docgeorge

I have owned:
1 lab
3 Irish Water Spaniels
1 American Water Spaniel
2 Chessies
2 Pointers
4 greyhounds
3 Whippet x Greyhounds
1 whippet
1 Staghound
1 GSP
3 Jagdterriers
My favorite all time dog was a greyhound. She was a retired racer and was the best combo of what I look for in a dog. If I still lived in the West I would have a couple.
My Lab lived 17.5 years. We hunted Ut, Id, Mt and Wy. She has flushed and retrieved Pheasants, chukar and grey partridge, blue, ruffed, sage, and sharptailed grouse, valley and Gambels quail ducks and geese. She wasn't very well trained but taught me about hunting a great dog.
The IWS jas gone the way of the Am cocker and Irish setter. 99% showbred and has lost it as a hunter. I love their looks and they could be a dog I could love if they could hunt.
American Water spaniels are a wonderful dog. The only drawback is the need for Pam Cooking spray so one can remove the burrs. I believe this is why the lab is so popular, minimal coat care. The lab fills the niche the AWS used to fill, catch-as-can flush and retrieve dog.
If I could resurect one dog it would be one of my Cessies, Clyde. 95 lbs of goose fetching desire. Doves and quail were too small so they were beneath him. He would fetch ducks and flush and fetch pheasants (he wasn't the best upland flusher) but he wanted to hunt geese. I wing-tipped a canada while jump shooting ducks. He, at my command, ran the 1/4 mile to make the retrieve through mud, catails, tules, bogs... One could follow his progress by the amount of stuff flying. He came back with the bird and was hooked. I had to start hunting geese to keep him happy. A great dog and my favorite sporting breed.
My pointers were too man aggressive but I have hunted with some great pointers and think, if I ever lost 50 or 60 IQ points, and started hunting with a pointing dog, I would hunt with pointers. I used a pointer to fetch ducks, and point all kinds of game.
Sighthounds are just a hoot. I ran jackrabbits with them and had way too much fun.
We have now come to my breed of choice, the jagdterrier. These, in my opinion, are the most versatile dogs one can find. Mine flush feathers, hooves, and fur. At about 20 lbs, give or take, one can hunt just about anything. Geese are too big but anything else is fair game. These dogs aren't for everyone. One has to train the dog to do what it does. If one will put forth effort one will be rewarded. They are tested in Europe just like other versatile breeds (DD, DK, weim DL,) so the breeding is there to hunt everything. These are my favorite dogs.

Dr Fatguy

Phil from Maine

Don't shoot the Irish Setters as they are here and are very hard to find. They still are importing some today as well. Not all of the Irish Setters are show dogs my friend. They also have an excellent nose on them, and will do things some couldn't believe unless they saw it for themselves. But, because of what the show people have done to alot of them they are not out in the open as much anymore. I guess you could say alot has been learned on the Irish hunting dogs from the dangers that face them.




This is an older pic but will try to post some new after a run this spring some time. As I now have a new digital camera and no more going to get my photos developed.

DucksUnlimited987

If you think Boykin's are a bad dog your badly mistaken, I know guys that use them as primarily dove and duck dogs, and sometimes quail. And their all champs! I saw a couple do a demonstration atthe Southeastern Wildlife expo, seen them a few times, and they work just as good as a lab, their smaller, but not short, nor fat. All very trainable and just want to please. We have a lab boykin mix, long story, friend of ours has a boykin and lab got at it....... Shes lickidy split fast! And loves birds, and loves to retrieve. Overall, my fav breed is the lab.

Just my 2 cents
Ducks,

daleh

In no way shape or form did i say Boykins are bad bird dogs.
I own several Boykins Breed them, Train themand use them alot.
From Doves to Quail to Ducks
What i am saying is they do not have the ability to hunt and find birds like pointers and setters. they can not cover that much ground and if they did you whould never see the birds as they do not point.
On another note the Boykins you saw at the southern expo hunt with me every week.I attendmost of theBoykin Field Trials that is run in South Carolina. Haven't you seen the first page of my web site?
Last every Boykin is a mix of a lab
A Chessie and water spaniel is what primaraly madeup the breed.

DucksUnlimited987

Gotcha, and Im saying I have a boykin lab mix

TedH71

I've owned and raised a few of those breeds:

pit bull (excellent dog from well bred bloodlines..have to do your research though!)

American bulldog (slow developing breed and you have to cull (I neuter/spay) if you want the dog to work as a catch dog. Too many big dogs with short snouts who can't catch or have personality disorders)

Catahoulas (too many of them can't hunt..because they're being bred for beauty..but there are still some that can hunt..just have to look for 'em, very hard headed and lots of bloodlines take long as 2-3 years to mature)

blackmouth curs (too many aren't registered and can be gotten for free so they're iffy..but for the most part they make excellent hog dogs)

blue lacys..(I have one and want to get more!...I'm happy with them...they listen alot easier than catahoulas and are less dog aggressive but only negative point is they can come in small sizes)

rat terrier (only had one and he had no interest in hogs..just squirrels and cats..so he was placed else where. I would try the Decker bloodlines for hog hunters..but don't know anyone who has that)

redbone hound (wonderful laid back dog but had to sell him when I moved and heard he made a decent coonhound..was going to make him a hog dog)

walker hound (the one I had was smart..was taught over 10 signed
commands but couldn't and wouldn't housebreak himself even after he got neutered..he wouldn't pee/poop in his crate but the minute he got out of his crate..up came his leg..he got sold and was the worst digger outside)

I want to try the plott hound, rat terrier (again), and possibly catahoula. At present time, I only have my blue lacy and I placed my 80 lb catahoula with a friend in TX since he was picking on my fiancee's older dogs.

SWOSUMike

Ted,
You've tried all those tough dogs and you've never owned a mountain cur? Man, you ought to see how you like them! If you've like this kind of dog (tough, working game dogs), I think you should at least try a mountain cur. I think you could like what you see. Go to www.sqdog.com or www.squirrelhaters.net for some photos and dog talk if you would want to learn more. But, these are mostly squirrel and coon hunting guys but they know a tough dog and have the right connections to the right mountain curs for whatever type of hunting you are looking for. They are not as big as blackmouths. Mine are about 40-45 lbs. but it's not unlikely to find them up near 60 lbs. I pity the hog that has well bred mountain curs on him.

SWOSUMike

Ted,

TedH71

I have considered mountain curs..the thing is they're not popular in Texas except maybe in some areas of East Texas..they were being given away for free in a West Texas town where I drove thru. I now live in KS...I'll do my research and thanks for the links! I'll be travelling from Wichita, KS to Austin, TX on July 5th to July 9th on I- 35 and would be willing to check out mountain cur pups for sale. I don't make a lot of money since I work part time and go to school plus take care of my son so I would have less than $100 to spend on a pup. I like brindle/blue brindle and natural bobtails but am not really picky on color except I don't like all brown dogs....

2006HighSierra

I've had one black lab which i still have, she's justa plain american stock AKC dog, one AKC english stock chocolate male, and one AKC english/american stock chocolate lab. The black is just a yard dog. loving as can be but she wont even fetch a ball more than 3 times. not even treats can motivate her. the choc. male was an awesome house dog. at even 3 months he was as calm, never chewed or bothered anything and smart as can be. my little chocolate female though broke my heart when she had to be put down. she was my duck/grouse/squirrel/quail/snipe/etc dog. you name it she'd hunt it. she hunted tight and pointed, with a command she would flush. never even trained her for that. loyal as i could wanted. unfortunately my parents cameover one evening and let her out to play with her and didnt keep and eye on her. she got hit by a car. broke her back very badly, broken pelvis, both hind legs, massive internal bleeding and she still wagged her tail when she saw me come to take her to the vet. labs seem to have so many personalities its hard to make a statement about them but they are hard to beat for all purpose. however i'm looking into some GSP pups next time, i've always liked them.