Unconventional Bird Dogs

B

bleedin_maroon

New member
Howdy all.

I'm a Southern Illinois duck/goose/dove/deer/squirrel/turkey hunter and am hoping for a job offer in Denver. I'd really like to get into pheasant hunting if I make the move. I've done the club thing once but it felt like I was shootin somebody's pets and that's not really my style. Never hunted wild birds, so I'm pretty well clueless but willing and eager to learn.

I have an old lab that I'm gonna leave with my parents bc she can hardly get around anymore. :( I'm planning on getting a dog in the spring. I've been looking at Belgian Malinois. They are a type of sheepdog commonly used in law enforcement and home protection, similar to German Sheperds. They are supposed to have an incredible sense of smell and are extremely intelligent and trainable. Now I know I'd get my fair share of funny looks, but do any of you think it's likely for me to make an effective bird dog out of such a breed? Please share any experiences about hunting with unconventional bird dogs.
 
I was given a mutt dog when I was a single guy. He was a begal terrier mix.
Your basic so ugly he is cute kinda dog.
This is back when I use to go hunting about 4 or 5 times a week. Now when I would go out hunting with someone who had not met this dog before. More then one snicker could be heard.
Even had a fella one time say "What the hell is that?!, I am not hunting my dog with that thing."
In the end, every single person who ever hunted with that dog, had respect for that dog.
IMHO, almost any dog can be a good hunting dog. It will depend on how much the owner of the dog is willing to work with the dog and put the dog on birds. Get a pup really excited about seeing a bird, then worry about the finer points of a finished dog.
To myself, the bottom line is how much are you willing to work with a dog in an attempt to make a good bird dog out of it.
I feel a dog breed to hunt is easier to train to hunt, but personnel experience has taught me to never question a hunting dog until after I see it work a field.
A Belgian Malinois certainly has the strength and intelligence to be a bird dog.
 
I had a hound mix once when I had my first gsp and between me and the gsp we had it trained for phez and quail.It did point and retrieve for me.It would flush if I told it to.Imo just about any dog can be trained for birds.
 
Seen a video of a guy hunting with a Blue Heeler. Worked real well for flushing pheasants, or retrieving ducks.
 
Btw

Bleedin Maroon,

Just a thought here.
I totally understand your really liking a certain breed & their particular characteristics. I am guilty of that myself. I would suggest however that you need to evaluate (if you haven't alrady) how much you really want to bird hunt vs. everything else.

There is certainly a chance your breed of choice may work out for birds.
Hell there are Jack Russell terriers that make good bird dogs. If your breed of choice does not work out for upland birds you can always get another.
If you really want to hunt upland mostly & are limited to one dog, then I would resarch further on other breeds giving you a better "percentage chance" than hoping for a (perhaps) longshot. A Lab or Springer (for ex.) can certainly be an all around dog.
 
I think you would find the most Bird Dog breeds also make great commpanions. If you want a bird dog get a bird dog. If you want a dog for protection get one for protection. Sure some dogs can do both but there is a reason some dogs are called bird dogs.
 
moellermd said:
I think you would find the most Bird Dog breeds also make great commpanions. If you want a bird dog get a bird dog. If you want a dog for protection get one for protection. Sure some dogs can do both but there is a reason some dogs are called bird dogs.
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Plus about, oh, maybe a hunert.

Knew a fella that hunted grouse with a standard poodle, did pretty well...However, I would get a bird dog. It is just in them to be a bird dog. Have you ever hunted with one, a good one? It is almost like majic. You will fall in love.
 
dvmweb said:
...... Have you ever hunted with one, a good one? It is almost like majic. You will fall in love.
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That I will second, watching a good working bird dog is magical. And if it is your dog it is all the better.
If I did not have a dog I would not be a hunter, a good part of the hunting experience would be lost to me.
 
bleedin_maroon said:
Howdy all.

I'm a Southern Illinois duck/goose/dove/deer/squirrel/turkey hunter and am hoping for a job offer in Denver. I'd really like to get into pheasant hunting if I make the move. I've done the club thing once but it felt like I was shootin somebody's pets and that's not really my style. Never hunted wild birds, so I'm pretty well clueless but willing and eager to learn.

I have an old lab that I'm gonna leave with my parents bc she can hardly get around anymore. :( I'm planning on getting a dog in the spring. I've been looking at Belgian Malinois. They are a type of sheepdog commonly used in law enforcement and home protection, similar to German Sheperds. They are supposed to have an incredible sense of smell and are extremely intelligent and trainable. Now I know I'd get my fair share of funny looks, but do any of you think it's likely for me to make an effective bird dog out of such a breed? Please share any experiences about hunting with unconventional bird dogs.
Click to expand...

Way back when I was in college and had just gotten married I bought a Part German shepherd and 1/4 Chow Chow. He never pointed but would make game stop and wait to be told to get 'em. I found several covies of quail behind him. He retrieved better than an Eng setter that I sometimes hunted with. It would not cross my mind now to do it though. I sorta think now when you are out of a birddog, you're out of a dog period! Got two anklebiters to prove it! LOL
 
I have hunted with a JRT for several years, and he does a great job for what he is: a 20-lb dog who loves to kill things. He is a great family pet and we have a blast in the field together.
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That being said, my next dog will be a true bird dog. As others have said, any dog with intelligence and the desire to chase/kill other animals can hunt. However, a dog bred to hunt birds makes your job a lot easier.

I know a lot of guys have a story about a friend of a friend who has some obscure lap dog that will hunt circles around any bird dog out there. Of course, a well-trained mutt will out-hunt a poorly trained bird dog. But put that mutt in the field with a FC bird dog and the script gets flipped pretty quickly.

So, really, it all depends what your goals are, and you have to be willing to accept that fact that your Malinois may not give a damn about chasing pheasant. The fact is, many non-sporting breeds just have no desire to hunt anything, ever.
 
hunted with a Wirehair, and to me, he was a "TRUE" versatile gun dog. He would point phez and quail, and retrieve like a lab. You could hunt ducks in the morning and upland in the afternoon and he would do great. They are tough, and make great inside dogs as well.
 
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?
 
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 do not own one nor ever have. But I have hunted on several occasions with one for duck hunts.
When the Platte River is running ice the Cheesies are without a doubt the better retrieving dog. They will out perform any other dog in the blinds hands down.
They also can not be put in the same blind as another dog and you need to be careful reaching into the blind from the outside.:eek:
 
Daisybuck said:
Anyone out there use a Chesapeake?
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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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