How Old...

B

birddog456

Member
Many of us have had a number of bird dogs over the years. One person asked when to puchase their next pup to always have a dog in prime. I guess the real question to help determine that would be the age of a dog when it reached the point it could no longer hunt. So how old was your dog when it reached that point? Please be specific.
To get a true perspective on this , let's just use those that were retired in the course of nature, not due to surgery, accident or sudden death under 8 years of age. Please include gender, breed, # of dogs in household at time, and why. We know it wasn't due to lack of desire. May they always live in your heart and in your memories afield.
 
Last edited:
Well I have had a fair number of setters. All of them were still physically hunting well at 10. But they could not go as long or as hard as a younger dog.

I have not had one get through a season hunting well at 13 yet. At that age I was getting on hour or two and then they needed a lot more time to recover.

Until now I have never had 2 dogs in their prime for hunting at the same time. Now I have a 3yo and a 8 month old setters. I am really looking forward to the next 6-8 season :thumbsup:
 
SetterNut said:
Well I have had a fair number of setters. All of them were still physically hunting well at 10. But they could not go as long or as hard as a younger dog.

I have not had one get through a season hunting well at 13 yet. At that age I was getting on hour or two and then they needed a lot more time to recover.

Until now I have never had 2 dogs in their prime for hunting at the same time. Now I have a 3yo and a 8 month old setters. I am really looking forward to the next 6-8 season :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

So you are telling me one dog household, setter, 13 years? Thank you.
 
jsdriggs said:
get a new dog at seven or eight. then you'll have two aces for about 3 years, and it makes the old dogs live longer anyway, IMHO.
Click to expand...
I've heard from that commercial that dog people live longer.
Interesting that multidog households will cause dogs to live longer. I would have to concur on that, my old matriarch lived to be 16, pretty long for a working shorthair. She had knee surgery at 10 that cut her career short. Have two boys turning 8 this year, they push each other.
 
Last edited:
I had an Irish Setter that lived to be 18. She could have hunted till she was 15, if I would have lived where I could hunter her.

But I would say that 13 is about as old as most of the dogs I have been around, have been able to hunt for much time during a day.
 
The breeder that I bought my red setter from still had his great grandparents. They we 19 years old and hunted until 17.

They actually looked pretty dang good for 19. Deaf as a post, but looked pretty good.
 
That performance and longevity is amazing! What was their secret?
 
I hunted my Weim until she was 13. Actually I took her out once when she was 14 but she was so deaf that both she and I got scared she would become lost in the deep grass. I spent 1/2 hr looking for her after she got on some scent.

Scared the crap out fo me and that was that.

She lived to 15.5 and if not for her back end giving out she was doing great.

My Vizsla is 10 and still can't be stopped in the field. I think he'll hunt strong for at least another couple of years.

What I have been doing is getting the next dog when my current main dog hits 9 yrs old. That way the younger dog works with another dog that has all the experience of age yet still has the physical abilities of a dog in its prime - at least that's my theory.

Went out yesterday with my 2 yr old Braque Francais and my buddy brough his 9 yr old GSP, a really fine dog and my young guy showed him up! Ah, its good to know you're going to have a fine dog for the next decade!
 
Last edited:
AtTheMurph said:
I hunted my Weim until she was 13. Actually I took her out once when she was 14 but she was so deaf that both she and I got scared she would become lost in the deep grass. I spent 1/2 hr looking for her after she got on some scent.

Scared the crap out fo me and that was that.

She lived to 15.5 and if not for her back end giving out she was doing great.

My Vizsla is 10 and still can't be stopped in the field. I think he'll hunt strong for at least another couple of years.

What I have been doing is getting the next dog when my current main dog hits 9 yrs old. That way the younger dog works with another dog that has all the experience of age yet still has the physical abilities of a dog in its prime - at least that's my theory.

Went out yesterday with my 2 yr old Braque Francais and my buddy brough his 9 yr old GSP, a really fine dog and my young guy showed him up! Ah, its good to know you're going to have a fine dog for the next decade!
Click to expand...

Great to get this kind of info! Quite the variety in your kennel, be interesting to hear why.
 
I have two labs currently. The older one (male) will turn 11 in June. When he was 7, I bought a female pup with the intent to gradually replace the older dog. However, the older dog was slowed with knee/shoulder problems starting around 8, and he was pretty much retired. The younger dog was then pressed into service early (11 mos) but has worked out OK.
 
I am not as worried about my dogs getting sick as I am of myself. I have a chronic disease called nottanotherdog syndrome. I will think it is cured for awhile but then it pops up again. If one goes down I intend to have several backup plans.
 
CRP said:
I have two labs currently. The older one (male) will turn 11 in June. When he was 7, I bought a female pup with the intent to gradually replace the older dog. However, the older dog was slowed with knee/shoulder problems starting around 8, and he was pretty much retired. The younger dog was then pressed into service early (11 mos) but has worked out OK.
Click to expand...

Know how that is, had my 10 year old female with ecl surgery throw the year old pups into front line. Not the way it was planned.
 
jeffstally said:
I am not as worried about my dogs getting sick as I am of myself. I have a chronic disease called nottanotherdog syndrome. I will think it is cured for awhile but then it pops up again. If one goes down I intend to have several backup plans.
Click to expand...

Most important factor here..."one nice wife to allow it"!
A heartfelt thanx to all the spouses out there to put up with us, our gear, the dogs, and all the time spent away training and chasing tail. For the times called upon to fill in when a dog gets sick, or trips to the vet...
THANK_YOU!!!:10sign:
 
You get to an age, you kind of look forward to the dog slowing a bit. My last ESS lived to 17, hunted well till 14 but still enjoyed a run in the corn. He thought he was hunting, kept him happy. Current pup is 12. Thinking about getting an ESS from rescue and avoid house training and teething. Current pup teethed on some nice boots. Wife still thinks she lost several pairs of tennis shoes.
 
birddog456 said:
Great to get this kind of info! Quite the variety in your kennel, be interesting to hear why.
Click to expand...

As I get older my needs have changed.

The Weim was my first real hunting dog as an adult. Got him from a buddy who sort of inherited two weims that he bred. Loved the breed and that dog was still the finest animal I have ever known. Now some 10 years later I still have people asking me about her and bringing her up as a fantastic dog. I had two litters out of her and some of the Weims you see in commercials are her pups and grand pups. Was asked by several people if they could show her but never had an interest.

Weims are smart, big and can be destructive. She hunted fine but as I got more into hunting I wanted a dog that would go all day and had short hair like the Weim. Bingo - Vizsla!

He's a big Vizsla -70+ lbs and has a heart of gold. Will hunt longer than I can but Vizslas are active - more active than Momma can take as a house pet. As he's aged he's calmed down a little but people will still ask if he's 2 or 3yrs old when he is actually 10.

The Braque was my best attempt to get a breed that met everything I want now out of a hunting dog. It must be a house pet first. I wanted smaller, he's about 47lbs, and they are advertised as being pretty calm in the house. Compared to the Weim and Vizsla I would certainly agree. He has his primed moments but in comparison it's night and day.

Plus the Braque has just turned the corner on his hunting. He's just over 2yrs and everything finally clicked. He retrieves without being a fang, he has a tremendous nose, better than the Vizsla whose nose has become legendary with my buddies and he's just a sweet little guy. Not super needy of attention like the velcro Vizsla or the demanding Weim. He lives quietly in the house until he can get outside and get after anything he can find. Very happy with him.

I'm late 40s now pushing 50. I'll outhunt everyone I know and the Braque has no problems keeping it going but when he gets in the house he's a cooler customer than the others. He actually hangs out next to my desk most of the day. I take him out to chase squirrells a few times a day and if that's it he's ok with that. Also really smart dog and not real vocal.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top