# Cocker Spaniel for grouse



## mahmoodmahi

Does anybody use a cocker spaniel for grouse, seems like they would be an ideal dog since they are a bit slower than some more popular breeds. I have a buddy who is thinking about getting one but he can't find anybody who actually uses them to hunt grouse.


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## jlamere74

My grandpa used one for just about everything, even retreived a goose a couple of times.


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## bobert

cockers slow?!!!! i dont think you have seen a proper hard working cocker, they have the speed, endurance and stamina of a springer but they are hard to train. there fantastic dogs just dont get one if you are a novice trainer they have the ability to make even the most experienced sog man pull his hair out!


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## Lil Sand Bay

I've seen a couple here in N. Wisc. but apparently the hard part is finding a dog from hunting stock. Just like the Irish Setter the show dog folks ruined the American Cocker Spaniel by breeding for other then hunting abilities. The pair I saw working partridge some years ago were not particularly fast. Perhaps in the wide open prairies as opposed to the tag alder thickets here. In any event the name give 'em away as an original woodcock dog.


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## bobert

bang on the nail. they excel in thick dense woodland. if you strugle to walk though cover then a spaniel is the way forward. if your wanting to hunt open ground then maybe a hpr would be a better choice.


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## kingcanada

If you want one, go for it. How you train your dog and how many birds it is exposed to on a regular basis will determine your results more than anything. Heck, over the past 15 years I have shot almost every type of upland bird in the United States over the same little border collie. I haven't had the chance at woodcock, ptarmigan, or a few of the quails (got 4 of them down though); but she has hunted tight timber, open desert and everything in between. The point is, don't let people convince you that only certain breeds are suited for certain types of hunting or even that a certain breed always hunts close or far. Pick your pup and post up some pix when you get into the birds. :beer:


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## Dean Vosler

I have hunted over cocker spaniels for the last 10 years. Both American cocker spaniels. They were trained with grouse and woodcock wings when they were 8 weeks until the first day they went hunting. The myth of having to find only field stock is just that. All cockers have the instincts. Both became excellent hunters after a year and became better the more they hunted and always hunted close in heavy cover. They will hunt all day and after a swim in hot weather keep going longer than I can. Unfortunately my female died at 8 years old. My 9 year old male continues to hunt all day and retrieves grouse and woodcock. He is currently teaching my English Springer my son gave me as a birthday present, to protect my cocker from coyotes. By the way cockers are not afraid of anything and hunt the thickest cover imaginable. They love training and will do anything to please you. Since they are hunting dogs they love long walks and sessions of retrieving every day. They make great house pets and love to go everywhere you go.


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## Bobm

google Tom Ness in ND hes the man on the cockers up there


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## Branf6don

great house pets and love to go everywhere you go.


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