Unconventional Bird Dogs

My vote for an unconventional bird dog/ family dog/ gaurd dog would definitely go to the Airedale terrier. Check them out guys they do it all.
 
Daisybuck said:
OK, seriously, if you are looking for a dog that will be all bada$$ and still do some hunting, try a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The story on these duck dogs is that their owners would leave them in a boat with their guns, gear and ducks overnight and everything would still be there in the morning. Not sure if that is true, but I also hear Chessies are tough to train, the joke goes: Golden Retriever -- show them the 2x4, Lab -- smack them with a 2x4, Chessie -- buy a LOT of 2x4s.

I considered one when I got Daisy, but chickened out, frankly. The consequences of failing to properly train a dog that big and aggressive was just too serious for me.

Anyone out there use a Chesapeake?
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I had my first Chesapeake 15+ years ago. A lean 95 lbs, if someone came by or knocked on the door she would not let them in. Once I spoke to them and she new they were welcome, the tail started wagging and everything was ok. I think some of that has been bred out of them. The two I have now, have no aggression what so ever. I wish I could breed the first one to last and recover a little bit of that. They all have been great with kids. The neighbors have taken them on walks , tossed them a dummy, or hosed them down from across the fence on a hot summer day.
The thing about a chesapeake from a hunting standpoint is you know what you're going to get. They excel in the water, weather the cold, break ice(mine clean the hole), and don't know the word quit. They are capable upland dogs and can hold there own with the flushing breeds. I think its less of a crap shoot with a chesapeake than the other breeds. They're all hunt no show. Good field bred labs and goldens are better suited to the uplands, and if you are going to play the games a lab will take easier to the training and excel at handling.
 
If it's a versatile dog with some size to it I would vote for a Weimaraner. I don't have one now but did. Terrific dog, excellent temperament, smart as hell, good bird nose, point, retrieve and a really cool personality.

Plus the short coat and lack of much smell made her a great house pet too.

GSP, Wirehair, Pudelpointer, Spinone, Braque Francais, the list would go on. If you want a pet to hunt with get a dog that hints but will also be a pet. That's my prerequisite and I haven't been disappointed yet.
 
I have a labradoodle that is an awesome hunter. She points, flushes, retrieves, and works at a close distance between the hunters.
 
My dad used to hunt a Cocker Spaniel for pheasant when I was a kid. The dog would not retrieve, but he was all go. I have a lab/Weimaraner mix now that I am trying to train. I normally hunt by myself and a flushing lab was what I was looking for. When I picked up the pup, the guy told me that there may be some weimaraner in her. From the face and ears, there is a lot. She is still trying to figure out what we are looking for when we go out, but I think she will pick it up. I have only had her out on 5 hunts.
 
Mr Hyde said:
I have a Chessie and use him for pheasant, duck and goose hunting I know Onpoint has Chessie's. My dog is a great with the kids and is a pretty good guard dog to he lets us know if there are any strangers around the house.

Here is a brief history of the breed link http://www.amchessieclub.org/articles/Sailor.html

Being that you live in the Southern IL. Bleeding Maroon SIU I take it you probably hunt near Rend Lake or Crab Orchard, or further south around Oak Wood Bottoms Turkey Bayou ??
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I grew up hunting wayyyyy south, near Horseshoe Lake...few miles from KY and MO. My old man sold our farm a couple years back, broke my heart. What little hunting I do outside of Canada now is mostly around St. Charles, MO.
 
So many different breeds of bird dogs out there and hunting season is so short I wouldn't get a dog not breed for doing what I wanted it to do. Its not like bird dogs aren't good pets.
 
bleedin_maroon said:
I grew up hunting wayyyyy south, near Horseshoe Lake...few miles from KY and MO. My old man sold our farm a couple years back, broke my heart. What little hunting I do outside of Canada now is mostly around St. Charles, MO.
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There is a Chessie man out of Oran Mo. He works for St.Charles FD. Breeds nice dogs.
 
Check out Airedales maroon, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what they can do. They've been hunting birds since the beginning and have been used as service dogs by many law enforcement and militarys since the world wars. They are very intelligent and make great family pets also.
 
I'm a bit late to this party, but I'll toss in my two cents. I've done a bit of Schutzhund work and have seen Mals do some amazing things. Many people may not know it, but Schutzhund is where force fetching actually originated. I did indeed duck hunt with my old German Shepherd.
That being said, my real question would be how experienced are you with very dominant "protection" type dogs? No offense, but you REALLY should be around some Malinois before you commit to one. Many (not all) of them are tenacious sociopaths on the hairy edge, if you know what I mean. That is why they can often outperform a German shepherd that outweighs them by 30 lbs. when taking someone down. To someone doing serious protection work, this is a wonderful trait, once it is under control. To someone who isn't sure how to get control of them, they can be a BAD accident waiting to happen. Not saying that they are all this way, but I know several veterinarians who aren't very comfortable working on our local police dogs.
I love the breed, but they are not for everyone. Can be like giving a 16 year old a Ferrari.
 
Over the many years, Dad had Springers, I've had Springers, several Labs, & now my first versatile breed - a Braque du Bourbonnais. I've loved them all, and among them there were some who were real good at everything, some that were better at some things over others, all were excellent family dogs & companions. Each one also came with their own unique personalities & quirks. But, that being said, their primary role (and the one that they revelled-in) was that of hunting birds . . . sometimes waterfowl, sometimes upland game, sometimes both. When I was in high school in the '60's I had a '51 Chevy . . . it was my "do everything/go everywhere I could get it to go" rig & I'm sure I took it places in my native Montana that General Motors never intended nor dreamed it could ever go. Now for hunting purposes I have 4-wheel drives (2 as a matter-of-fact) & these were designed & built to perform off-road where most of my outdoor pursuits occur & needless to say, they do a much better job than that old Chev did. Use the bird dog of your choosing to hunt birds; you'll both be happier in the end. My Jack Russell is my lap dog & mouser (she also rules the roost). 'Nuff said . . .
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