Best breed for finding cripples

OK, while I prefer to think my dog is using physics calculations to get himself to the drop area of a bird he really didn't see fall....does anyone think they might be using their noses?? I mean, I see my dogs do this many times a year. It seems unlikely to me that a springer buried in cattails or tall CRP grass is using his nose to direct himself to a very dead bird that fell 25 yards away with wind blowing away from him. If not, then it's physics or magic.
 
goldenboy said:
Some dogs won't give up and will relentlessly search for that bird. Other dogs are lazy and quit on a bird. That isn't breed specific that is all about the dogs personality.
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Joel, I've heard a couple breeders of field/hunting dogs say this is one of their measures of how well-bred a dog is. They've said a well-bred field/hunting dog will require only the knowledge that a bird is down (whether that happens by sight, direction, command, etc.) & won't quit until the bird is found or he is called off the search. He won't require a reminder (like commanding "fetch" over & over) or other sort of encouragement. Thoughts?
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Joel, I've heard a couple breeders of field/hunting dogs say this is one of their measures of how well-bred a dog is. They've said a well-bred field/hunting dog will require only the knowledge that a bird is down (whether that happens by sight, direction, command, etc.) & won't quit until the bird is found or he is called off the search. He won't require a reminder (like commanding "fetch" over & over) or other sort of encouragement. Thoughts?
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I agree enthusiastically! Drive balanced with level headiness is the making of greatness.
 
Brent that is the $100,000 question. Everybody that buys a bird dog from me wants a hunting dog. Everyone has been very pleased with how their dog hunts, I think that is due to the breeding. But I will say as I have hunted with a lot of my pups I have bred some have more drive than others. I am not sure if that is a reflection of the owner in part or lack of training when they are young.

I do encourage people to talk less to their dogs. Get the dog to the spot and let them do what they are bred to do. I think most hunting dogs hear blah blah blah Rover blah blah blah Rover blah blah blah.

Looking forward to our hunt together in Dec. I hunt with a buddy that has springers, good dogs and fun to see them work together.
 
I'm not a golfer, but here's my analogy. The eyes for marking is like using your driver from the teebox, the nose for pinning down the exact location is like your putter on the green.
 
jackrabbit said:
I'm not a golfer, but here's my analogy. The eyes for marking is like using your driver from the teebox, the nose for pinning down the exact location is like your putter on the green.
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Perfect analogy the eyes get you there and the nose finishes it. They’re both tools that are needed to accomplish the goal.
 
Gatzby said:
Perfect analogy the eyes get you there and the nose finishes it. They’re both tools that are needed to accomplish the goal.
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So if the eyes don't get the dog to the area of the fall then what finds the cripple?
 
Hunting RN said:
So if the eyes don't get the dog to the area of the fall then what finds the cripple?
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Quote: "The eyes get you there." (you meaning the dog)

And we've concluded, indisputably, that in cases when a dog can't see a bird fall, but still gets to the fall area without direction from his owner, he has used his nose, physics calculations, magic, x-ray vision, or some mystical combination of those superpowers.

Occasionally a dog takes direction from his owner to get to the fall area.

Those are the 3 ways a dog gets to the fall area. Once there, assuming a rooster has cloaked himself so as to be invisible, the nose takes over, directing the search. "The nose finishes it."
 
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Hunting RN said:
So if the eyes don't get the dog to the area of the fall then what finds the cripple?
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But seriously
If the dog cannot get to the area of the fall for what ever reason. I.E. a fence he cannot get through, a river he's afraid to swim, or he has no idea where it fell. Then you the hunter (assuming you marked the fall) will assist the dog to the area of the fall and instigate a hunt where the dog will use the other tool (his nose).
 
Kre said:
I'm a GSP guy, but the best dogs I've seen, over the years, for finding downed, crippled birds are black labs.

But, it's a non-issue banging at close range over solid points. This is my preference.
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... only BLACK labs?... that's just silly...
 
Gatzby said:
But seriously
If the dog cannot get to the area of the fall for what ever reason. I.E. a fence he cannot get through, a river he's afraid to swim, or he has no idea where it fell. Then you the hunter (assuming you marked the fall) will assist the dog to the area of the fall and instigate a hunt where the dog will use the other tool (his nose).
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Who would feed, let alone hunt with a dog that is afraid to swim?
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
It's common knowledge among serious dog people that the black ones have the best noses. :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:
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God only made yellow labs to keep the flies off the black ones;);):giggle:
 
Gatzby said:
But seriously
If the dog cannot get to the area of the fall for what ever reason. I.E. a fence he cannot get through, a river he's afraid to swim, or he has no idea where it fell. Then you the hunter (assuming you marked the fall) will assist the dog to the area of the fall and instigate a hunt where the dog will use the other tool (his nose).
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I will admit I suck at marking a down bird, this past trip I dumped a bird that looked dead but I've fallen for that before, dog pointed on side slope of a draw with tall grasses and didn't see the bird go down. As I moved towards the fallen bird more got up which made me loose my since of where the bird dropped. Brought Bella in the general area of where I thought the bird was, she immediately started tracking and doing her thing and I trailed behind, we came across snow and in it were fresh tracks so we are golden....needless to say we tracked about a 1/4 mile to the edge of a picked bean field and no bird. So my thoughts were bird hit the beans and was gone, bird is burrowed in near where it fell or it is a dead bird. So we head back to the area I thought the bird landed told Bella dead bird and just stood there cussing my poor shooting skills. I can hear Bella coming thru the tall grass and she presents me with my dead bird. Maybe if the dogs have trouble marking they could get prescription dogoggles?!:cool:
 
A5 Sweet 16 said:
Walt, my first springer, did this one. Basically nothing but snow. Sparse grass cover in draw & between 2 picked crop fields. Otherwise....hard, crusty tundra, so no pheasant tracks. I thought he was crazy leading me on this trek. Nope. The nose knows.
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That is pretty awesome the benefit of GPS trackers. Always trust the nose!
 
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