# new dog



## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

ok as it sits im going to see if i can find me a bird dog to use for ducks and pheasants as well as any upland game but ive never had a bird dog so i dont know what to get or how to train it as well any help or input would be greatly appreciated


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## toomeymd (Sep 21, 2009)

Think seriously about a Lab if you want to do all that, and if you bug Ryfly enough (or just be a total newbie that he takes pity on) he might be kind enough to let you hunt behind Abby...now thats a bird finding machine!!


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## Bhilly81 (Oct 18, 2009)

yea that would be really helpful just for the fact that i dont know anything about training dogs at all


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

I have both a Lab and a Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. Both dogs hunt waterfowl and upland game. If I were to choose between the two I would base my decision on what I wanted to hunt more. Labradors make better duck dogs and the versatile pointing breeds like GWP, WPG, etcetera, are better upland dogs. The wirehaired breeds have hair and not fur so they don't shed much. That's nice if you plan to keep a dog inside.


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## Texscala (Sep 8, 2007)

There is a lot more to it than hunting so figure out if the dog will be indoor/outdoor dog, what kind of upland you will be doing. Labs are pretty great forest grouse & pheasant dogs, pointing breeds are where it is at with chukar, huns, and other birds in the open.

Both will get the job done so you need to consider what you want your hunting experience to be. I love watching flushing dogs do there thing but for me there is something amazing about watching a dog turn into a statue that points you right to the birds. Plus Ryfly lets me tag along a time or two each year on a waterfowl hunt so I can get that out of my system (his Abby is one heck of a dog). Don't forget to mention that as great a dog as Abby is Ryfly still had to go and get himself a pointer last year. The only true answer is to get both.


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## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

I agree that it depends on whether you lean towards waterfowl or upland. If you hunt mostly ducks and pheasants in the thick stuff, Labs are king. If you hunt mostly upland with a duck hunt thrown in then you have more options. Also, some people like a pointing dog and some people like the excitment of a good flusher. I got both not because my Lab can't do it all but because sometimes you feel like a nut and some times you don't. :wink: Another thing to consider is that a good Lab is probably the easiest dog to train. They are bred to learn fast and take commands from people. The bottom line is to decide what type of hunting you plan to do and then research to find the breed and line of dogs that fits the bill.

I wish you guys would stop talkng about my dog like that, she's starting to get a complex.  :wink:


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

> Another thing to consider is that a good Lab is probably the easiest dog to train. They are bred to learn fast and take commands from people.


You know how much I love my Lab, Ryfly, and I think they do learn quickly and take to training easily. I don't agree with this statement 100%, though. I'll tell you why: the versatile breeds are pretty much the same way. I honestly have spent thousands of hours in Gus' training and he can do things that'll make your head turn. I haven't spent 5 seconds training Scooby. He's just developed naturally. He was retrieving pigeons at that GSPCU training day at 8 weeks old. He learned to run blinds by watching Gus. Think I'm lying yet? Nope, he just doesn't run them as cleanly or for long distances. Remember that rabbit I shot when we were out hunting? I didn't mention it, but that was the first time I'd sent him on a fur retrieve. Scoob brought me the rabbit on a blind retrieve without any hesitation. I was dumbstruck when he just picked it up and brought it to me. He goes potty on command just like Gus does, again learned from watching the older dog. He comes when called. He honors naturally, even did it at an AKC test one day. He moved in behind Keny Glass****'s brittany and I thought he was going to screw up Scout's point. Nope. Scooby stuck a point behind Scout and both dogs earned high marks from the judges. 
That was a long-winded way of saying versatile dogs and Labs both train up easily. I can't say the same for my previous pointing dogs that were other breeds.


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## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

O.K., so then it comes down to whether you like beards on your dog or not.


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## toomeymd (Sep 21, 2009)

Or if you like your dog to look good while finding birds...those ugly dogs are bird finding machines, they just don't look pretty doing it...ha ha ha :mrgreen:


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## MeanGene (Nov 18, 2008)

Best hunting dog I ever had was a Yellow Lab named Abby. Best kid friendly babysitter too.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

Texscala said:


> There is a lot more to it than hunting so figure out if the dog will be indoor/outdoor dog,\
> 
> Very very true- 75% of hunting dogs hunt for a month or so and the rest of the time they are either kennel dogs or family dogs and your buddy.
> Mine have always been my best bud-. Figure that into your thoughts when choosing a breed also.


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## littlebuck (Mar 16, 2008)

Labs can do it all with a little training. :lol:


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## premier (Nov 6, 2009)

I know a pointing lab breeder, and no its not the one I got my awesome mutts from, (for those that know about my awesome mutts) :mrgreen: I could get you his contact info he may still have a pup


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