Best hot weather quail dog?

[azquailhntr]

Open discussion...what do you feel makes the best hot weather Quail dog and why? Starting my search for my next bird dog and find myself in AZ. I have been leaning towards a PP but, I still have reservations on how they handle the heat. Thanks for the input!
AZQ

[slistoe]

Nothing handles the heat like a Pointer that has been bred for it.

[AzDoggin]

Agree in general with the pointer as a good runner in hot weather.

Almost every breed has dogs that have great cardio and will do better in the heat than other dogs in the breed - I know some guys who run PP's in NAVHDA and are very happy with their stamina in the desert.

Another source of information might be to search NSTRA trial results and look at breeds of the dogs who win in Arizona. Here's a linky: http://www.nstra.org/Members/trialsearch.asp

[RayGubernat]

A light colored dog has an advantage over a darker colored dog in the sun and heat.

Pointers, as a breed, can handle heat like no other pointing breed.

To run in the heat a dog needs both the physical attributes AND the grit and determination to keep going hard in spite of the conditions.

Dogs, regardless of breed, that are bred to run to run in the heat will outperform members of their own breed that have not been selectively bred to run in the heat.

For example, English setters would not be a breed that most would consider hot weather dogs. However, there are English Setters out of West or South Texas and Oklahoma that are tough as nails and have as much bottom and endurance as anything out there.

RayG

[Birddogz]

English Pointer, end of story. They handle the heat better than any dog, and then obviously have a harder time with severe cold. If I lived in KS and south I would own at least 1 pointer.

[Ruffshooter]

What about that double barreled spanish pointer?

[birddogger]

EP hands down....Just my experience.

Charlie

[Wenaha]

I buz all the hair off my setters and run them into great condition. They can do it in the heat. But a pointer in great condition will do it better than any other breed. IMO.

[kninebirddog]

It also depends on the dog ...some dogs just deal better with heat then others no matter what breed they are

[azquailhntr]

Thanks for all of the replies! Does anyone know a line of EP that is bred for the heat? I haven't given them much consideration but I want to look a little closer. Not sure that is the way I will go as it will be an in the house dog. I understand that EP can be a little high strung in the house. Please correct me if I'm wrong...like I said I don't have a lot of experience with the breed. Also, aren't they a big running dog? I'm on foot all of the time so I don't think I would want a 3-400 yard dog. Sorry for the ignorance. I will be doing a lot more research on the breed.

Thanks again!
AZQ

[ultracarry]

Any working dog will have energy in the house at times. An outdoor kennel OS good for the larger breeds when you aren't home and a crate in the house for them to sleep at night. All the EP's I have heard of are good house dogs and learn to relax.

[slistoe]

Most EP's that I have experience with were as good a house dog as any of the pointing breeds and certainly better at keeping the floor clean than any of those whisker faced, drip my water everywhere, dogs.

[RayGubernat]

AZQ -

Any pointer that is bred to run in trials will have more than average heat tolerance becasue trials startIn August on the priaries when the temsp can push beyongd 80 and work their way down to Florida. The early trials are ALWAYS in the heat. in the NJ/DE/ eastern PA area the trials start around Labor Day and the temps are usually in the eighties or higher. Dogs are expected to run in front of a horse for an hour and finish the hour going away. That takes both heat tolerance and mental toughness, not to mention conditioning.

A young pointer is going to be a handful in the house, but then so will any performance bred youngster. As they mature, they settle down. My dogs are all outside dogs, but I am quite sure that I could bring in any of the adult dogs and they would be good citizens in the house. The youngsters...not so much.

As far as dog being big running...yes some of them are...if you let them. There are plenty of pointers that are very successful in USCSDA trials which are walking stakes and NSTRA which are walking shoot to retrieve stakes conducted in a restricted area. The simple fact is that pointers, even those from big running parents, can be trained to hunt at pretty much any reasonable range you want, if you start young and are consisitent. You can take the run out of a dog, but you cannot put it in.

The last thing about pointers that sets them apart from many other pointing breeds is that they have an "off" switch. If you leave some breeds of dogs in the kennel and do not mess with them on a regular basis, they can get squirrely and develop all manner of wierd behaviors, even destructive ones.

Most Pointers I have known wll go like racehorses when they are allowed to, but when kenneled, they kinda switch off and just hang out. There have been a couple that worked over the chainlink or their doghouses pretty well, but even they got tired of that eventually. As soon as I head to the kennel, they get all fired up because they know good things are gonna happen, but otherwise, they just pretty much lay there.

RayG

[birddogger]

It also depends on the dog ...some dogs just deal better with heat then others no matter what breed they are

That is true K9 but generally speaking I think the combination of hot weather and quail, the pointer would be hard to beat.

Charlie

[displaced_texan]

AZQ -

Any pointer that is bred to run in trials will have more than average heat tolerance becasue trials startIn August on the priaries when the temsp can push beyongd 80 and work their way down to Florida. The early trials are ALWAYS in the heat. in the NJ/DE/ eastern PA area the trials start around Labor Day and the temps are usually in the eighties or higher. Dogs are expected to run in front of a horse for an hour and finish the hour going away. That takes both heat tolerance and mental toughness, not to mention conditioning.

A young pointer is going to be a handful in the house, but then so will any performance bred youngster. As they mature, they settle down. My dogs are all outside dogs, but I am quite sure that I could bring in any of the adult dogs and they would be good citizens in the house. The youngsters...not so much.

As far as dog being big running...yes some of them are...if you let them. There are plenty of pointers that are very successful in USCSDA trials which are walking stakes and NSTRA which are walking shoot to retrieve stakes conducted in a restricted area. The simple fact is that pointers, even those from big running parents, can be trained to hunt at pretty much any reasonable range you want, if you start young and are consisitent. You can take the run out of a dog, but you cannot put it in.

The last thing about pointers that sets them apart from many other pointing breeds is that they have an "off" switch. If you leave some breeds of dogs in the kennel and do not mess with them on a regular basis, they can get squirrely and develop all manner of wierd behaviors, even destructive ones.

Most Pointers I have known wll go like racehorses when they are allowed to, but when kenneled, they kinda switch off and just hang out. There have been a couple that worked over the chainlink or their doghouses pretty well, but even they got tired of that eventually. As soon as I head to the kennel, they get all fired up because they know good things are gonna happen, but otherwise, they just pretty much lay there.

RayG

Well said, just two things...

80s isn't heat!


My Pointers have been inside since the day they have come home. Not really any more trouble than any other of the puppies we have had, and less than many.

[Birddogz]

Pointers are zero trouble inside. Very calm. They have a tendency to be more independent in the field, thus the stereotype that they don't care about you.

[gotpointers]

RayG excellent post. A hot english pointer has the desire to find birds and not worry about the cactus.
Also get that dog from someone who has handled the pup. Once you get the pup pet him always and have him look to you for guidance. Ignore him and he will not care to please you in the field. Make him your buddy you will both benifit from it.

[RayGubernat]

Well said, just two things...

80s isn't heat!


My Pointers have been inside since the day they have come home. Not really any more trouble than any other of the puppies we have had, and less than many.

Mid eighties is too hot for ME to hunt.

Seriously though, I was never all that keen on bird hunting in weather much above 70, for a lot of reasons. Certainloy one of those reasons is dehydrating a dog, but it most certainly wasn't the only one. Ticks, skeeters, crawly things that bite, blue green algae are some of the things that also come to mind.

RayG

[displaced_texan]

Well said, just two things...

80s isn't heat!


My Pointers have been inside since the day they have come home. Not really any more trouble than any other of the puppies we have had, and less than many.

Mid eighties is too hot for ME to hunt.

Seriously though, I was never all that keen on bird hunting in weather much above 70, for a lot of reasons. Certainloy one of those reasons is dehydrating a dog, but it most certainly wasn't the only one. Ticks, skeeters, crawly things that bite, blue green algae are some of the things that also come to mind.

RayG

I completely agree with everything you just said, except 80s being hot

I barely even dove hunt because of the heat, and I don't do that with dogs...