Golden Retriever

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bdub20

Member
My wife and I are planning on getting a Golden Retriever in the near future. We are mainly just looking for a pet, but I do not have a hunting dog and would love to try to train our family pet to hunt birds if possible. I'm hoping not to spend too much and will not be hurt if the dog turns out to be a bust in the field since he will be mainly our pet 9 months out of the year. I'm wondering will a Golden flush or mainly just retrieve birds I bring down? I'm hoping to get a puppy from hunting bloodlines rather than show blood lines, but can I train a dog from show dog lines to hunt and will his nose be as good?

Thanks for any opinions or ideas.
 
There are some excellent go dens out the from the hunting lines, just do your homework and don't buy a dog just because it is cheap.
 
golden retriever

Have owned five Golden's...send me an email and I'll pass on what I can about the dog. There's lots of info. on the "net" about Golden Ret.

My current dog: 11 month's old. Purchased from a breeder in Wis. and paid $800. He was 4mo old at the time and seems to be the most intelligent dog of the five.

All of my dogs have been very aggressive hunters with excellent noses. They are dynamite on cripples. Biggest problem with the dogs: ranging too far ahead...a very strong prey drive.

Suggestion: check with hunt clubs in your area for breeder suggestions.

Good luck,

jon
 
Goldens will do it all. Find, flush and retrieve your birds. Why do you want a bench dog in hopes of training it to hunt? Just get it right from the get go. There's a lot of good pups out there right now. Dont buy cheap to feel better if you fail at training it. The dog wont let you fail. They're easily trainable.
The 2 I have now are fantastic!

Almost any Golden will do double duty as a family pet and hunting dog! Git'r done!
 
My current Golden Woody is dynamite on pheasants-so was my late great Golden Gretchen before him. They are great hunters and house dogs. Webshire Kennels in Larsen, Wi.-Lisa Hartwig-specializes in Goldens. They have a web-page.
 
Golden Retrievers are great dogs. If I was to get another breed besides a lab, it would be a Golden.

We hunt with one each year back in SD, and a couple years ago my brother in law dropped/lost his transmitter for the e-coller, out in a field. They came back out looking for it after he realized he lost it a few hours later. The Golden found the transmitter and brought it over to my brother in law.

Good dogs.....
 
Both of my younger brothers have Goldens. They are very good dogs in the house and with the kids.

I like Setters, but if I was going to have a retreiver that was going to spend most of the time in the house, it would be a Golden.
 
I would expect that you will pay a bit more for a golden from hunting lines. I have had both and hunted both. The field bred have both the smaller frame and size 60 lbs vs 90lbs on my previous show stock. Also the coat seems to be more manageable less feathering and shedding. The drive is tremendously different as well the show stock was a good couch potato, the field are full of piss and vinegar and need exercise as do most hunting breeds. The noses on my field stock is definitely better than the show stock I had. But I think that either could have good noses with the field bred standing a better chance since that is what they are bred for that reason.
8 years ago I paid 600 plus shipping for my female I sold a litter last year for 400 to 600/dog and comparatively bred dogs were bringing over a 1000.
 
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