Help Choosing a Breed?

parooster said:
Well Guys I think it's about time! After hunting with friends and families bird dogs, and reading and looking at all the pictures on this forum, I want my own pup. But I would like some help deciding what dog is right for me. I will be hunting pheasants mostly"no surprise" with some grouse when I can find them. It has to be a good family dog first and VERY easy to train. Not sure about pointer or flusher but leaning towards a flusher because of the training.Believe me, I respect you guys here opinions!
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The dog you discribe is a Pudelpointer.
 
Don't listen to us, go with your gut and pick the breed you truly want, I am sure there is a breed you keep going back to in your search.

Train it obedience and to mind in the field, then expose it to birds as much as you can. Your dog will do the rest.
 
Setters you know you want one..... or more :D

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I had my fair share of labs for years.:thumbsup: One thing about them is they like to eat. All dogs can get over weight. The biggest problem is to make sure you regulate the dogs food and not let it get fat. If you do your risking many health risks. ACL injuries and so on. They will live longer and with less vet costs by a long ways just simply keeping them at a thin healthy weight. No table scraps yada yada. No bacon bits, cookie treats, none of that over marketed garbage.:thumbsup:
 
I tell ya what though, a simple joke actually can be a valid point. I am smarter then I thought:eek:. Your budget can play a huge roll in the decision process. Good dog food is expensive these days. I feed 8 dogs so I have a eye on food costs. It is no real secret that some breeds will consume much more food and money from your wallet then others. So keep that in mind. If you look at what each dog breed consumes, and your paycheck it may swing your vote. I feed 2-3 cups a day for my dogs during active season. During non active season 1.5-2.5 cups a day. This is with a pretty good digestible food. Cheepo foods will take more food, but do less for the dog. Because they will poop most of it out.;)
 
I have thrown out my preference (GSP)..having said that, far too often folks choose them w/very little wisdom. As a general rule - A GSP, an English Pointer etc is NOT the dog you want unless you are going to remain very active w/them and train them to a fairly high level. They are an extremely active breed and LIVE TO HUNT - they are also wonderful pets in the home but generally only coupled w/a lot of hunting/training activity. If somebody that did not hunt consistently asked my advice w/a GSP that was a family pet having never had bird exposure - I would discourage them from even putting them on birds at all unless they intended (realistically) to train/hunt them often. They are bred for this big time and it is as if once you turn that switch on there is no stopping it & that is simply unfair and ultimately could become very stressful to the dog which could easily lead to difficulty & frustration in the home. Be patient and be honest w/yourself before making your final selection.
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Excellent advice right there. My wife and I have 2 dogs, a Vizsla and a GSP. The GSP is so obsessed with hunting it's hilarious. There are certain pairs of pants she can't even see come out of the washer or she will think its hunting time. Ill have to sneak my deer hunting stuff past her this weekend.

We did our homework and knew that the activity level of these dogs would be elevated, to say the least. Luckily my wife is a competitive triathlete and marathon runner, making these dogs ideal training partners. Plus, I love to hunt so it works out great. Everyday we have to actively do something with these dogs, work on training, go for a run, play fetch in the backyard, etc. Otherwise they get bored mentally and physically and turn our home into a playground.

Don't forget what this animal will be like outside of the hunting seasons. Make this dog part of your family and knowing the breed will help you find a fit that works with your lifestyle outside of hunting.
 
Good points. An ess field bred can be the same. They like to keep busy as well. Although can be molded in to a fine house mouse. Just be prepared to be annoyed with someone wanting to play fetch. They learn to take being ignored the older they get. But will remain easily activated for life. Once ground rules are set they take to commands well once taught.
 
Just a little story from an old timer in SD in his 56th season.
Nephew came out from MPLS Saturday as he did not have his kids for the weekend and needed something to do. He had been out for three days previously, the second weekend of the season. Hunted Leola area and averaged just under two birds per day for group of six. Was tough till some corn got out near the best area. My nephew and I shot 90% of the birds because we were hunting over the our dogs, the others not having any. One left home with one of my 7 week old pups.
Sat. we headed for the the first spot, a walk-in about 20 miles from my house. Had hunted it twice this season, each time one bird. It is split into two sections, north and south. We were there just after 10:00 and hit the south area, putting up one rooster, one hen. The rooster got up behind my nephew and he missed a longer shot that I did not see tho he thought he should have got it.
Just before we got out of the field we heard two shots to the north and discovered some one had gone in. I assume they got two birds as I did not see anything come over to our side and the shots were separated. We drove by and it was those darn Sioux Falls hunters, 4 in one vehicle. Could not see a dog, but probably had one. They were in tight formation. In any case I had to change my plans.
Went to a public area where I and another hunter had taken 7 birds this year.
There were some locals hunting a private slough accross the road, but no one was parked at either entry. This is a tough piece of ground to hunt and maybe others are avoiding it. Gnarly mess of tall weeds and thick bottom cover, but the birds held and we put 4 in the bag. Possibly a blessing the other hunters took the north end of the first field or someone could have beaten us to the second. In any case, that's my honeyhole.
We actually spent the next 1.5 hours driving to spots already taken. Came to another prime spot as the farmers were just finishing the corn on the west of the field. Unfortunately a group from Kansas were just going in. I'll bet they had some opportunities in there. Talked to the farmer a bit and it turned out we had a connection from an insurance claim I handled a few years ago.
We wondered south seeing more hunters, many from Minnesota. I went to a section line with good cover that ended up on a walk-in I have hunted 3 times in the last two seasons without seeing even a hen, but it has very nice cover and has to have birds in it sometime. I walk the first half of the mile ditch and see nothing. My nephew shoots just as I come up on his truck. The bird ran in an open pasture and the dog did not see it go down from the ditch, but J. leaves his gun and tries to recover it. No luck. In the meantime a local and 4 Minnesota boys come up behind us and I find a spot where they can get by me. They advise they are headed to the walk-in. I continue hunting the ditch and end up about 150 yards behind them as they walk the field south. Mazzie points 4 hens and at last a rooster which I tumble into the walk-in behind me to the north as the group of 5 watch. Three go west on the road to follow up on a rooster J. saw head that way as I shot. They found it, but missed. I believe it got out a good way ahead of them. The other two are inquisitive re our dogs and ask what breed they are. One then informs us that he has a Griffon.
We dink around a little more and the weather is now beautiful. We have 5 birds and missed a couple so we are not concerned about a limit so head towards home. I think about one small WPA thats a 20 minute walk. I have put a lot of hens up in it, but never a rooster. We get about 30 yards in and Mazzie gets her 5th rooster point of the day and we have a limit. My nephew comments on the sunset and says he is thinking of moving out here when the kids are gone.
 
Except for the competition from the other hunters it sounds like you and the nephew had a great day Buck. So how old is Mazzie now? I s she slowing down at all?
 
keroko said:
Except for the competition from the other hunters it sounds like you and the nephew had a great day Buck. So how old is Mazzie now? I s she slowing down at all?
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She is 9 + years now, but has not slowed a bit. One great rooster finder and really knows how to pin them down. She was very tired the next day as it did get warm after the first field. I usually take two or three dogs, but because we took J.'s truck, we just threw the dogs in the back seat and went.
Mazzie aka Featherfoot's Hurricane Holly, has two NAVHDA Breeder Awards and 8 Prize I Natural Ability puppies out of 11 tested. The other 3 prized II or III. I will get a breeders award for Poco, aka Prairie Trout's Highpoint in January. I am not breed blind, but these dogs were made for bird hunting.


Was odd to see so many in the field on the fourth weekend.
 
Will the Puddlepointer naturauly hunt close? Being a rare breed my guess is that they would be very expensive. Is there any grooming ?
 
They will hunt as close as you want them to which should be based on the terrain and what you are finding. If the dog is not finding birds, you want it to expand the search. In thichk cover where they are not going to catch a lot of wind, slow is better. Typically the Pudelpointer hunts closer than English and German Shorthairs, but is not a bootlicker.
Coats differ from no furnishings shorthair look to soft undercoat abundace"Chewbakka" style that collects burrs. Trim those up during hunting season. The wiry dogs do not collect burrs. Most will pull any burrs out thenselves but for the ones they cannot reach on top of head some ears and under hairy chin.
I get $1,400 for my pups.
 
I really like the springer or a boykin, the fact that they are easy to train is a big plus. The springer/boykin just seems to fit my style of hunting. Thanks everybody!
 
FCSpringer said:
I feed 2-3 cups a day for my dogs during active season. During non active season 1.5-2.5 cups a day. This is with a pretty good digestible food. Cheepo foods will take more food, but do less for the dog. Because they will poop most of it out.;)
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That's about what I give my pooch. Keeps him nice and lean:thumbsup:. I like to see muscle on my labs. Fat labs burn out way too quick in the field--though I suppose fat anything will burn out fast out there.

This is the dog I have now (in the off season)--kept good and lean:)

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