bird dogs
01-13-2006, 09:09 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Berea, Kentucky
Posts: 340
RE: bird dogs
Labs, here is a link http://briarcreekgundogs.com/ Tell Scott jonesy recomended you, honest man with a dog, and honest with his customers, I got one for my self just because I liked the cross, and the trainability. Thanks Jonesy
01-14-2006, 09:32 AM
#3
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 62
RE: bird dogs
Labs are a good choice. But there are a lot of choices and you’ll end up hearing all of them. There are more choices if dove is more your interest and you want a dog that you can train to retrieve in the water. But for a hunting dog truly bred for waterfowl retrieving and that you can also take into the field, your choices will be more limited – with the Lab probably being the most popular choice. Not that you will never find a more traditional upland bird dog (Brittany, GSP, etc.) that will be a better water retriever than a more traditional waterfowl dog, but just to say that the latter more commonly possess the needed traits since they were bred for water retrieving.
On a side note, I am a duck and goose hunter who does dove and pheasant during the waterfowl off-season. I would have gotten a Lab if I didn’t have to compromise with my wife on the size of the dog (who would be a house dog and running around with my 1 and 3 year old). I ended up getting a Boykin since they are less than half the size of a Lab and that made my wife extremely happy. Excellent water retriever (honestly, he lives to swim and will not leave the water or stop retrieving in water if I keep giving him something to retrieve) and really good and finding dove in the tall corn that I hunt during September and October. He is now learning about pheasant and has been really close to grabbing a few before they flushed. Funny thing is I never even heard of the Boykin until I started doing research looking for something smaller than a lab that is ideal for waterfowl (in the south they are referred to as the dog that won’t rock the boat) and that you can also take into the field.
Keep an open mind and have fun in your search.
On a side note, I am a duck and goose hunter who does dove and pheasant during the waterfowl off-season. I would have gotten a Lab if I didn’t have to compromise with my wife on the size of the dog (who would be a house dog and running around with my 1 and 3 year old). I ended up getting a Boykin since they are less than half the size of a Lab and that made my wife extremely happy. Excellent water retriever (honestly, he lives to swim and will not leave the water or stop retrieving in water if I keep giving him something to retrieve) and really good and finding dove in the tall corn that I hunt during September and October. He is now learning about pheasant and has been really close to grabbing a few before they flushed. Funny thing is I never even heard of the Boykin until I started doing research looking for something smaller than a lab that is ideal for waterfowl (in the south they are referred to as the dog that won’t rock the boat) and that you can also take into the field.
Keep an open mind and have fun in your search.
