I have a 6 month old black lab/border collie mix and would like to train him to retrieve doves and trail deer. If i use the water fowl series or smart works series to train this dog would he be capable of doing what I want considering his mix?

I think yes, but consult with professional cynologist

I have a golden retriever/collie mix who has an amazing nose. She will investigate anything. I have pheasant hunted with her, squirrel hunted with her, and on one occasion, she found a deer for me after an overnight of rain. They are capable hunters and enjoyable companions.

Sometimes those mix breeds work out well, sometimes they don't. The only real up side to a purebred is you kind of know what to expect, hereditary tendencies.

I have one now with a strong prey drive, a really good nose, but he is a bone head and independent minded. Not at all easy to control or train. He is really good at flushing game and will work a hedgerow really well. He is not much good for anything else, but if I leash him he will track a blood trail. His nose is really good, he will follow a blood trail with just a few tiny drops barley visible. Nothing I trained him to do, just what he does.


I had one mix that would do anything I could communicate to her that I wanted. I used her as a stock dog, hunted Coyote with her, she pointed flushed and retrieved birds. She was really eager to please, way smart and had a strong prey drive. We just communicated well. Like I said all I had to do was figure out a way to communicate my wishes and she'd try her darnedest to fulfill them.

I've adjusted my hunts to my dogs strengths many times. I watch and learn what they do well and then I adapt. Sometime you get lucky with a mixed bred, sometimes you don't. But it is likely they are good at something and you can adapt.

One big thing is to accustom them to gunfire. A dog that freaks at the sound of gunfire is unlikely to be any good as a hunter. There are different ways to train a Dog to tolerate gunfire, best read up on it.

Are you for real?? Cynologists are known for training police dogs and problem pet dogs.

another 2 yr old tread brought back??
folks are getting desperate to pass time I think LOL

Have to agree with mrbb on this one. People must be desperate to bring back ancient threads.

All of our Great Pyrs were good with people but not inclined to socialize with anyone outside the family according to this resource fello.pet. If someone came down the driveway, they'd bark and make a fuss but were never ever people aggressive. They would bark and fade into the woods and keep an eye on matters.