Best bird dog? All the B.S, aside...there is no " Best Bird Dog" . It all boils down to personal preference, type of hunting, terrain and a myriad of other variables. While I am a Lab man and mainly hunt waterfowl, you may be a quail hunter or a grouse hunter and may prefer a different breed. Different strokes for different folks really sums it up. I think we should quit arguing and agree that any certain breed has its strong points in specific situations and also agree that there may be a different breed more suited to a different task. To debate the " Best bird dog" is a loosing proposition.

A dog that retrieves waterfowl is not a " bird dog."

Seattle .. you are obviously a very knowledgable dog man, hunt with dogs more than most, and give great advice when asked on this board, but you are 1 helluva " Dog Snob" .

Waterfowl = Bird

You have to at least admit that labs and retrievers are used to hunt birds ... doesn' t that make them " bird dogs" ?

If you total all the pheasants shot last year over dogs .. how many do you think were shot over the labs and retrievers? I' d bet it was the largest percentage of any dog. That doesn' t make them the best .. but it does qualify them as " bird dogs" .

Nicely put!

Labs not bird dogs because they hunt waterfowl? Please.... I would say that setters are not bird dogs because they don' t! Both statements are as stupid as they sound.

I have hunted over English Setters (from the BEST breeding available) and they can' t hold a candle to a well trained Lab in certain situations...nor could my Labs hold a candle to the setters in others.

I would, however, like to see an ES hunt the type of terrain (Water, Ice, Snow, -0 temps) that labs CONSISTANTLY hunt in before I would consider adding an ES or any other of pointer/setter to my family...have not seen one yet that could hold up under those conditions...they don' t have the stamina.

Now before you reply that my Labs could not handle the heat as well as your pointers/setters...I AGREE WITH YOU.

This thread asked for readers opinions on the best bird dog...all the responses given are just that...opinions.

If you can' t at least agree with that, then no point in trying to argue the point with you using logic...it is a lost cause.

Webster' s dictionary defines bird dog:

Main Entry: bird dog
Function: noun
Date: circa 1888
1 : a gundog trained to hunt or retrieve birds
2 a : one (as a canvasser or talent scout) who seeks out something for another b : one who steals another' s date

Is a Lab a Bird Dog????

This should put the issue to bed!

AMEN!!!

In all fairness, I must admit to more than a bit of bird dog snobbery. However, if you' ve noticed that this thread has been the longest and most spirited in the history of the Upland Birds forum, with some of its most intelligent discourse, I would hope that you all might be able to see that some of my comments were merely intended to stir the pot and add fuel to the fire.

This forum and this group of sportsmen/women needed the kick start, and now we have a regular community we can count on for advice and suggestions. Hope I can be forgiven...

Seattlesetters,

Yes, I can find it in my heart to forgive you, although I am digging deep (haha). Just remember that one can' t judge a book (breed) by it' s cover (stereotype) -- there usually is much more to it. I will say one thing; this thread has made the " dreaded" off-season go much faster.

Amen I agree with many statementsand I love the close!!!!!!

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