Hunter1971
New member
Is there really a best or worse hunting breed? Or is it just personal preferance, or a opinion based on a one time experience with another persons hunting dog or an personal experience with a particular breed?
For me, I think all of them have their good and bad, but I also think it has to do with the owner more than anything.
When I was 11 years old my parents moved me from Montana to Utah for my Dad's job. I loved Montana and hated to go, but my parents promised me to buy me a hunting dog, that's what I always wanted! Well money was tight so one day my dad came home with a mixed puppy, it was half lab and half sheep dog, mostly all black with a little white on her chest. She was built and looked like a lab for the most part. It made no difference to me at all!! I spent every day during the summer with her and everyday after school chasing the pheasants in fields behind our house. (this was before there were laws about this) By the time I turned 12 she was finding birds like crazy, and she was truly getting on top of her game! I would tell my dad how good she was and he mostly just shrugged me off, but then the opening weekend of pheasant hunting came up and me and my dad followed my "mutt" and she was on fire!! She already knew all the fields we were hunting and she probably knew all the birds we were shooting. My dad was very, very impressed with her!!! For the rest of that season and the seasons that came my dad would take his friends from work with us and every one of them were very impressed as well. My dad's favorite time were when he had the day off from work and I had to go to school so he had solo time with my dog just so he could glout when I got home from school and seen his birds for the day!! Sometimes we hunted with Vizlas, Shorthairs, and other labs and my dog would still get the praise. The last time I saw her was after I took some High School friends hunting after sluffing school with some other kids from different schools. I came out to leave for a Saturday morning pheasant hunt and she was gone! Never seen her again! Most certainly the best pheasant dog I've ever owned to date!! I'll always miss the frantic tails of a lab when they are scenting a pheasant because of my first dog Sugar and her pup she had before she left me.
My point is, I don't think there is just one overall best breed!! I think it's a hunters preference and most of all how much time you spend with your dog doing the things you want to do with that dog!!! As much exposure as possible!!!
I've hunted with friends that have had all types of different breeds. I've hunted over very good Pointers, GSH, Brittneys, Labs, and other breeds, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed them all, and still do!
My preference is an English Setter, and I love the way they look on point! I'm hoping that Andy can become my best ever bird dog that I've ever had, I think Andy's well on his way to compete with the previous mentioned dog I had when I was young. I'll put up Andy's pedigree against anybodies, he's breed to be a top notch hunting dog. Does that mean anything?? I don't know, I'm hoping to find out. I'm trying to do my part!! :thumbsup:
I also don't think it's right to insult a hunter because of the breed he hunts with or prefers! It's too personal coming from someone that doesn't know your dog or the hunter as a person! Once you know the person and have the kind of relationship that allows taunting and joking then the games are on!! :laugh:.... Yes English Setters are the best!!!
For me, I think all of them have their good and bad, but I also think it has to do with the owner more than anything.
When I was 11 years old my parents moved me from Montana to Utah for my Dad's job. I loved Montana and hated to go, but my parents promised me to buy me a hunting dog, that's what I always wanted! Well money was tight so one day my dad came home with a mixed puppy, it was half lab and half sheep dog, mostly all black with a little white on her chest. She was built and looked like a lab for the most part. It made no difference to me at all!! I spent every day during the summer with her and everyday after school chasing the pheasants in fields behind our house. (this was before there were laws about this) By the time I turned 12 she was finding birds like crazy, and she was truly getting on top of her game! I would tell my dad how good she was and he mostly just shrugged me off, but then the opening weekend of pheasant hunting came up and me and my dad followed my "mutt" and she was on fire!! She already knew all the fields we were hunting and she probably knew all the birds we were shooting. My dad was very, very impressed with her!!! For the rest of that season and the seasons that came my dad would take his friends from work with us and every one of them were very impressed as well. My dad's favorite time were when he had the day off from work and I had to go to school so he had solo time with my dog just so he could glout when I got home from school and seen his birds for the day!! Sometimes we hunted with Vizlas, Shorthairs, and other labs and my dog would still get the praise. The last time I saw her was after I took some High School friends hunting after sluffing school with some other kids from different schools. I came out to leave for a Saturday morning pheasant hunt and she was gone! Never seen her again! Most certainly the best pheasant dog I've ever owned to date!! I'll always miss the frantic tails of a lab when they are scenting a pheasant because of my first dog Sugar and her pup she had before she left me.
My point is, I don't think there is just one overall best breed!! I think it's a hunters preference and most of all how much time you spend with your dog doing the things you want to do with that dog!!! As much exposure as possible!!!
I've hunted with friends that have had all types of different breeds. I've hunted over very good Pointers, GSH, Brittneys, Labs, and other breeds, and I can honestly say that I enjoyed them all, and still do!
My preference is an English Setter, and I love the way they look on point! I'm hoping that Andy can become my best ever bird dog that I've ever had, I think Andy's well on his way to compete with the previous mentioned dog I had when I was young. I'll put up Andy's pedigree against anybodies, he's breed to be a top notch hunting dog. Does that mean anything?? I don't know, I'm hoping to find out. I'm trying to do my part!! :thumbsup:
I also don't think it's right to insult a hunter because of the breed he hunts with or prefers! It's too personal coming from someone that doesn't know your dog or the hunter as a person! Once you know the person and have the kind of relationship that allows taunting and joking then the games are on!! :laugh:.... Yes English Setters are the best!!!