I'm thinking about bird hunting... what kind of dogs do u guys like I'm wanting to do it all ducks, quail, goose u name it... so I need a dog that can do a little of everything... thanks
I prefer Weimaraners but they have short hair and don't do well in cold water for late season ducks and geese. That's their only drawback. Utterly fantastic dogs. There are several great multipurpose breeds though. My next pick would be German Shorthair followed by Labs Chesepeke Retrievers Labradoodles are surprisingly good also Lots of others but those are top ones that come to mind that I have owned or hunted with that I was impressed with.
Agree with the above. That said a good bird dog can be taught to do it all. I have a brittany who is just as comfortable in the duck blind as he is in the grouse woods or chasing pheasants. He isn't the best duck dog but he gets the job done. However, I do have a soft spot for GSPs.
If you want to do ducks you need a dog with longer hair such as golden retriever, lab, or Chesapeake. Once it gets cold short hair dogs don't do well like CM said. The only problem is when doing quail or woodcock most of these dogs don't point so you really have to stay with the dog. I personally have an English Setter and a Brittany Spaniel and strictly do upland hunting, hardly any waterfowl.
Labs are great all around bird dogs. They can pretty much do anything and are great family dogs. My little girl this past fall at 7 months with her first found dead bird. I likely would not of found it without her. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well,...I have a Lab. I want to hunt with him to but he never invites me ta go and every time I see him he has got a bird or the neighbors chickens boned out all across the back field. I think we could be a great team, I have a bow and some skills to offer,...I even can scout with my binoculars but no..he just overlooks my abilities and hunts solo. I guess I can respect that..I prefer to hunt solo to.
Why a french brittany (epagneul breton) of course. Smallest pointing breed there is. Devil in the field & an angel in the home.
If you got a kid I heard they work pretty well too. But in all honesty you could probably train any dog to do what you want. But you have to train them. And that's not easy. I love my dog. He is great. But without proper training these pointer breeds can be a real disaster. Research the breeds and ask yourself if you are ready for the commitment. Especially with a Weimar. Probably the smartest and most mischievous of any dog I have known. And uh separation anxiety to the max. Don't leave him home alone often unless you really don't care for your furniture. But I wouldn't trade mine for the world. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
If you've got some money to spend check ot the Fox Red Pointing Labs. Beautiful dogs and I've heard good things about them.
Hahaha, good grief....I do love Weims...they are just the coolest dogs I've ever had and I've owned a LOT of dogs. I've owned dogs since I can remember (or the family has). I had forgot about Brittanies. I never owned one but an uncle did and she was a really good upland dog. Shorthaired Pointers are also pretty good, a local guy here trains and sells them. The Weims have been a perfect fit for me, they are so different from most other dogs...why they like to lay on their back is a mystery but they all seem to do it, lol. My Weim has been the most easily trained dog I have ever had by far....she made me look like a dog training genius. She marks and retrieves multiples, on land and in water, catches anything I want to throw to her, has a fantastic nose, points, flushes and is soft mouthed. Her short hair is the only drawback using her in cold water but bless her heart she would keep retrieving ducks until she died of hypothermia, lol.
IMO, Best all around bird dog is the lab. Just pick the color. I prefer yellow. But I'm partial to a chocolate too. My old neighbor had German Shorthairs his youngest he got from this Kennel I (link below). Best dog I've ever watched hunt. It was incredible. He had 3 of them. 2 were from other breeders. His youngest dog from this kennel literally worked circles around his other dogs. I didn't particularly care for German Shorthairs until I saw them in the field, then I fell in love with them. A beautiful graceful dog. But they're field dogs. If you want water too, labs labs labs. Not only are they a great hunting dog, they're a great family dog too. Weims and GSP's really do need lots of land to run on a daily basis, they're a high motor dog, they need their exercise daily. They're simply not a small backyard dog, if you don't have time to exercise them or work them everyday, they've been known to tear stuff up. Labs are content to lay around until you grab your gun. Willow Creek Kennels Willow Creek Kennels - Gun Dog Trainers & German Shorthair Breeders
