# Your Breed of Choice



## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

I was wondering what everyone's breed of choice is and why......some I know, of course, but most I don't.

I have Springers and Chessies. Why? I got into Springers many years ago after having Setters. I don't know if it was because I'm a poor trainer or if the birds I hunt aren't the best for one of the pointing breeds (probably because I'm a poor trainer , but I found that the Springers suited pheasant hunting and my personality well....it has been a very good match. The Springers get the job done with a minium of training and are great family dogs. I got into Chessies because when our weather turns nasty, Springers suffer.......they just can't handle being wet when it's zero (or below), the wind is blowing, etc. My Chessies have filled that bill nicely. No, they don't scour the thick, heavy cover as effectively as my Springers but I seem to come home with just as many birds (when I can hit them). Springers and Chessies would seem to be at the opposite end of the spectrum as far as temperament, training, etc........they are certainly different, obviously, but not as different as most people think.

I'd still like to have a well trained Setter some day. Maybe I should just buy a fully trained dog.........I don't think I'd screw it up and "de-train" if I was careful. :beer:

At any rate, let's hear what you all have and why.....


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I have always had labs. I like them because they are versatile I do both pheasant hunting and some waterfowling, and labs seem to work the best IMO for both species, or at least what I want them to do. I also like the looks of them, one solid color.


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

Labs for me. The most versatile hunting dog IMHO. The are great with the family and are ALWAYS looking to please. Very easy to train and you don't have to pay a young fortune to get them. :thumb:


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## mmduncan (Dec 24, 2009)

I am definatley a chessie guy. I love the versatility and how rugged they are. they can handle any evironment and are great family dogs and the most loyal dogs I have had have all been chessies. I also love the fact that the breed hasn't been overbred and watered down like so many other breeds. CBR's are by far my favorite breed.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

I figured since you posted a picture I might as well too.

Big Hoss and Sammi.


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## Wes (Aug 1, 2006)

I have two Deutsch Drahthaars. I wanted a dog that I could use all hunting season, upland, waterfowl and furred game. While I was researching dog breeds, I liked the VDD breeding requirements and testing program, and the fact they're bred for function, none are show dogs. I'll admit they can be a handful at times, but I'll most likely always have a Draht.

Wes


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## Hockeyhunter99 (Oct 11, 2007)

i had a Golden growing up that was the best hunting dog i have ever had. got married and had a lab worked ok but very tempermental. i now own a GSP and it is working out great. i never owned a pointer before and after Daizy, i don't think i will own a lab again. she has been a great hunting partner and a joy to train. she just seems smarter than the labs i have had.


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## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

Lab and pointers.

Lab cause he can do it all....










Pointers cause sometimes theres nothin like a specialist .


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

Springer Spaniel - for the following reasons:

Dove Season. They handle heat better than labs & have a better nose for retrieving these birds in tough cover.

Teal Season. Same advantages as above

Ruffed Grouse. Admittedly more difficult than w/ a good pointing dog but usually produce more flushes. When I finally knock down a grouse, no other breed is as efficient at finding it and bringing it to bag. That's what's most important to me.

Pheasant Season. The ultimate pheasant dog. They use the wind and pattern naturally, when they cross the trail of a running bird, the nose goes down & the game is on. By far my favorite element of gundog work is taking a running bird.

Quail Season (bobs & blues) Let my buddy's run their pointers, setters & GSPs to find coveys then step in when they run out from under them. Also ensures that we find everything we shoot.

Duck Season. More than capable of handling our Texas season w/ a neoprene vest & a little common sense.

Goose Season. Let my buddy w/ a Lab have his glory.

Field Trial Season(s). No other game is as "transferable" to the real thing as a Spaniel Field trial. Even pen raised birds teach a flushing dog to use the wind & his nose to find birds effectively. A pointing breed needs experience on wild birds to learn how to handle them. Training and gunning for field trials also sharpens both the shotgun skills as well as skill in reading dogs.

Off Season. They naturally tend to stay close while hiking & camping and make handy canoe dog. A nice size house dog, they mellow out when you watch TV but follow from room to room if you get up. Really affectionate & endearing personality.


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## fetchingfloyd (May 12, 2009)

this dog is why i love labs...he was my first gun dog and we obtained his JH, SH and MH AKC Hunt Test titles in just over three years. He was also one of the best pheasant dogs i have ever seen. He sold me on labs and now they are my breed of choice.
http://www.sprigkennelsandsupply.com/sprig


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## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

Springers have better noses than labs huh? I could go on with other generalizations that I know to be nonsense but whats the point.....

What scientific data did you use to support that idea?


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

cancan said:


> Springers have better noses than labs huh? I could go on with other generalizations that I know to be nonsense but whats the point.....
> 
> What scientific data did you use to support that idea?


I guess I don't know how you could have this discussion w/out relying on "generalizations". Labs are better in cold water, Springers have more endurance, Labs are better markers, etc.

I've owned 6 Labs, 2 Goldens & 2 Springers over the last 30 yrs. MY Springers have been better bird finders than MY Labs. In addition, I've worked or gunned several dozen retriever hunt tests & spaniel field trials where I've watched hundreds of well bred, well trained dogs of each breed find birds. I've never met anyone who had experience w/ both breeds who would disagree w/ my "generalization" but in reality, it may not actually be a better "nose", it might be how they use it or that they are quicker that makes the Springers more efficient.

I'm not running down Labs, as I said I've had several & expect to have more. Each breed has its strengths. My opinion favoring the Springers is based on my current circumstances & hunting opportunities. For many years, Labs were a better match. I had more opportunities to hunt waterfowl than pheasants and I lived in neighborhoods where a big black dog made my wife feel more secure. When I retire, I plan to get another Lab because I like training them, but as long as I can hunt, I'll have a Springer too.


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## speckline (Dec 13, 2008)

That's very limited experience to generalize like that.
That sort of generalization makes my labs better pointers than my shorthairs. After all my labs have won the longest point at several "game fairs". That makes them better pointers oke:


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## Chuck Smith (Feb 22, 2005)

Golden Retriever.

I have had one every since I have grown up. I have a twin brother who has Cerebral Palsy and every dog has have been great with him. Obedient, loyal, great hunters, patient, etc. So I have never thought of another breed of dog.

On the hunting note....all have been great hunters. Both from waterfowl to pheasants and now that my dad lives on a gold course....finding golf balls. ;-)


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

speckline said:


> That's very limited experience to generalize like that.
> That sort of generalization makes my labs better pointers than my shorthairs. After all my labs have won the longest point at several "game fairs". That makes them better pointers oke:


How do you decide which breed of puppy to get next other than by accepting "generalizations"?

Breeds are nothing more than isolated gene pools that have been selectively bred for certain characteristics. Labs have been bred to retrieve. The more popular sires w/in the breed were chosen because of their success in Field Trials which emphasize marking ability far more than nose. It could even be argued that a retriever w/ a poorer nose might be less likely to succumb to the temptation of a "poison bird" and thus be more successful at this game.

Springers also have field trials the winners of which are likely to become popular sires, impacting the breed for several generations. The trait most valued in the spaniel game however is "bird finding ability". It should not come as much of a surprise under the circumstances therefore to find that among those who have experience w/ both breeds, a "general" consensus that the Springers tend to have better noses is common.


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## dakotashooter2 (Oct 31, 2003)

I won't say gonedoggin is 100% correct but I've noticed that springers are more nose oriented than visual and have observed that labs seem to be the opposite. I'm not saying that labs don't have a good nose or that they don't use it but springers seem to always have their nose to the ground even when they have visually itentified their target. Where a lab may use his sight first, then nose. I've seen springers "nose" their way to game in plain sight while other dogs would have visually found them. Sometimes I've wondered if springers don't have poor vision. :lol: It was almost humerous the day my new pup "discovered" her nose. It's been nose to the ground ever since. Every scent she hits gets tracked , at least for a short distance and she worms her way into brush piles with a passion. I like them for their size and as I've learned through training, their natural ability to hunt up game (self training). I did a poor job of training with my first springer yet her instincts took over and she became a pretty fair dog, lacking only in dicipline.


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## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

Last thing I want is a dog that runs with his head glued to the ground.....unless maybe he's after a wounded bird.


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## stonebroke (Dec 16, 2004)

I didn't mean for this to be a debate on which breed is best, but I suppose that's to be expected with a topic like this.... Interesting discussion. For what it's worth, I like all of the gundog breeds..... I love my Chessies and my Springers, but I've seen some real knotheads over the years. Fortunately they've been few and far between. Every breed has it's great ones and its duds. When I fully retire I hope to have a good pointing dog, but if I get a pup it's going to have to be a natural or I'm going to have to buy a fully trained dog. My training attempts with the pointing breeds have not been all that great...... :sniper:


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## cancan (Feb 28, 2008)

Know what ya mean Stonebroke, I found I needed to try and put almost all my retriever training knowledge to bed while I worked with pointing dogs.


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## rmkod (Sep 3, 2009)

GSP's for me. Really I love all pointing dogs. I know I could shoot just as many or maybe even more birds with flushers, but the "Point" is what gets my blood boiling.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

Depends on what you hunt......For upland I predfer a good Britt,GWP,or GSP.If I hunted mostly waterfowl I would have a lab.


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## gundogguru (Oct 7, 2003)

My old GWP (10 ) now has hunted snow geese in arkansa to huns ducks and geese rabbits in Nodak.


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## gonehuntin' (Jul 27, 2006)

I had Lab's for over 30 years, then got into Setters, found them not versatile enough, the got into Drahts. I love the point and being able to hunt upland or waterfowl with the same dog. They also have the most unique personality of any dog I've owned or trained. It is the only dog I'll have the rest of my life.


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