Your breed of dog and why

RoosterTim

RoosterTim

New member
I was just curious why others chose the breed of dog they have and why. I grew up in a brinttany family but now run english pointers. So here are my pros and cons. (Please submit the same)

Pros-

Best nose in the buisness. I have hunted behind alot of dogs and I will put my two up against any in this catagory. Maggie esp goes on point 15 to 20 yards out. She has the best nose I have ever hunted behind

Hard charging - They don't wear out. Even when the dogs seem to be tired they are up for one more field. Never have they walked behind me or have seemed to want to quit.

Tough - Sand burrs, thorns, bites nothing seems to slow them down (even though I wish they would some times) Maggie hurt her leg two years ago and is now hobbled for life but she will not quit hunting

Big - Not the biggest breed of dog but they can be seen going through CRP and other brush. They don't hide well

Mild temper - Like all sporting dogs they are the sweetest and most loving dogs you could ask for

Cons

Hard headed - Man sometimes you just want to &(^%*# them.

Long ranging - I like my dogs to work close not range out. This is the biggest con in my opinion. I have worked on getting them to hunt with me not hunt for themselves since I have started with them.

Energy - I listed this above as a pro but it is also a con. It takes alot of enegy on the owners part to keep them occupied and happy. They need much room to roam and keep busy.

Let me know why you chose your breed.
 
my main breed is ofcourse the britt


PROS they are extremely loving hard hunting until the bitter end at least mine they dont get cold as fast as a shorthaired dog and they make great house dogs if thats what you prefere

CONS they atract burs and stickers that require a techneque for getting them out they are hyper also a pro they are at times small and hard to see in the grass fields but i also hunt with multipule breeds but as a favorite its gotta be the britt
 
My first hunting dog was a chocolate lab that I got free out of a box full of puppys at the sale barn. It turned out that he was a pointing lab. He taught me most of what I know about hunting with a dog. From then on I was hooked on pointing dogs. After Mocha died I hunted one year without a dog while I was in mourning. That was enough of that and I wanted a pointing dog so I got a Wirehair because of the cold weather. I now have a Drahthaar who has the best nose I have ever seen by far. I won't even tell you how far I have seen him point birds because no one will believe me. He is friendly but not a wimp. This will probably be my last dog and he is all that I could hope for. He stays within 30 yds 90% of the time and works wherever I want him.
 
German Shorthair.

I just love the athleticism of this breed. Short tight coat is low maintenance and shows off the muscular build. The breed is known for keen nose and are generally easy to train. They do well with Pheasants as they can track foot scent as well if not better than most pointing breeds.

But... probably the biggest reason is the popularity of the breed hence the sheer number of top quality breeders to choose from. With Shorthairs you have a wealth of good stock out there and you can be choosy on exactly what you want.
 
German Wirehair- Absolutely the best breed out there! Kick ass hunters, awesome personality, not too crazy in the house (for bird dog), very atheletic, manageable size, like water retrieves, heavy enough coat for colder winters but sheds it off in the summer, and who doesn't love a beard!
 
English Pointer (Elhew)

Pros- (agreed)

Best nose in the buisness.

Hard charging - They don't wear out. Even when the dogs seem to be tired they are up for one more field. Never have they walked behind me or have seemed to want to quit.

Tough - Sand burrs, thorns, bites nothing seems to slow them down (even though I wish they would some times)

Big - Not the biggest breed of dog but they can be seen going through CRP and other brush. They don't hide well

Mild temper - Like all sporting dogs they are the sweetest and most loving dogs you could ask for

Cons

Thin Skin they don't handle the cold very well.
But As I look for a second dog They have to match the drive of a EP. It maybe easier to put in a heated floor in the kennel
 
Breed

French Britts?

Pros
* Intense little hunters
* Go all day
* Cheap to feed
*excellent on grouse & pheasant
* good noses, go on point 20 -40 yds from birds in decent scenting conds.
* good round the house, very loving
* like the compact size
* good cold weather performers
* like water, two of mine will do water retrieves, one has not yet
* decent natural retrievers
* intelligent

Cons
* can be hyper & need regular exercise
* 2 of my 3 will eat like gluttons if allowed to, 3 rd is intact male & food is not an issue* lack of size - they would not be a choice for goose hunting
* coats do pick up burrs
* two of mine are black & do not tolerate hot, sunny days real well
* one is too damned smart for his own good - thief
 
I never thought i would own anything except an english pointer. I grew up with them, as my dad was a part-time breeder/trainer. I loved them for all of the attributes listed above, still do. I remember in the days before shock collars, the old-timers would hook a 6 foot log chain to them in the first field to slow them down. Not bad for the females, but the males were another story. You could imagine what that did to his jewels. About 15 years ago i was getting into duck hunting a little, and i bought a lab. He was a decent hunter until i put him down last fall. I have a black one now that is nearly 3 that is one of the best dogs i have ever hunted behind. I still love english pointers, and if the quail ever make a real comeback here, i am sure i will have another.
 
I have pretty much all bases covered. All breeds have advantages and all have disadvantages.

4 GSP's
2 Setters
1 Large Munsterlander
1 EP
 
I have hunted with mutts till I got this pup and she's a Deutsche Wachtelhund and she's 5 months old . Delivers to hand land and water ,great noise, and stays close when we walk. Just a natural and easy to train
 
Springer spaniels

Pros:

Good nose, drive. Good retrievers. Great with kids. Extremely loyal. Small size means more dogs fit in the truck (or our bed).

Cons:

Can't handle cold water very well for waterfowl. Tough to see a springer pup and not buy it.

Red setter (he is 14 months so this is a grade in progress)

Pros:

Seems to have a good nose. Phenomenal desire for birds. Absolutely great with the kids. He is my little boy's best friend. Excellent disposition.

Cons:

Red coat is hard to see in cover. He always needs to know what is over the next hill. He seems to run a little hot. Drops his retrieve ten feet shy of me.
 
carptom1 said:
I remember in the days before shock collars, the old-timers would hook a 6 foot log chain to them in the first field to slow them down.
Click to expand...

This is the trick I used to slow my female down so I wouldn't have to chase her all day. I kept the log chain on her for a year of hunting and working. Now if she starts getting a little far out I have a couple of links I carry in my vest, rattle them together and she straightens right up. This is a great tip for anyone that has a dog that ranges far too much.
 
I've always used Labs. Labs are the dog for me, but I have to say the stamina of those English pointers have always tempted me to cross over. Wont' happen as long as I hunt waterfowl though.

lab pros;

-good to great noses
-hunt late season on some of the nastiest days with NO problems (fields or water).
-they hunt upland and waterfowl (which I do a lot of both) with no questions asked. Hunt ducks/geese at the break of dawn then go after pheasants/grouse etc. They don't miss a beat with the change over which is nice.
-great family dogs/ warm personalities
-they work out well in standing corn fields and tall cattails were I otherwise can't see them or what they are doing

Cons;

-They tend to burn out while hunting temps above 32 degrees F (In my experience)
-they drool and shed like no other, especially once they start loosing their winter coats
-They need quit a bit of attention/affection to keep them happy
 
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I've been a Brittany guy for 16 years. Springers and one Lab prior to that. I don't hunt waterfowl anymore so with hunting limited to upland my Brittanys fill the bill. I could never go back to a non-pointing dog. About 3 years ago when my male was getting old and about to leave this earth I started looking at a bunch of other pointing breeds but found myself getting another Brittany. A decision I am extremely glad I made. My Brittanys are dynamos in the field and as laid back as you can get around the house. They are loving companions and I'll put them up against any other dog in the field. My youngest female has a short, flat white coat and burrs are never a problem. My 8 year old has a fuzzier coat but a half hour on the deck with a clipper and it solves that problem.
 
Brittany

I hunted alot without a dog for five years. My hunting companions had dogs of various breeds so I had a chance to compare. The Brits were consistently the best, doing everything you want a pointing upland dog to do: quarter, range, point, and retrieve.

Pros: Easy to train; no need to retrain. Easier to see than dark colored dogs. Friendly with all dogs and hunters. Great house pet.

Cons: big time shedding
 
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Ok mine dog of choice is the weimaraner.

Pro's for me
the range is perfect for the wild pheasant that I hunt. Not that far but perfect for a hunter on foot.
They are such a people dog that they 100% hunt for you and not on their own.
Easy to care for and a true family dog. A dog that was bred to hunt ALL day and lay at your feet all night.

Con's
Since they are so people dependant they do have some issue with being left alone.
Energy level is high but not over the top annoying in the house.
Not as popular of a hunting breed these days and you must do your home work to find a good hunting breeder.
 
Dakotazeb- I sure smile at your #14 post

grew up with Golden Retrievers up north- they were superb on grouse, ducks, geese, and snipe- and the ocasional trip to s Minn for pheasants

couldn't get my brothers Golden to figure out quail- meaning- he'd bust them 20-30 yards out and the little buggers got going to quick to get decent shots- not sure how folks handle quail with a flushing dog- I tried a really good flusher for a year

first time I saw a good female Britt was 1970 and she was hunting with 7 pointers- she didn't take a back seat

been a Britt guy since 1980- picked a 7 week old male pup- and the wife got me an 8 week old female English Setter- hunted those two together for 12 years- ducks, doves, quail, pheasants- a few different states

never looked back since then- been FC lines of Britt's ever since

I've had my Britt's in a few states- sitting in duck blinds- down in Texas for those running quail- not any water arround here- but I'd not hesitate with one of mine on ducks or a duck blind

to me they are very much like the Goldens we grew up with- mild mannered, smart, and easy arround anybody in any situation- course it depends on their upbringing and exposure- the right lines they flat out have noses and cover ground with the best of them- really don't need any training- unless one is looking for polishing and perfection- not very hard to keep in close or to let roll so they can do their thing- I like mine independent- meaning- they hit the field with one goal- cover ground, find, and hold

never found mine to shed very much- or should I say- they are inside as much as outside- nothing unreasonable about getting rid of some winter hair more than anything else arround

I had a superb little female Setter- she was a good teamate to my male Britt-
wouldn't have any problem with another female Setter- thought about leaving a tail uncut on one of my pups- seems to me a Britt is quite like a Setter- but I have found no reason for a long tail-

for me-hard charging independent Britt's- preferably ones that don't care to be constantly in contact or controlled- and even to the point they ignore me when they are in bird scent

thank heavens for the Garmins
 
I( have had Brittany's since the mid 1960's. They are very good hunting dogs. All the pro and con's the other members are posting are true. At least at one time or another. But they are my favorite and will be until I stop hunting. Then I'll have one for a good pet and companion........Bob
 
Shadow, from what you wrote you would absolutely love my 2 1/2 year old female Brittany, Elle. Her body actually looks a lot like a Setter. A little longer and thinner in the rear. Which means she has "wheels". A guy commented at the last NSTRA trial that he'd never seen a Brittany run like mine. Her pdeigree, which I've posted below, is full of FC's and NFC's. Her sire is a 2X NSTRA champion. She is the complete package. She'd even make a good duck dog as she loves water and water retrieves. She is pictured in my avatar.

Here's her pedigree:
EllesPedigree.jpg
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