Think English Setters aren't tough?

Your setter is tough. But I never heard that setters are perceived as less tough than other bird dogs. Does that arise from their beauty or association with British gentry? Just curious. One buddy hunts Gordon's, and they seem plenty tough. He chooses them because of their reputation for tough pads; he hunts often in high desert and mountains without booting them while I have to boot my Brits in such conditions.
 
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I could name a few military working dogs to the top of any list for sure.
 
UplandHntr said:
No, Chevy Suburban with 2 Goldens and theyre always in their crates. They dont do any complaining, neither do I.

I always enjoy seeing folks driving with their small dog on their lap between them and the wheel. Just crazy
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I know a guy who was killed on a motorcycle because of a person letting their dog ride loosed in their car.

Apparantly the driver reached to move the dog as the motorcyclist was passing (on an interstate at 70 MPH) and swerved over, hit the rider causing him to hit the concrete jersey barricades sending him flying into the west bound traffic and instantly killing him.

All because his dog was not in a crate. Could happen to anyone.
 
Jakeismydog2 said:
Thanks to many of you for making sure to point out how much of a dumdum I am... Without you pointing it out repeatedly I probably never would have realized it was a mistake to let my dog ride in the back of the truck.
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Alright guys, I think he gets the point. No harm no foul. As long as something is learned.

I do find it interesting that one guy on here posted that "he will take that risk" having to do with his dog riding loose. The point is, we as owners are charged with the care and protection of our furry friends. Is it fair for us to put them in harms way? If something is preventable, why not prevent it.

Another thread I was taking a little flack for using a ramp to load my dogs into the truck. But having had friends that had to have their dogs opertated on for torn acl's etc. I decided why risk it. A ramp is easy and safe. Again, a preventable injury.

Now, am I the type to wrap the dogs in bubble wrap. Nope, I know they will get hurt, and they have. But little things I can do to keep them safe and around me longer are worth doing.
 
Change a word add a quotation mark.
Yes I'll let my old dog ride in the back seat of the cab.The same old dog who at a year was paralysed from the waist down. The one who later would load with the tailgate up. The same dog who tore the door off the kennel when she had the unfortunate luck of being left in the truck while a pheasant was shot within eyesight.
Loose in the back, she's done it. Nice retrieve on an edge shot rooster to the surprise of the gentleman who shot it. City geese keep your distance.
Word it how you want I "accept" it

One morning while on the way to work I was jacking around cleaning breakfast out of my lap. I went off the road and through the ditch. Everything in the back tools, toolbox,went over the tailgate and into the ditch. Funny thing was when I went to pick them they all looked the same.:rolleyes:
 
First, i worded it like you said it. ;)
And you are seriously going to compare the tools in your truck with your dog. Dam, I feel for your dogs. But, as they say, to each their own. :thumbsup:
 
I know we like to give each other a hard time but I think when it comes to our dogs the line is drawn. I grew up riding in the bed of a truck and each person can make their own decisions on what to do with their own dog. Don't feel bad for BDC2's dogs, I'm sure they love their life.:cheers:
 
Does this mean that we should start crating kids on schoolbuses too?:thumbsup:
 
quail hound said:
... I grew up riding in the bed of a truck and each person can make their own decisions on what to do with their own dog. ...
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I grew up riding in the back of PUs as well, most of us did.
A couple of days ago in WV, 11 kids were in the front and back of a PU, legally I might add, that wrecked....all injured, with only one sadly deceased at this point.
A tragic event with misjudgment of the immediate moment the early blame.
My guess is few of those riding in that PU bed will do so again if the opportunity hopefully presents itself, many may not even want in a stuffed cab....were a dog to have a vote, I expect neither would they vote "loose in the bed" after they tumble down the blacktop.
Yes, dogs can shake off most stuff that would sideline us....that though is a poor reason to court the next time. They trust us to consider and learn...those pluses are in our own genetics.

The point of concern for me is never the dog owner but the dog.
The point is that bad stuff can happen to good dogs or even good people.
Folks will continue to let dogs ride uncrated, especially non-hunting dogs, and that will never change and for the largest part it will work out just fine.
But accidents occur, luck runs out and that bad stuff happens more and more as the roads we travel are shared more and more.
Most of us take the steps of belting up, etc. once we begin to see the wisdom.....I know I have.
I suppose I hope folks will consider the wisest move and not only the move that feels good at the moment or recreates the past re dogs.
And, not so oddly, I am not ashamed to voice that hope.
 
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i am not trying to bash english setters i love my brothers llewellin setter to death he also has a gorden setter & had a lab i hunted alot with all the dogs & would get 1 of each if i could...

that being said i was 1 of the guys who thought or herd that the english setter was not the toughest bird dog in the world... ive seen it printed & herd said often also??? id have to say hands down my brothers old black lab & many others i have seen were tougher then most english setters ive seen i mean i have seen labs attack cattails thick mud & every other harsh terrain u can think of & keep going i know for a fact my brothers lllewellin setter is to smart to do crash through cattails all day she will just say F that same when she was hurt if my bros setter is hurt shes not hunting very hard or at all we would of had to sedate my brothers lab if we didnt want him to hunt any longer he would of gone with 3 legs 4 sure...

the gorden my brother has also is a machine just wont stop big old hairy tuff feet thats why they dont need pads in the desert... gordens are build different then english setters more bulky thicker dogs almost more hound like...

all that said im not saying not that there is not crazy tough english setters out there its just in my experience a english setter is more like a sports car a lab is like a SUV or truck it can do many things well get n dirty & beat up is its job english setters were not maid to be beat up like a lab or springer all the time & keep coming back for more...

that llewellin setter dose want to please while out hunting ill say that she even swims 2 retrieve if the other dogs are retrieving in water & same goes for retrieving on land she didnt want to until we got other dogs & they retrieved all the time she picked that up & now is the complete package...

they may not be the toughest but mos setters sure do there job really well & thats hunt for you thow... great dogs...
 
I think this post doesn't show how tough your dog is more of how stupid you are for putting your dog in a dangerous situation.
 
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