Hunting with a dog.
 

Hi everyone,

So, I am thinking about getting a dog specifically for hunting when my current 11 year old dog passes away sometime in the future.

I have a few simple questions about hunting dogs. How useful is it to hunt with a trained hunting dog? What can dogs do that benefit the hunter?

I have NEVER hunted with a dog, so this is why I am asking.

Any help or advice understanding this will be much appreciated.

Jared

A hunting dog is a big commitment. Bigger than just getting another pet.

Most of these dogs have allot of energy and a drive to hunt and they need to be ran and trained and hunted regularly.

That being said... If that's what you're after.... Then you need to decide what you want and what you want to hunt.

Are you wanting a retriever for waterfowl? A bird dog for upland game? There are dogs for squirrel, for rabbit, for raccoon, for bear, for deer, for mountain lions, for coyote, for hogs, pretty much you name it, it's out there.

Your local regulations will factor into this decision obviously.

The world of hunting dogs is huge. Narrow down what you're specifically interested in and you'll get better suggestions.

-Jake

[QUOTE=jnicholes;4400712]Hi everyone,

So, I am thinking about getting a dog specifically for hunting when my current 11 year old dog passes away sometime in the future.

I have a few simple questions about hunting dogs. How useful is it to hunt with a trained hunting dog? What can dogs do that benefit the hunter?

I have NEVER hunted with a dog, so this is why I am asking.

Any help or advice understanding this will be much appreciated.

Jared[/QUOTE
I will answer you this way. It is foolish and a waste of time to hut with an untrained dog!! I repeat, stupid. While dogs may have the inherent genes to hunt they have to be fined tuned and the dog must be trained to hunt for you and not its self. To simply turn an untrained dog loose in a field and expect good results is a delusion. First of all you must decide if you want a flushing dog or a pointing breed, Having had and trained both I prefer a pointing breed, my dogs are setters. If you do get a dog, make sure you set aside enough time to properly train the dog, not just a few sessions and then go hunting, I am talking moths, which bleed into years and if you do not have the time or the inclination to get involved with training, don't get a dog, it will not be fair to the dog. You should study the breeds and find the one that suits you and go from there. There are plenty of books available for learning how to train your dog. Next do be in a hurry, take your time and find what best suits you. What ever you do don't buy some crossbreed that is an unknown. I am sure there is someone here who will tell you that cheap crossbreeds will be fine. To that I say BS! While it is true there have been some mutts that turned out ok but they are in the vast minority. Do you really want to waste time and money on an unknown, simply to have a dog that may or may not hunt? With the time I put into my dogs I am not willing to waste it and take a chance.. You should buy a dog from a breeder wo has a good reputation and his dogs an even better reputation. One last thing, good dogs are not cheap, you will pay for all the years of breeding for a certain traits. This is not something to be taken lightly unless you want simply a dog to lay on the sofa and lick your face. The more work you put in, the better your dog will be. No insult intended but you have exhibited a tendency to look for shortcuts in the past and there are no shortcuts to training a dog. The connection between man and dog has to be experienced to
be appreciated. When you see something like this with your dog you will understand.

Both Jake and OT make solid points. Dogs are a lot of work. And then you have to arrange for their care when you go on vacation or out of town. Unless you take your dog with you. What kind of hunting with a dog are you considering?

If you are considering a versatile pointing breed of dog, check out any NAVHDA event in your area.
The North American Versatile Hunting Dog Assoc has chapter's throughout the USA and Canada. The people of any chapter help each other train for both land and water for before and after the shot.
​​​Checkout NAVHDA.org or contact me via PM.

A dog trained to any.level is a valuable tool while hunting fur or feather.

JW

Thank you all for the input and the advice.

Truth be told, I had no idea so much goes into having a hunting dog. I knew they needed to be trained, but I did not know everything else that everybody here pointed out. Getting a hunting dog is still far in the future for me, so I’m just getting an idea of what is required first.

If I do try to get a hunting dog in the future, I’ll probably try and get one for waterfowl. Waterfowl is what I primarily hunt for.

Again, thank you all for the input. I really appreciate it. Jared

You're welcome. Have you considered going to a sportsman's show near you? They usually have waterfowl outfitters and guides and often have a dog breeder or 2 from who you can ask questions and get a lot of info on what would be needed for the dog breed of your choice and particular application (ducks, geese, etc.). Besides being a lot of fun to attend, such shows are an invaluable opportunity to learn, research and talk with people who do stuff for a living.

I will have to see if there is one coming up sometime. I live 30 minutes from Twin Falls, so I bet that’s the area I need to look for.

Thanks, Jared

I don't know about Twin Falls but here's one that coming up in March in Boise. Looks like a pretty good show to attend.


http://www.idahosportsmanshow.com/

I had labs for almost 40 years and enjoyed hunting over them. Properly trained they are great hunters and companions. Although I used mine mostly for waterfowl when I hunted it I also used them for upland birds (grouse and pheasant). Labs are easy to train, smart and can be used in a variety of situations. I had one chocolate female lab that was the best dog I ever owned. I swore that dog could read my mind. The only thing I don't like about dogs is that they don't last long enough. My little Rajah broke my heart when she past and I never got a dog to do what she could do.
I still have labs but I don't hunt them anymore.