Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

what are signs of a hunting dog in a puppy when you are picking your puppy?
thanks.

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

I've would take a female over a male to start with. The females are easier to handle and start trailing earlier in my experience.

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

Watch the pup for awhile if it has any instinct it will
be hunting something like food. Or if they are outside
wach the one that goes off by itsself sniffing the ground.
Best bet is find a good breeder of the dog of your choice
if you are smart it will be a shorthair breeder. Don't be
afraid to talk to more than one breeder!

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

Ok, I just recentley got a Chocolate Labrador, in April of 2002. I, of course wanted a dog not only for hunting, but also for a loyal companion. I also wanted a male. When we got to the house, the dogs were of course, inside, seeing as how April here is very cold. There were 2 males left. I had the owners at that time take both pups out of the makeshift pen that they were in and set them out where I was... The biggest of the two was a little leary of me at first. The second, the runt of the litter, ran right up and started biting and chewing on me. After about 5 or 6 minutes, the bigger one began SNIFFING his was towards me, and sniffing me. Automatically I knew this was the pup for me. Not only was he using his nose, but his tai started wagging ever so slowly. The main thing I would look for, if I was you, is to make sure the dog uses his/her nose. A good nose is everything... Also make sure that, this is just common sense, that the dog's family line has not had any prior cases of things such as hip displasia, or cancer. But also, check the teeth, make sure that they are straight, and aligned. Check the gums, make sure they look healthy. Well, thats all I can think of for now. I'll post more if anything comes to mind. Wash.

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

Throw a bird wing in the pen and watch the action

curt nulle

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

No! No no no!!! Dont throw a bird wing in there... Theyre puppies. Theyre prone to chewing. They will want to chew on it if they can. Its not a good idea to let a dog, even a young pup get ahold of any fowl, of any sort... Theyll get it in thier heads that wow, this tastes good, and theyll want to chew on the birds they retreive for you.

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

I agree with Washington Hunter. Don't let a pup catch a bird. If at all possible, take a few hard-flying, pen-raised bobwhites with you when you go to pick out the pup. Put one, or, even better, two or three down for the two or three pups you like the best and let them find (or stumble across) them from the downwind side of a small rise. If one of the pups points the bird for any length of time, buy it. If none do, buy the one that shows the most interest once the bird flies away. If they all point the birds, pick the best-looking one and feel real good about the breeder you've selected.

All this aside, if you are getting a pup from someone out of the area and you are unable to do the above test, see if the breeder will do it for you. However, if you've done your homework and picked a well-bred litter, any pup should be fine.

Good Dogwork and Good Hunting

Edited by - seattlesetters on 11/05/2002 23:40:11

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

Look for a pup that has the kind of personality that you want & the body size ect. If they have good breeding then you'll do ok with picking other traits you want. Also it depends on the TIME YOU CAN spend with the pup. I have 3 Labs that hunt pretty well I got all three from the Dog shelter. I spen a lot of time & some $$ on their training. As for wings or birds some "SMART" breeders will start pups chasing wings birds so when A "SMART" guy comes to pick the "BEST HUNTER" they all go after the bird/wing

There is NO such thing as a bad day HUNTING
Good Luck & Good Hunting
Dan

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

I'm a little confused as to how old these pups are. If you're talking about older pups say 6-8 months, some of the suggestions mentioned above would apply.

If on the other hand, you are talking about an 8-10 week old pup, I'm sorry to tell you, but your just taking a gamble. In all honesty, you can't tell much about a dog when he's 8-10 weeks old! That's kinda like looking at a 2 year old and deciding he'll grow up to be a doctor, or a theif! If you have done your homework on the pup's sire and dam, then just pick one you like for whatever reason.

The only thing you can be 100% sure of, is if the pup is timid. You don't want that pup that slinks off to the dog house and refuses to come out while your in the pen with him. Shyness is the one thing you can't break a dog of. A shy dog just won't learn as fast, and won't trust you enough, to ever learn much from you. Not to mention the fact that most good dogs turn out to be good dogs because they want to please you! Without a doubt, the dog who does what you want him to do, because it pleases you, will be the better dog every time!

In short, do the homework on pup's mom and dad, and then stay away from the shy pups and you'll have just as good a chance of getting a dog you're pleased with, as any other method of picking them you might try.

GH

I love animals.......they're delicious!

Edited by - Grasshopper13 on 11/11/2002 06:31:26

RE: Signs of Hunting Dog?
 

Guess I didn't mean to leave the wing in there a day or two. Ever use a training dumby with a wing attached? Dead birds on dog training? Never heard of a dog that this was done to as coming out hard mouthed.