# ****er Spaniel Question



## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

I have a bird dog of my own (a nice Brittany), but I just put a down payment on a nice looking ****er for my little girls for Christmas. Anyone out there ever hunt with ****ers? Is there any chance this dog will be an effective hunting dog? Its an AKC/papered dog, but that's about all the research we did. That, and spent half a day with the puppies and their parents. I've read that if you want a hunting ****er, you have to get one from hunting lines. Is this the case, or can you get something out of the AKC lines still?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

If an American ****er from non-hunting lines turns into a bird dog it's just blind luck. The prey drive is in their genetics, though, so you might be able to bring it out with a lot of bird exposure. We had a pair of hunting ****ers when I was a kid. It was lights out for a pheasant if my dad's little black ****er got on the trail of one. He would track it to the end of the line every time. I have a real soft spot for those little dogs.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Buy a ****le burr comb...


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## pheaz (Feb 11, 2011)

Advice make sure to shave it before you take it hunting. Bird exposure will help you acheive your goal. The ****er will be a slower hunting dog than your brit.


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## JuddCT (Sep 7, 2007)

I grew up with a ****er spaniel and I second the comb and shaving it for hunts. Like BirdDogger's experience, our ****er was great at tracking those pheasants. But I do remember my dad putting a lot of work into that dog.


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## billybob (Oct 27, 2008)

Thanks for the info guys. We scored big with the kids, so, the first and most important goal was achieved. Now to let her grow a bit and find some birds.


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