What is your favorite hunting dog and why ?

Joined
Jul 17, 2017
Messages
653
Have German wirehair and wirehair pointing griffon, I think it’s prob a toss up between the two. Both great hunters and incredibly versatile. WPH is a bit less hyper so I may stick with WPG going forward.
 

JMDavies

WKR
Joined
Mar 23, 2020
Messages
359
Oh that is a tough question!! I can and do appreciate every working dog...from the style of an English pointer with a covey of quail pinned down, to the loyalty and drive of a well bred lab, to the tenacity of the hounds when trailing game, and the courage of the police and protection dogs. I don't have much experience with hounds, but have trained and hunted over English pointers and setters, GSP (field trial and true versatile German imports), golden retrievers, wirehair pointer, Brittanies, and labs. For me the versatile breeds are good at a bunch of tasks, but not true experts of any one specific type. And the specialized pointers and retrievers are great at a specific trait and lacking in some other aspects of the hunt.

That's just a long winded way of saying that I don't have a favorite breed, and appreciate any and all quality working dogs
I agree with midwestelkhunter. In my opinion no one breed can do it all (jack of all trades, master of none). I've also owned pointing dogs and field trialed for many years. As on now, in have 2 pointer and 1 blue heeler that I use for different activities. I'd suggest making a list of what's most important and researching from there.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2016
Messages
322
Location
Colorado
GSP gets my vote. This is Charlie. He’s 1 1/2 years old now and the first dog I’ve had in my adult life. Great family dog and an outstanding bird dog. He can really cover the miles in the field or hiking around in the mountains. D03F31B7-2F58-422E-9DB3-923E0E817E23.jpegF15FAB4C-023D-4894-8B7F-93F344CC4F6B.jpegC84771C4-701A-47BB-8E4A-16572BDA66B4.jpeg10C8429A-0992-4E06-A694-CAA730056920.jpeg
 

Ugly1

FNG
Joined
Feb 29, 2020
Messages
10
Love my lab, and she loves to hunt.
My son and Lyra showing off the morning take, youth weekend20171001_093439.jpg
 
Joined
Apr 22, 2012
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7,391
Location
Chugiak, Alaska
Lab all the way!! Anything else is garbage, IMHO. Here’s my chocolate at her best!
It took me years to get this shot. She is usually chasing stuff and just a blurr in the photo.
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Wapiti1

WKR
Joined
Sep 18, 2017
Messages
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Location
Indiana
I had a Shi-Tzu that loved to sit in the blind or treestand deer hunting. He'd never make a sound unless he was asleep and snoring. Then all of a sudden he would perk up, lean into me and nuzzle me when deer were coming. Little guy could hear them a long way off. I'd shoot one (archery season, he didn't like the cold) and when we would recover it, he'd stand on top like the king of all creation. His nose was worthless for tracking, but he had a great set of ears.

He was a rescue pup and was my little buddy for a lot of years.

Jeremy
 

Bowhunter-tw

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 21, 2020
Messages
227
I would really like to get a hunting dog in the future, just dont have the time or money currently. I’ve always liked the GSP but didnt realize how much attention they need and how active they are; I also never heard of a pointing lab, might have to look into them.

How much training and time needs to be dedicated to properly train a hunting dog to respond to commands? I have no idea how to train animals correctly.
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2019
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1,197
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North Carolina
I would really like to get a hunting dog in the future, just dont have the time or money currently. I’ve always liked the GSP but didnt realize how much attention they need and how active they are; I also never heard of a pointing lab, might have to look into them.

How much training and time needs to be dedicated to properly train a hunting dog to respond to commands? I have no idea how to train animals correctly.
Yes the GSP's do need lots of attention but more importantly they need plenty of room to run & burn off energy. Mine is a freak of nature with her energy levels. I've never seen a dog eat so ferociously too as a puppy. Once I walked out of the room literally for 15 seconds & she scarfed down 6 Krispy Kreme donuts LOL.
Check out some of the training videos online. You should spend at least some time with them everyday especially when they're younger.
 

fishdart

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 5, 2019
Messages
163
IMG_20180414_203442.jpg

My sample size is only 1 hunting dog thus far, but this here Pudelpointer, Jethro, does it for me. Great nose, great drive, great chill-at-home with the family and kids mode. He hunts fairly close in the pheasant fields and holds points well. Sits extremely well when decoy hunting waterfowl or doves/pigeons. We don't hunt a lot of enclosed blinds and no pit blinds around here so that is a big plus as we're just huddling in the vegetation. Handles river and stream current well even with a big Canada in his jaw.

We start with doves on September 1 and go through to the end of goose season in February with pheasants, ducks, crows, pigeons, squirrels throughout that timeframe.

We have a small house and small yard, so his off-switch is a big deal and his non-shedding coat is a big plus too.

He's admittedly crap for a fishing companion though because he wants to be in the stream too much and trout don't seem to take kindly to him.
 

grossklw

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 24, 2017
Messages
224
Location
Wisconsin
Any love for field bred Golden's? I laugh when everyone says this or that breed is the best, they all have certain qualities that work for certain activities. Lambeau specializes in late season roosters in the cattails, but we manage to kill plenty early in the year as well. I doubt he's the best bird dog on the planet, but he's my favorite bird dog on the planet :)
 

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joel_sledz

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
103
Fox hounds to run coyotes! Some of the most fun hunting around here in Northeast PA when no other season is going on!! Run from January to middle/end of March.
 

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Blueticker1

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Dec 8, 2019
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137
Well it depends on what I'm hunting, if its lion or bear I like an ol fashioned bluetick, if its upland birds it's a toss up between a good bread springer spaniel and a llewellin setter, if its waterfowl a good Chesapeake bay retriever, and coyotes a greyhound with some running walkers thrown in or some type of terrier.
 

GSPMich

FNG
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Messages
50
GSPs for me.
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The brown dog was my first bird dog, had him until March 19 when he just had turned 14. The white dog is still doing great at 12.

We are complete amateurs but still have a lot of fun in Northern Michigan hunting grouse/woodcock.
 

Sanchez

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Apr 23, 2019
Messages
137
Brittany spanial for me. I am on my third one and use them to hunt a variety of upland birds. They work well on chukar, ruff and blue grouse, huns, sharptail, and sage grouse (central Montana). They are very birdy with a good nose, hold a point, retrieve and are a great house and family dog.

The two things where I see them as limited is they are not a good water retriever when its cold, and at least with the ones I have had can get cockle burrs bad which limits me from hunting pheasants in some spots.
 

lang

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
May 26, 2017
Messages
186
Location
North Idaho
Due to having a son with Epilepsy that we tried to find a Seizure alert dog, we had lots of dogs labs, goldens, GSP, GWP, currently a Springer. My favorite has to be the GWP, great all around dog and she tried to eat my mother-in-law. My wife got scared and rehomed the dog, I told her that dog was just a good judge of character. Still a sore spot in our marriage! My wife thought I was joking at the time, but has learned about dogs picking up on tension and her and the mil had lots that day.
 

Russp17

WKR
Joined
Aug 5, 2013
Messages
315
For me it is a German shorthair! Best outdoor buddy you can have, they do have a ton of energy so training them and getting them out is super important. They have endless drive and focusing that drive is important.


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