boars and mountain lions. Fantastic with kids,
One small small issue- is since we’ve been into Curs, on our 2nd litter of pups, have 2 and will probably be adding a third , they tend to do better with tons of exercise and a pack mate. The breed tends to be happier healthier with another dog- so why not a Cur.
Interesting the American breeds- similar to the Irish/ Scottish were like Australia’s dingos- the dogs that natives would have kept and the early Scott’s Irish settlers in Appalachia there dogs bred with native dogs and we have a uniquely America dog.
so two posts from me already so maybe you can tell we are found of the breed and my 2 year old hand feeds both our male and female and at will he can reach in their mouths and take food/ treats back out and never ever a hint of food aggression. Now we don’t encourage or really allow this but a wild little boy running around a farm with his pack he finds ample opportunities to give them a treat, be it a apple or whatever . But that’s the point they are loyal to their pack unto death.
When the male dog -Ivan was pup he’d chase and tree squirrels and chipmunks and whatever would run from him including chickens- he was always happy about it until he encountered his first raccoon , his hackles went up his teeth were heated and his bark was different. I found it interesting, his blood remembered that he hated these things and it needed to die.
Interesting the American breeds- similar to the Irish/ Scottish were like Australia’s dingos- the dogs that natives would have kept and the early Scott’s Irish settlers in Appalachia there dogs bred with native dogs and we have a uniquely America dog.
so two posts from me already so maybe you can tell we are found of the breed and my 2 year old hand feeds both our male and female and at will he can reach in their mouths and take food/ treats back out and never ever a hint of food aggression. Now we don’t encourage or really allow this but a wild little boy running around a farm with his pack he finds ample opportunities to give them a treat, be it a apple or whatever . But that’s the point they are loyal to their pack unto death.
When the male dog -Ivan was pup he’d chase and tree squirrels and chipmunks and whatever would run from him including chickens- he was always happy about it until he encountered his first raccoon , his hackles went up his teeth were heated and his bark was different. I found it interesting, his blood remembered that he hated these things and it needed to die.
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