Gun Dog Forum

Does anyone have experience with a dog that does it all. By that I mean you can start hunting the minute you get out of the truck. For instance, if the dog comes across a rabbit he flushes it. If the dog cuts a squirrel track he trees it. If he gets the scent of a woodcock or quail he puts them in the air. Plus the dog sits politely at your side while dove and duck hunting. I have read plenty on the internet that leads me to believe it can be done but I was curious if anyone has seen a dog like this. Also, which breed do you think would come close to accomplishing this. I have researched and think a ESS or a ECS or Boykin would be best but I don't know. Heck, I once knew a guy that killed a ton of squirrels over a lab (go figure)!

Thanks in advance
Jimmy

I have one like that. WIll flush a rabbit, has treed and actually taken squirrels off a tree. Sits quietly in the duck blind. Hunts upland, steady to wing shot and fall.Tracks wounded deer. Kills the neighbors cats and any wood chucks that are running around. A couple of possums and 1 coon. WIth all of her verousity, she will bring you a quail in her mouth with not a feather out of place.
She is very obediant, a big couch potatoe when in the house.
SHe is also a UT prize 2 dog, stands a whooping 18.5 inches tall at the withers.
But she is a machine and I dont think youget but one of those in a life time.
Oh, and if you couldnt guess, she is a Small Munsterlander

I do have a Brittany that is 9 and she had done the following:
Does great:
completed NSTRA Championship
Hunted quail, woodcock, pheasant, ptarmagin, ruffed grouse, spruce grouse, and sharptail

Does good enough for me:
Run Rabbits (sometimes when I don't want her too)
Track a shot deer
Retrieves ducks in flooded timber, river, or land (woud rather hunt and point)
Sits while dove hunting (would rather hunt and point)

So she has done many things, but she doesn't do great at sitting still for duck hunting and dove hunting. It takes a little coaching to get her to sit calmly. Dogs will usually be good at a few things but can do the others. It all depends on how much time and effort you put into a dog. I would rather have a great upland dog , because the lack of birds. As for duck hunting, there are enough ducks in Arkansas if she isn't completely still, we will see more.

Sounds like a nice dog Munster.

Grew up hunting with my uncles springer... She was the only dog we were allowed to kill rabbits and squirrels over. Rusty did it all. Mainly a pheasant dog, she also flushed quail, snipe, rabbits, would timber squirrels (fair), and retrieve ducks.

Yes,
I have one like that. I really do. She is my lifetime dog. She is a rather large 8 year old Vizsla who hunts and or retieves all game. We hunt 3 to 4 States every year. There are times say a Texas Quail dog purist or a dedicated Waterfowler have made it clear they do not agree with my kind of hunting, but I am having the time of my life hunting all seasons with one dog. Not the best dog for any one kind of hunting, but she can adapt to just about anything once she figures out what is expected of her. Self trained using my experience of training hunting all three types of dog, pointing, retriever, and hounds in my past. To have a dog like this is a mix of breeding, training, and hunting experience. It is more dog specific, not breed specific IMHO.

Bobwhite Quail
http://www.fototime.com/09B5D2A98513952/standard.jpg
Scaled Quail
http://www.fototime.com/7B2275C40B7E84B/standard.jpg
Dusky Grouse
http://www.fototime.com/24C506D8144B1D2/standard.jpg
Sage Grouse
http://www.fototime.com/1C2950AFA6C60F9/standard.jpg
Pheasant
http://www.fototime.com/6EF1857880A5D07/standard.jpg
Dove
http://www.fototime.com/0C083F5AE8772CD/standard.jpg
Snipe
http://www.fototime.com/19ED0C366FBCD7F/standard.jpg
Rail
http://www.fototime.com/983C63101621AA9/standard.jpg
Squirrel
http://www.fototime.com/7F137D7555CA164/standard.jpg
Teal
http://www.fototime.com/6F4D3328C1AC284/standard.jpg
Ducks
http://www.fototime.com/95AFAF429551841/standard.jpg
Geese
http://www.fototime.com/8698013627DD0C5/standard.jpg
Rabbit
http://www.fototime.com/945784101D3F96B/standard.jpg
Crow
http://www.fototime.com/E1A3406B7BB976C/standard.jpg
Spring Turkey Catch Dog (legal for private land in TX)
http://www.fototime.com/9811845EB20636F/standard.jpg
Hog stalking
http://www.fototime.com/FAA9A36254C33E6/standard.jpg
Passive Coyote Decoy Dog
http://www.fototime.com/23E2788683B37B1/standard.jpg
And there is more.

AWESOME sniper john!!!..thanks for sharing, now thats a versatile dog again, AWESOME!!!....ruth

Sniper, Did you have that hooded merganser you shot in the duck picture mounted?

Sniper John I hope to someday have a dog like that, just less red. What waterfowl vest do you use that fit a continental so well?

Sniper,

What part of texas are you in?!?

haha passive coyote decoy..that's good

You will find someone that will tell you their toy poodle will do everything you are looking for if you ask enough people The dog you describe does exist, Its called the Deutsch Drahthaar. They do everything you asked about plus a whole lot more and have been for 100 + years. I own and hunt them on everything there is a season for, check them out if you are a serious hunter and want a versatile dog http://vdd-gna.org/

fishvik wrote:Sniper, Did you have that hooded merganser you shot in the duck picture mounted?

No, I have taken several as bonus birds on duck hunts. They get eaten. Most get added to duck or all game smoked sausage. The one in that particular picture was during one of the first days of a two week hunting/camping road trip across Oklahoma and Kansas so anything killed had to be made into a meal. The breast was fileted, marinated with a spicy teryaki glaze, peppered, and cooked on a hardwood/driftwood fire. Not bad at all.
Taking a great picture to commemorate the day to me are like what mounts are to others.
One of my favorite merganser pics.

Sniper that is great work! Kudos to you for allowing your dog every opportunity to show his talents. They are amazing animals and far more capable than most folks will allow them to be.

I would like to see a pedigree of your dog he is a looker, in looks he reminds me of my old dog Rooster.

My favorite pic is the one of the turkey, i hope you have that one framed ...ruth

DogNewbie wrote:haha passive coyote decoy..that's good

A passive decoy dog as opposed to an aggressive decoy dog, stays with you when your calling and does not engage a coyote. It is a visual decoy. An agressive decoy dog will go out and engage the coyote to pick a fight and then run back into the owner with the coyote in pursuit basically.

Most trained decoy dogs are of the latter. Mine is actaully working out to be somewhere in the middle, but will not range like the typical breeds used for decoy dogs. Which is my preference as I like to stay in full voice/whistle/hand signal command. This is her newest kind of hunting and a work in progress. She is with me on all predator hunts now.



The only bad thing about it is some days she insists on doing the calling.

GUNDOGS wrote:My favorite pic is the one of the turkey, i hope you have that one framed ...ruth

I lost a shot bird three or four years ago and weeks later caught a Turkey hunting clip on TV where someone used a Lab beside them on Turkey hunts as a catch dog. Like my predator hunting, My dog is by my side on Turkey hunts now anywhere it is still legal. Unfortunately it is not legal on public land here.


More for you.
http://www.fototime.com/0A6FA8D3D51B821/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/A52718D9B3E196F/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/7CC532F11BEF557/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/FE94E0AE3282273/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/7A79FDD6B786881/standard.jpg

ACooper wrote:Sniper that is great work! Kudos to you for allowing your dog every opportunity to show his talents. They are amazing animals and far more capable than most folks will allow them to be.

I would like to see a pedigree of your dog he is a looker, in looks he reminds me of my old dog Rooster.

Thank you.


Sire: CH Egri I Like Ike, CDX, MH, AX, OAJ, VC, ROM owned by Eddie and Adele Neupert

&

Dam: Valleyhunter's Penny Lane, SH, ROM owned by Glen Saucier & Elizabeth Chandler

Born September 30, 2004

Sniper John wrote:

GUNDOGS wrote:My favorite pic is the one of the turkey, i hope you have that one framed ...ruth

I lost a shot bird three or four years ago and weeks later caught a Turkey hunting clip on TV where someone used a Lab beside them on Turkey hunts as a catch dog. Like my predator hunting, My dog is by my side on Turkey hunts now anywhere it is still legal. Unfortunately it is not legal on public land here.


More for you.
http://www.fototime.com/0A6FA8D3D51B821/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/A52718D9B3E196F/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/7CC532F11BEF557/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/FE94E0AE3282273/standard.jpg
http://www.fototime.com/7A79FDD6B786881/standard.jpg

NICE!!..have you ever or do you intend on breeding her???...ruth

Very nice !!!Thanks for sharing

Thanks guys for all the info. Looks like I have been wasting my time looking into the flushing breeds. Being a Carolina boy I was hoping that the Boykin would be mentioned (I went to school less than 10 miles from Boykin, S.C.... GO GAMECOCKS!!!!!!). Oh well, I am about efficiency and it seems the "pointing" breeds are the way to go! I will continue to research and might even try to visit a few breeders. I have not considered the above mentioned breeds very much, until now, and I appreciate the insight. I am very impressed with what I have read AND SEEN!!!! NICE VISLA !!!!!!! Thanks for the photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have more questions for you guys that own a "versatile dog"

Do you expect your dog to tree, point, or run the first animal it comes across or are you only using the dog in specific areas where only one or two species are prevalent??? I ask because where I hunt there might be a woodcock/snipe/rabbit/squirrel/ in the same thicket.

Does the above breeds flush and run a rabbit or do they just point it???

How do these dogs tree???? I saw a video of a DD last night that would shame most hounds on the tree!!!!!!!!

Bottom line is I am looking for a dog to hunt from the first Saturday in September (opening day of Dove season) until the last day of February (close of Quail, Rabbit, & Squirrel seasons) then we both have six months to recover...Oh yeah I am a runner and mountain biker so a breed that would be able to keep up would be nice too!

Thanks again for all the suggestions.......I'm thinking

Those are some awesome pics.. The DD, and DK dogs are supposed to be able to do the same thing.

shot2high wrote:Thanks guys for all the info. Looks like I have been wasting my time looking into the flushing breeds. Being a Carolina boy I was hoping that the Boykin would be mentioned (I went to school less than 10 miles from Boykin, S.C.... GO GAMECOCKS!!!!!!). Oh well, I am about efficiency and it seems the "pointing" breeds are the way to go! I will continue to research and might even try to visit a few breeders. I have not considered the above mentioned breeds very much, until now, and I appreciate the insight. I am very impressed with what I have read AND SEEN!!!! NICE VISLA !!!!!!! Thanks for the photos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have more questions for you guys that own a "versatile dog"

Do you expect your dog to tree, point, or run the first animal it comes across or are you only using the dog in specific areas where only one or two species are prevalent??? I ask because where I hunt there might be a woodcock/snipe/rabbit/squirrel/ in the same thicket.

Does the above breeds flush and run a rabbit or do they just point it???

How do these dogs tree???? I saw a video of a DD last night that would shame most hounds on the tree!!!!!!!!

Bottom line is I am looking for a dog to hunt from the first Saturday in September (opening day of Dove season) until the last day of February (close of Quail, Rabbit, & Squirrel seasons) then we both have six months to recover...Oh yeah I am a runner and mountain biker so a breed that would be able to keep up would be nice too!

Thanks again for all the suggestions.......I'm thinking

Hey, you should check out the dogs for sale section theres a FREE DD thats 15 months old, bet he'd make a great hunting buddy plus you could skip the puppy phase of potty training..have a look, i think i will end up owning a DD at some point, really like em good luck....ruth

p.s ...i google mapped how far you are from the pup and you are about 7 hours which is great since its too hot to ship, ROAD TRIP?? ...ruth

shot2high,
Sorry, I did not intend to hijack your thread. I wanted to present my Vizsla to show you what can be done. Just because I have done what I have with a pointing breed, it does not necessarily make it the best choice for you.

Don't rule out a breed because it has not been mentioned or single it to ones we have mentioned. Every breed has its own traits and though known as a versatile hunter will have common strengths for one particular type of hunting. Retrieving for example, or pointing upland, ranging or hunting close, warm or cold weather, etc. Even though you want a versatile dog, look at what game you hunt the most, where you hunt, and how you like to hunt. Look at the breeds temperment, will it be a close family pet, or only a hunting dog. Some breeds are more hi strung than others. Consider the weather and terrain related to the dogs coat. For example a single coat, smooth coat like my Vizla might present problems with winter water retrieving. From what you have posted, especially with the mix of fur and feather, I am also going to say to look hard at the DD. And I still would not rule out a Boykin. Wirehaired Griffon might be a good one to look at.

I have a DD bitch that has

pointed, retrieved 100's of wild birds
sits quietly in a blind and retrieves ducks, geese and crane
has pointed and retrieved hare and rabbit
jumped from a boat for Brant on the ocean
hunted snipe on the marsh
has treed bear
killed fox
killed coyote
and is the most stable, agreeable, gitalong and calm dog I have ever owned....

I'd take another like her in a heartbeat

Add wild boar, a Bobcat and so many coons and feral cats that I have lost count and you just describe my dogs