# What breed of dog



## worktosurvive hunttolive (Dec 28, 2008)

i am moving into my first house and can finally get my hunting dog. I love goose hunting but would also like to have a good dog to go pheasant hunting with. I am leaning towards a chocalote lab. What breed do u guys think would be the best one to do both??


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## templey_41 (Jul 19, 2008)

Lab all the way. very versatile breed. I have two yellows now. Kaya 2 and Asti 8 weeks. good luck with your choice.


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## Bay_Dog (Jan 17, 2009)

I'm a little biased towards Chesapeakes. Had them as a kid in ND and they did just fine on pheasant. Very smart, hard driving breed which hasn't become so popular as to create distinct difference in the field lines and show lines like many of the other working dogs.

Just my $.02


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## flightbirds (Jun 25, 2004)

What type of goose hunting are you planning to do. Unless it is over water I wouldnt let goose hunting determine the type of dog that you get.

Have hunted geese with a lot of guys that thought they needed to bring their labs into the field. Never really felt they were necessary.

Any time someone mentions wanting a dog to hunt pheasants I must mention the springer spaniel. Springers are far superior to the labs for upland. They have great noses, work hard and have stamina. Now, I have never asked my springer to retrieve a 12 pund goose, I have no doubt he would try.

Find a local klennel club and spend some time watching guys work their dogs for upland, you will be impressed with the spaniels.


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## Losthwy (Apr 19, 2009)

Labs work well for both waterfowl and upland. FYI- I would buy for breeding not color. And it is easier to find a good breeding of a black Lab than chocolate.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

I don't hunt waterfowl so my GSP is great for upland game. Perhaps some have patient GSP's but my dog would stress to sit and wait. The dove hunt is hard for her. My buddy has a Wirehair swims well, points upland, sits for fowl, retrieves.

I have to add. I hunt sometimes with a group. I avoid the non-pointing dogs. I hate it when my dogs is on a beautiful point and a lab or other comes blundering in and flushes our bird. :******:


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## orangefeet (Nov 7, 2007)

I ran into the same debate about seven years ago and ended up buying the best hunting dog I could have ever wanted. I came across a breeder with a champion black lab male and a champion german shorthair female. Somehow the lab got to the shorthair accidentally, the dog the I picked out was all black with a shorthair's skinny body. Unreal dog. She loves to swim and points like a shorthair. If you don't plan to hunt over water I recommend docking the tail, as she has had some problems with it after swimming...otherwise known as happy tail. Moral of the story, you don't have to buy a purebred. Half breeds can be just as good, or in my case better. Not to mention the price tag on them is much smaller and they usually are healthier, not having hip or eye issues.


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## goodkarmarising (Feb 8, 2008)

x


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

> I ran into the same debate about seven years ago and ended up buying the best hunting dog I could have ever wanted


There is no debate. That is what happens.
Your lucky. Most half breads don't work like that. As for goodkarmarising. You are a fowl man, or you don't mind the disruption of a pointer. Don't get me wrong I am a long time laber.


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## goodkarmarising (Feb 8, 2008)

x


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

A good fowl dog is a good dove dog less the water. Question is do you let your dog/dogs disturb a pointer?


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## goodkarmarising (Feb 8, 2008)

x


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## EvanG (Jul 15, 2009)

In the early 1970's, when I was new to dog training, I asked Hall of Fame trainer D.L. Walters a classic newbie question. "D.L., what's the best retriever; Black Lab, Yellow, Chocolate, Chessie, Golden...?"

He replied, "A good dog is a good dog. He doesn't know what color or breed he is, and he doesn't know what it says on his papers. He's just a good dog." Whatever breed you like, don't be shy about paying what it costs to get a good one, and make sure he or she has all the health clearances possible.

Then train 'em! 

EvanG


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

goodkarmarising, I hunt a few times a year with a huge group of friends the dog breeds are through the roof. I love the friends I get through this sport, and for sure its cool to have the dog. Though it bugs me when my dogs point get flushed by a non pointing dog I would never say anything. This post is about an all around dog. I did not pick my dogs breed because I don't hunt fowl. I just commented on my issues on mixing dog hunting styles.

I am telling worktosurvive things I have experienced to help him make his decision.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

Evan I love your post, my dog was told to me to be pure with no papers. I don't know (She was cheap), but what I do know is I have not had or seen another dog I would want to be behind more than her. I am sure there out there.


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## Marlin40 (Jul 19, 2009)

Bay_Dog said:


> I'm a little biased towards Chesapeakes. Had them as a kid in ND and they did just fine on pheasant. Very smart, hard driving breed which hasn't become so popular as to create distinct difference in the field lines and show lines like many of the other working dogs.
> 
> Just my $.02


x2

Great dogs on waterfowl and upland. The old girl at my parents I grew up with, now 11, is awesome on pheasants as well as waterfowl. Probably the smartest dog I know!


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## bobert (Jul 26, 2009)

you cant beet a good english springer spaniel. will face the toughest roughest cover without fear, retrieve all game and waterfowl from land and water and also some off the most affectionate little hunters you could ever meet. make sure its from a good strong working line as opposed to a show bred one tho!!!


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## cutter08 (Sep 11, 2008)

stu there is an easy solution to your problem. *Don't hunt with a flushing dog then.* Buy a Lab or Chesapeake. Both are good duck dogs and upland.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

> you cant beet a good english springer spaniel.


Great dog but I hate pulling the burrs out of there hair.

Cutter I have had both Labs and a Chesapeake. Loved them.
I am forever a pointer guy now. Hunting with the flushers only happens a couple of times a year. I can deal with it.
I shouldn't have ranted anyway.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

Toncho_Milev is selling a wonderful all around breed.


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## ndgooseslayer (Jul 26, 2007)

I've had a Brittany for the last 12 years and could not have asked for a better dog. I want to get a new pup next spring and have been pretty torn between whether to stick with a Britt or go towards a lab.

When i first got my Britt I did very little upland hunting, so I primarly got him to retrieve ducks/geese. His first "real" retrieve was a pair of Teal and I'm comfortable enough to put him up against anyones dog. Only downfall he has is he's not quite as hardy in real cold weather once he's wet.

Once the pheasant populations started coming back in our area I got alot more into upland hunting and there is nothing like working a good dog and watching him sit on point.

It seems like everyone and their grandma has a lab, so it's kind of nice having a breed other than that. I've gotten alot of compliments from guys on my dog that were pretty set on labs.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

As I have been saying if you love the pointer you might not like a flusher. If retrieving is mainly what you want I don't care how many labs are out there. There out there for a reason they retrieve. They sure can upland hunt as well. My beef was they don't honor a point. Get the dog that compliments how you hunt. P.S. there great coats out there for dogs.


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

Stu_Loves_His_GSP said:


> As I have been saying if you love the pointer you might not like a flusher. If retrieving is mainly what you want I don't care how many labs are out there. There out there for a reason they retrieve. They sure can upland hunt as well. My beef was they don't honor a point. Get the dog that compliments how you hunt. P.S. there great coats out there for dogs.


A lab can easily be trained to "hup" on the "whoa" command when done this way its not hard to hunt pointers with labs ( or any flusher trained that way) simply teach the lab to "hup" on both the whoa and the hup command. Using whoa doesn't confuse the pointer and dogs dont really understand words so it doens't matter to the flusher either.

I've done this several times with both spaniels and labs over the years, labs are smart and soon learn to hup without the command when they come up on the pointer on point.


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## Stu_Loves_His_GSP (May 6, 2008)

I don't think many are willing or even interested in doing that. Its good to see you do that with your dogs. Is it because you run both?


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## Radar21 (Jun 20, 2008)

I am coming in late, but would like to add my 2 cents. Take a lokk at the American Water Spaniel. They do everything peretty darn good. No lab can outperform a good AWS in the uplands. The Spaniel is just built to be a tracking, flushing machine. The Lab may have the edge in the water, but the AWS will do most of the water work you and I will ever need.

If you go lab, go black. The gene pool is much better. Theres alot of idiot yellow, and even more useless Chocalates. That is not meant to ruffle the feathers of the yel/choc owners. When you breed for color, you are sacrificing SOMETHING

Dont hunt your pointers and flushers together. Bad idea on so many levels. If you have a mixed group, take turns. Run the pointers on big open country, then flushers on sloughs and stuff. The rest will do em all good between fields.


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## mmduncan (Dec 24, 2009)

I prefer chessies but thats just me, ive had 2 now and the 7mo. old female i've got now is a maniac and has lots of drive and desire. I agree don't buy a dog for color buy for breeding. If your unsure find a local trainer and go watch him train different breeds. If you hunt up north I think chessies handle the cold better than labs but i've hunted with good and bad of both labs and chessies. it's not the breed it what you do with the dog.


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## lynxx69 (Mar 21, 2004)

Spend a little money and get a Pointing lab, not just a lab that someone says is a pointer. Find A kennel that has GMP's "Grand Master Pointer" I have a pointing lab and she is a very universal dog. Just my suggestion to you. HAPPY HUNTING


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## hydro870 (Mar 29, 2005)

If you're going to buy a lab, which is an excellent choice, just remember the axiom:

Chocolate is a novelty, yellow is a luxury, and black is a necessity.

Hydro870 - who is living in luxury.


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## BROWNDOG (Nov 2, 2004)

> Hydro870 - who is living in luxury


Is the Fonz going to be soaking up the sun down south this winter or is he staying home this winter??


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## hydro870 (Mar 29, 2005)

> Is the Fonz going to be soaking up the sun down south this winter or is he staying home this winter??


That's right. I will be stuck in the frozen tundra and the Fonz will be living large in Georgia 4 months.


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## gonedoggin (Mar 20, 2008)

You won't go wrong w/ a lab. There's a reason they are the most popular breed. Easy to train, self-cleaning, good natured, etc. I also love my springer. Once you've hunted pheasants or grouse w/ a good one, nothing else compares. They need an active type owner though, if I don't give him some work almost every day he gets hyper. But my all time favorite hunting dog and the breed I believe is the most underrated is a field-bred golden retriever. I train my retrievers to hunt upland just like a springer and I train my springers to do non-slip retrieving. Goldens have better noses than labs and I can't even say they're not every bit as good as a springer. They also have the temperment to sit quietly in a duck/goose blind. You've got to do your homework to find a field-bred though. Avoid any litter w/ obedience, agility or god forbid conformation titles in the pedigree. If you get a 100% field dog, you will be amazed.


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

Get a lab.The color of the dog should make no difference, but I agree with Hydro870 the best are black.One of my yellows sire is the all time AKC points winning yellow. The ***** was a FC. I have 2 yellows, get a black


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## Old Hunter (Mar 8, 2002)

gonedoggin is correct about goldens having the best nose of the retrievers. Years ago I did a lot of gunning at the lisenced AKC field trials.Back then there were still a fair amount goldens in the trials.I remember one trial distinctly, one of the tests was 3 birds with one of them shooting a live pheasant in tall, thick alphalfa. After about 25 dogs my shooting partner and good lab trainer looked at me and said I hate to admit it but goldens have better noses. All things were equal, the bird thrower was the best,our shooting was perfect, the falls were all in the same spot. These were tough scenting conditions and the goldens would do better.


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## hydro870 (Mar 29, 2005)

Agree about field bred goldens being great dogs. They do have great noses. Goldens can tend to be a little more sensitive on average, which can make them slightly more difficult to force fetch....if you intend to force fetch. But field bred goldens have much more drive, which helps them to get through the "less fun" training. Labs, in general, tend to be more forgiving. I don't know of a breed more forgiving than a lab, they just want to please you regardless of how bad you treat them! This characteristic definately separates labs from Chessies for example. Chessie trainers tell me they can hold a grudge, so be careful not to create bad memories.

The main thing is that you buy a well bred dog. Myself, I prefier AKC field trial lines for hunting dogs be it lab, golden, or chessie. It's an excellent combination of health, desire, intelligence, and biddableness.

My two cents.


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## mburgess (Aug 11, 2003)

GWP will out hunt any lab in the uplands hands down. They'll hit the cold water darn near as hard as a lab, and they are much more athletically built than any of the retrievers. I've hunted over about every breed out there. And was a died in the wool brittany man, but I will never not be without a GWP as long as I'm hunting. German's bred them to be the truly versatile dog out there from pointing upland game, decoying puddle ducks in the cold, tracking and trailing fur to guarding your house. I don't believe these wirehair dogs will ever get popular with the show people and I believe their gene pool will keep their hunting instincts even with a lot of backyard breeders. I'll say also that this breed is TOUGH and if you make a mistake training they will take it in stride.


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