smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I am concidering getting a small dog for upland game hunting. I would prefer a 40/50lb, short haired flushing dog. Could you please make some recommendations as to what breeds i should look at.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Short hair?
why short hair and not long?

Good small dogs with longer hair: Britneys, springers, boykins, and Of course smaller Setters.

Good short hair dogs, but not always small: GSP, Eng. Pointers, Weimaraner.

The best fitI can think of for what you want would be a weimaraner. Smaller and short hair, great upland dogs. If you went to a longer coat, maybe a springer or boykin spaniel would work well, maybe a Britney..

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I thought short hair so as it is easier to maintain the dogs coat, and take out snaggs and burrs from the dogs coat. I amjust in the starting to do reasearch end of things. I have a faer that if i got a puppy and for some reason it wasn't a hunter my wife would of course fall in love with the dog. And i would end up with a non-hunting dog for 10-12 years.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I have a brittany spaniel and the hair is not bad to maintain at all. She is a light shedder and an excellent upland hunting dog. She is around 30-35 lbs depending on the time of year.Good luck with whatever you go with.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Pat,
I was just wondering why short hair, because a lot of smaller upland dogs have longer coats. Like G force said, the brittany's are Great smaller upland dogs, and the coat is not bad. A long coat has its advantages in that burrs and stickers in thick cover will not slice a dog open as bad as short hair. Shedding is light, and hair is usually pretty fine, meaning if its inside, it will hide in the carpet so you dont have to vacuum every day.

I dont recommend a hunting breed for an inside dog though, they have lots of energy, and will tear your house up. If they are worth anything, they will go hunting with or without you eventually. I recommend keeping hunting dogs in an outside kennel. They shouldnt be spoiled inside, or they become lazy hunters and will not last all day.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Thank you all for the replays. From what i have learned from this post and posts on a few other boards, is that either a Boykin Spaniel or a French Brittney will suit my needs. The Boykin is a flusher and the French Brittney is a pointer. As a first time hunting dog owner, and first time hunting dog trainer, what type of dog would be easier to train? The pointer or the flusher? I would like the dog to stay within 50 yards of me out in the field so i could get a shot at the game.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

they are both about the same, except that the brittany will point naturally, you will have to train him "whoa" and basic OB. The boykin will be abetter retriever, and you will have to teach them whoa also. But other than that its up to you. I know that the boykins are extremely versitle, upland and waterfowl.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

pat,

You might also want to consider the braque francais. It is not easy to come by and it is a pointer not a flusher, but it is short haired like a GSP and looks similar but smaller. You might also look at a small munsterlander. These along with the French Brittany and Boykin are one's I've been researching. Also, don't leave out the springer spaniel or an english cocker. The Braque Francais may be rare but I hear they are among the very easiest to train. Also, similar to the French Brittany they are supposed to be more docile while in the home (provided you exercise them) than most American breeds.

Good luck

Spud

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

some labs are bred to be in smaller stature, our breeding female is 58lbs.
my favorite smaller dog is a springer spaniel but I have seen some field cockers from excellent stock that will bring you the phone if it rings, let alone what they can do in the field.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I've had Britts and Labs, but the Boykin I have had the past 8 years is by far the smartest of them all. She was very, very trainable. As far as the coat goes, I keep her trimmed somewhat and that takes care of the burr problem. I hunt birds with her mainly, but she does take to the water.......I haven't used her that much on Lake Erie, but when I do she goes full bore. She can't get a goose up on shore, but she brings them to the edge like a tugboat....funniest thing you've ever seen.
And she does live in the house, which in my view doesn't "soften" up a dog at all.
Check out this website, and some of it's links before you make your decision. www.boykinspaniel.com Pam is the person to talk to!!

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I might give some though to the English Pointers. The ones that I have seen have all been in that 50 lb or less range. Not to say that all of them are. SHort hair, points, and they do retrieve. Maybe not as well as some others, but unless you are going to be field trialing, then who really cares. As long as the dog brings the game back to you, you're good.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Brittanies are great dogs and I'd recomend them to anyone. As far as getting stuck with a non-hunting dog, I don't think that one exists. If you take any dog hunting they'll have fun and he will try and to please you. You'll probably laugh at me and she's the worst "hunting" dog that I ever had but I take my yorkshire terrier hunting. She doesn't have stamina to last all day but I take her on short afternoon hunts and when we get home she's so happy that shewon't leave my side the rest of thenight.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

I have grown up with brittanies they are great family and upland bird dogs.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

First of all welcome to the forums pat, it would be hard to recommend any type of dog. What you should be doing is getting out around some to see how they work when hunting. Once you decide on what you like, get some info on how to train the dog your interested in. I am saying this as it appears like your new at it, and we all have breeds we like on here. If you can't see them working at least do a web search and check them out. Check out the good things about the breed as well as some of the other issues about them. Like how to care for it as well as how much room they need to run for the proper excersize. When looking at any breed you should know something about them and good luck to you..

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Field bred English Cockers or Springers. Our ESS females are 34# & 38#. My male is a big boy and is 47#. Friends have field bred (English) cockers running 19#-35#. They're a blast to shoot over and great family dogs too.

RE: smaller hunting dog recommendation
 

Hard to beat a small lab especially a pointing lab. Tough enough to take any conditions and if you get a well bred dog their intellegence makes them easy to train, Even a first time trainer can do very well with the correct program spelled out in many great books that are readilly available. Oh yea, Ive spent many an hour removing burs and dingel berrys from long haired dogs, and seen the thinner skinned dogs undersides and genetals bright red from a wkend of tough hunting. I have operated a guide service in SD for apx 15 years now and have made many dog misteaks. Soagain its hard to beat a pointing lab, IMHO.