Pitbulls for Upland Birds?
03-06-2012, 06:13 AM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Minnesota
Posts: 357
Pitbulls for Upland Birds?
Hi guys, I am new to this forum.
I started hunting grouse and pheasants with friends last year here in Minnesota and now am totally hooked on it. I do not have a dog but just last week my 19 year old daughter showed up with a 12 week old pitbull. He was so smart, friendly and cute, we could not let him go. After doing some research on the internet about that breed, a saw some info about the pitbull being able to bird hunt. Just wanted to get some info from you guys. I already have him trained to retrieve toys and drop them in front of me.
Thanks
I started hunting grouse and pheasants with friends last year here in Minnesota and now am totally hooked on it. I do not have a dog but just last week my 19 year old daughter showed up with a 12 week old pitbull. He was so smart, friendly and cute, we could not let him go. After doing some research on the internet about that breed, a saw some info about the pitbull being able to bird hunt. Just wanted to get some info from you guys. I already have him trained to retrieve toys and drop them in front of me.
Thanks
Last edited by Hunting the North; 03-06-2012 at 06:25 AM.
03-06-2012, 05:34 PM
#2
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 27
Just about any dog can be trained to bird hunt. Be aware s/he won't point though, so be ready to shoot (keep your gun back over your shoulder, just in case you pull the trigger to early it won't hit the dog). Get solid on basic commands (sit, stay, recall) and then introduce a dummy and/or scent. Pits are intelligent, but can sometimes be hard headed. Get him tracking and retreiving dummies in whatever type of area your hunting in, and maybe take him out with some already trained dogs. Good huntin!
03-07-2012, 11:37 PM
#3
Typical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location:
Posts: 860
You are going to have watch your dog. The first rabbit [insert 4 legged creature] it flushes, its going to give chase and if it catches it, will tear it apart. A lot of hunters with dogs will also want to avoid you. Even if your dog is friendly, they don't want their dogs playing while working in the field. Their dogs won't either and will be aggressive to any strange dog bugging/preventing them from working. Even the most friendliest bird dog, when in the field, will be totally focused upon hunting birds.
03-20-2012, 01:34 PM
#4
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: In Thick Cover
Posts: 42
You would save yourself a lot of headaches and your daughters dog a lot of scolding if you just let the dog be what it is and purchase a Bird dog for yourself. Bird dogs are bred, not made. Were the Pit's parents and grandparents bird dogs? If not then throw a stick for the dog in the backyard and enjoy the retrieve and companionship.
03-20-2012, 06:00 PM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Colville WA USA
Posts: 1,974
Yellowsnow has it right.
Pit Bulls were bred to BITE. Do you want a bird delivered to you that is not fit for the table ?
It could possibly be done, but it would take more work than would be worthwhile.
If you want to hunt birds, get a bird dog.
.
Pit Bulls were bred to BITE. Do you want a bird delivered to you that is not fit for the table ?
It could possibly be done, but it would take more work than would be worthwhile.
If you want to hunt birds, get a bird dog.
.
03-21-2012, 01:21 PM
#6
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 27
You guys above may know abou yer setters and labs, but you don't know pits.
I work a shelter, and as of right now, have only come across ONE pit saved from the fighting ring. And let me tell ya, there are a lot of pits there. So as for being bred to bite, get that out of the answer. Pits are bred a LOT for temperment now, and HAVE been used asz bird dogs.
Remember, just about any dog can learn to hunt! Will a setter catch on quicker than a pit? Absolutely! Does that mean the pit is going to be terrible? Maybe, but that setter could be too. All dogs were bred from wolves, therefore they all have hutnig instinct.
Bird dogs are bred not made? What kind of thing is that! I've heard of many well bred, birdy dogs being destroyed through self hunting, scolding, or other misused methods. If you think a good bird dog will find you a covey right out of his mother's womb, you need to rethink your method of training.
Getting a bird dog would be a wise idea, but many peope don't have the time or money for that, so they have to make do with what they've got. That's how life is, except it.
I work a shelter, and as of right now, have only come across ONE pit saved from the fighting ring. And let me tell ya, there are a lot of pits there. So as for being bred to bite, get that out of the answer. Pits are bred a LOT for temperment now, and HAVE been used asz bird dogs.
Remember, just about any dog can learn to hunt! Will a setter catch on quicker than a pit? Absolutely! Does that mean the pit is going to be terrible? Maybe, but that setter could be too. All dogs were bred from wolves, therefore they all have hutnig instinct.
Bird dogs are bred not made? What kind of thing is that! I've heard of many well bred, birdy dogs being destroyed through self hunting, scolding, or other misused methods. If you think a good bird dog will find you a covey right out of his mother's womb, you need to rethink your method of training.
Getting a bird dog would be a wise idea, but many peope don't have the time or money for that, so they have to make do with what they've got. That's how life is, except it.
03-21-2012, 04:42 PM
#8
Spike
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: In Thick Cover
Posts: 42
You guys above may know abou yer setters and labs, but you don't know pits.
I work a shelter, and as of right now, have only come across ONE pit saved from the fighting ring. And let me tell ya, there are a lot of pits there. So as for being bred to bite, get that out of the answer. Pits are bred a LOT for temperment now, and HAVE been used asz bird dogs.
Remember, just about any dog can learn to hunt! Will a setter catch on quicker than a pit? Absolutely! Does that mean the pit is going to be terrible? Maybe, but that setter could be too. All dogs were bred from wolves, therefore they all have hutnig instinct.
Bird dogs are bred not made? What kind of thing is that! I've heard of many well bred, birdy dogs being destroyed through self hunting, scolding, or other misused methods. If you think a good bird dog will find you a covey right out of his mother's womb, you need to rethink your method of training.
Getting a bird dog would be a wise idea, but many peope don't have the time or money for that, so they have to make do with what they've got. That's how life is, except it.
I work a shelter, and as of right now, have only come across ONE pit saved from the fighting ring. And let me tell ya, there are a lot of pits there. So as for being bred to bite, get that out of the answer. Pits are bred a LOT for temperment now, and HAVE been used asz bird dogs.
Remember, just about any dog can learn to hunt! Will a setter catch on quicker than a pit? Absolutely! Does that mean the pit is going to be terrible? Maybe, but that setter could be too. All dogs were bred from wolves, therefore they all have hutnig instinct.
Bird dogs are bred not made? What kind of thing is that! I've heard of many well bred, birdy dogs being destroyed through self hunting, scolding, or other misused methods. If you think a good bird dog will find you a covey right out of his mother's womb, you need to rethink your method of training.
Getting a bird dog would be a wise idea, but many peope don't have the time or money for that, so they have to make do with what they've got. That's how life is, except it.
03-21-2012, 05:56 PM
#9
Spike
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 27
