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seattlesetters

It would be tough to beat a field-bred English Springer Spaniel for a first (and only) pheasant dog. They are easy to train (very natural), and they just have a knack about them when it comes to pheasants.

If you get one, though, be sure it is a field dog...don' t get one from show stock or from a backyard breeding where you may not be able to discern what lineage the dog has.

If you must get a pointing dog, the English Setter is the only breed to consider.

bobeyerite

My 1st dog was a Brittany male, that was 48 years ago, since then I have had setters, shorthairs, labs, and even an english pointer. What do i have now another Brittany and I wouldn' t trade him for any other breed of dog. Advice on getting your 1st pup, Get a Female, they don' t have the bull head streak most males of any breed do and are easier for a beginner to train and handle. Mom' s flowers will be spared the leg lifting too. Bob

oldelkhunter

Bobeyerite...I too had a great Brittany a few years back and he was a Pheasant Hunting master....Mine was a male but if I get another it will be a female...

OhioDuckHunter

http://www.guadairakennels.com/

ironranger

HNI Visitor,

I grew up around springers being that my grandpa always had them and about 5 years ago I rented the lower half of a house that belonged to a good friend of mine. Just about that time he got a springer and I fell in love with that dog. He was a male with all his parts so he was a little aggressive but I worked with him alot and took him pheasant hunting. He turned out to be a great hunter so when my friend decided to breed him with a female in Wisconsin, I got pick of the litter since he didn' t want another one at that point. In my limited experience, I' ve learned that alot of it has to do with simplicity of commands and repetition. I started working with him the first day on simple retrieves of a sock down a hallway with the doors closed. That way, the only way he could go was right back to me. I also had him neutered since he was a male and have noticed a big difference between him and his father as he doesn' t really bother too much with females. My springer has been fairly easy to train but I' ve also put alot of time and effort into it. I was able to get him into a pen where some pheasants were being raised so he chased them around and I also use a frozen pheasant which I use on walks and plant it for him to hunt it up. Take your time picking one out and put the work into training. There are alot of teaching aids out there in book and videos formats. Good luck!!!

EJDoane

Hello,

I am going to add my two cents worth, and say that a GSP, or German Shorithair Pointer should be your first dog. I got my just over a year ago, and havent looked back on it. Its a male, and I have had a lot of fun with him.

Keep in mind though, that training a bird dog of what ever type is a lot of time and commitment. All the dogs that have been metioned are a lot of fun, and a lot of energy. These are hunting breeds and need to be ' run' almost daily.

Make sure you do your homework when it comes to hunting dogs, make sure you find one that suits your needs ect. Good Luck and I wish you the best of luck.

yellowlabman

You can not go wrong with a Labrador. They are a very versatile breed and will hunt just about anything. They are superb on pheasants and if you decide you would like to expand your horizons and experience waterfowl hunting, you will have a dog that will go to the ends of the earth for you in a heartbeat! They are easy to train and also make good family dogs. Just make sure you get one from good breeding stock and make sure the hips are certified. Whatever type of dog you end up with, enjoy him/her and good luck!

Jimmy S

I think it is agreed upon by most pheasant hunters, dog training publications and outdoor magazines that the Field Bred English Springer Spaniel is the #1 pheasant dog. That is certainly the impression that I get after checking around. As stated above, these sporting dogs, whether flushers, retrievers or pointers are very demanding dogs when it comes to outdoor activities and exercise. It is absolutely a requirement when selecting these types of dogs. I have a 15 month old male Springer that has been a part of our family for the past four months. He is a beautiful, happy, loving dog that will eventually (I hope) give me many happy days hunting the fields of New England. Do your homework, check out the +s and -s of different breeds and Good Luck whatever decision you make!!

t-roy

since you are 13, you should decide which you want, a flusher or a pointer, then look into what would be the easiest to train. if you want a pointer, i would definately say go with a brit. they aren' t as hard headed as a GSP and are more devoted to their owners. not saying anything bad about GSP' s, they are great hunting dogs, just not the best for a kid starting out to get their feet wet with. if you want a flusher, you could go with alot of dogs. my first few bird dogs were rat terriers. they would hunt anything, they just had to figure out what we were after that day. i had an uncle who used a poodle, with good results. but as a traditiona bird dog, got with a spaniel, or a lab. i would say the lab, because spaniels will require you to brush the burrs out of their coats after the hunt. that is a job that i hate to do after hunting all day, and cleaning birds.
the main thing you want is a dog to stay close and work with you. if you get one, play with it, get it to know its name, and come to you when you call it. from there you just take it where the birds are and it will learn every time out