Gun Dog Forum

I'm curious, what hunting dogs do people have at home? A lab and a shorthair? Three Brittany's? Does anyone besides a breeder have 5+ dogs? I always thought that it would be neat (and a fools dream) to have five dogs of all different breeds that I like. Chessie, lab, shorthair, Brittany, and a setter. Anyway, why did you choose the breed(s) over any other to be your hunting buddy?


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I have three Golden Retrievers, all are field trained also they are indoor pets. The reasons I have always had Golden Retrievers (1) because my major hunting is waterfowl. I do upland game every year, but if I go out 2-3 times it is unusual. I go waterfowl hunting 10-20 times a year. (2) when I started with Golden's I had three kids, the boys were 10 and 12, my daughter was 18. Golden's are typically extremely good house dogs especially with kids. I now have 6 Grandkids ranging from 2yr. to 21yrs. (3) Golden's are great retrievers and good flushing dogs and relatively easy to train.

Over the years I have thought seriously about getting a Brittany or Clumber Spaniel....good Clumber's, for field work, are hard to find and really expensive! A Brittany is still under consideration when I lose one or two of my Golden's...but I hope that is not real soon!

I have 5 britts now. I space them about 2 years apart(that way I have 3 ready to hunt, 1 too old to hunt, & 1 learning to hunt). That way if I go on road trips I have fresh dogs in case of injury, heat cycle, hot weather, litters, worn out, etc. I like the britts with their shorter tails & smaller size because there is less breakage in the house & they take up less space on the couch . All 5 of my britts are house dogs but I only have 2 in the house at a time (less drama :roll: ). I'm getting too old(replaced knee, etc.) to hunt hard anymore, so I'm going to keep 1 pup out of my next litter and that should get me by for 10 more years I've been in britts since '88--before that(starting in '74) I had 3 springers that were spaced 3 years apart. I just like the smaller sized sporting dogs--they also eat less then the bigger dogs--saving me money on dog food & less clean up afterward

four english setters one pointer setters are my fav,but the pointer dose better in the heat thats the only reason i dont have five setters

One 11 year old setter now - her Mom died in 2015,(avatar). Probably be my last gun dog as I would be in my 80s if a new pup lived to 10 . Unlikely I could give it the exercise it would need. I always have had a JRT . I love the challenge of a JRT ; they will back and put up rabbits too.

Always keep my dogs in the house.

As an active person in the shooting field It's best to have the right tools for the job. So being a kinda fella that does all sorts of stuff I like having the right tool at the right time .
In August it's Grouse ..so a Pointer of any breed is an asset when I'm walking them up ..to shoot! ..We have driven Grouse so having a Retriever who is steady and can both mark and handle on a blind is great .
September is Partridge and I also work in a beating line ,so having a little dog that can enter cover and flush is essential .
Having a Retriever that can both Mark and handle for crippled birds is also essential.
Pigeon Shooting both Roost and decoy requires a quiet /steady dog and calm ...A good retriever is essential .
September also brings Duck season , so one that can take cold and water ..and steady to shot and splash with a good coat would be my friend .
October brings the Pheasant season and that's 'High drive stuff' with multiple bogies ..and lot's going on ..so either a flusher that's steady to that wing and shot ,or one that can sit and wait without noise helps in both situ .
November -Jan is full on all things ..so you can pick and choose your sport or Game ..and them White hares can test the best of any breed ..in my parts ..
March - well that's Rabbits ..and them little critters take a good hunting dog to not just find them but stop or point ..because I'm gonna shoot !!
May/June ..we usually go on holiday . .....With the dogs .

I've got only two these days. Probably best for the two left, make more time for each. Squirt is the english Setter and Stormy is the Red Setter. With Bodie gone now, in the next year or two I plan on another, probably gonna be a Red female. I'm hoping the live to 85 to see my youngest grand child graduate high school. if Stormy make's it to 12, that would put me at 79 and without a dog, that isn't gonna happen. I could not make it without a dog! In two years I'll be 73. Add 12 years with another dog at that time and that put's me at 85. Hoping my last dog goes the day before me, no one would spoil them like I do so I wouldn't have to worry about that then. My dad had a little mutt for a long time. He died and she was still around. A brother took her in but she died of a broken heart, not for me!

Three English Pointers...

All in the house.

I have a springer spaniel and an English Pointer. Both are house dogs.

Springer spaniel: I love them! Smart as a whip and willing to please. Plus they are extremely versatile, hunting any retrieving anything a guy or gal could want.

English Pointer: I kind of got her as a rescue and I could stand seeing a dog with desire and instinct not have a job. She's been a sweetheart. Destroyed all my preconceived notions of pointers. And she's an incredible bird dog. I'll probably get another.

Mostly all Pointers, and 2 Setters since 1971, Vizslas before that. I have had as many as 5 Pointers at a time in the kennel, but usually had one in the house with me.

Up till three years ago had 2 Pointers and a rescued Beagle in the house. I am down to one 22 month old Pointer in the house, and he is more trouble that the three that preceded him. LOTS of desire, takes lots of roading, but quite a bird dog! He is an honest 20 mile dog, day after day, after day.

I've got 2 gsp's

Grew up with Irish Setters but couldn't deal with the cockle burrs so I switched to gsp's. I've thought of changing breeds but just never got it done. My boys tell me I'm to old to change.

I'm sure I could learn to love any pointing breed. I just love to watch a dog freeze up on point.

Here's the pack. Mine are the middle two with the boys dogs.

A GSP and a GWP/Lab. Good early season upland dog and a good late season waterfowl dog.

I've always had two Setters until a few years ago. I have one 13 year old Setter and a 10 year old Chessie now.

I had two big going dogs in the years we hunted Huns on the edge of the prairie. Huns were always widely scattered and two dogs made it a lot easier to find them. A few years ago, my remaining Setter, never a great retriever, decided to hunt only and leave the retrieving to me. I started borrowing my neighbors Chessie to do the retrieving, Worked so well that I take the Chessie on all the hunts.

I have Pointers and Setters. I had Shorthairs for about fifteen years and couldn't find any that caught my fancy. My first dog was a heck of a dog, but didn't have the bottom of the long-tailed Pointers. I decided to try a Pointer and Setter. I looked up a couple of litter and bought them not knowing anything about the sire, dam, lines, anything and they have both blown me away. I had the Pointer and she had incredible heat tolerance and stamina and the Setter is the most biddable thing I've ever trained. I just bred the Setter and got a dog that's ten times more biddable than her.

People will say why they picked certain breeds, but I think it was because they trained with a dog of that breed or haven't seen the dogs of another breed. If you have an 8 you think it's the largest number out there until you cross the fence one day and find a bunch of double-digit numbers. Pointers make exceptional house dogs with most having an off switch so you can bring them inside and they just become couch potatoes. Most have a natural retrieving instinct, they typically run super large, buy you can find those that don't. They are an incredible breed that I think more people should look into. The best kept secret in birddogs.

Black lab and standard poodle. The lab is 11YO and seeing reduced time in the field but still has plenty of enthusiasm despite his age and arthritis. Meant to get an English Cocker but twice the breeding just didn't happen so went to my second choice, the poodle. Had my doubts about my sanity for doing so, but the poodle is smart and really started to come on toward the end of this past hunting season. Plus he's about the sweetest most affectionate dog I've ever had (and that's saying a lot considering my now gone Springer and current lab, Chaz were/are as sweet as they come {that's Chaz in the avatar}).

English Springer, field bred type, from a family blood line. Had Skys' great aunt. My brother had his great grand father and now has Skys full sister. Was looking to get a pup from Skys litter(he was stud) but She Who Must be Obeyed pointed out that we had new carpeting and I really didn't want to start with another pup at my age. Got into ESS 25 years ago. You get used to them, it gets hard to not have one around. This one is a house dog, but loves swamps and heavy brush. Quiet in the house, well mannered, and a real chick magnet-which would have been nice to know 50 years ago.

One comin', one goin'. The old gal is 12, the youngster, well, a youngster. I own DD's because I hunt all different birds. Waterfowl, upland, pheasant, grouse; everything so I need a dog that will be as good on waterfowl as on upland. Plus, be a pet around the house and put up with my grand daughters.

gonehuntin' wrote:


One comin', one goin'. The old gal is 12, the youngster, well, a youngster. I own DD's because I hunt all different birds. Waterfowl, upland, pheasant, grouse; everything so I need a dog that will be as good on waterfowl as on upland. Plus, be a pet around the house and put up with my grand daughters.

Understand!

gonehuntin' wrote:


One comin', one goin'. The old gal is 12, the youngster, well, a youngster. I own DD's because I hunt all different birds. Waterfowl, upland, pheasant, grouse; everything so I need a dog that will be as good on waterfowl as on upland. Plus, be a pet around the house and put up with my grand daughters.

Understand!

Currently have 7 pointers. Need to add a lab puppy in the next year or so. Have a planned breeding this spring and will keep one or two back out of that. I usually buy or raise a pup or two every year to sell as a started or finished dog.

I have a Griff, for the same reasons as gonehuntin. Hunt everything from Sept to March. I like having a dog that is good on early season chickens, and can still take a long blind across icy waters for Canada's in January.

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Vizslas, I hunt in temps of 0 - 80+ I need a dog that can handle that range of temps. In the off season I am training and the temps of summer can get,,, well you know. I need a dog that is searching for game not water. In the winter in snow my dogs will hunt all day and not get snow balls in their feet, and when they check in and do a run by their tongue is not hanging out, they are using their nose. They do not roll in the snow and plug the beeper trying to cool themselves. Good in water but I know of better dogs to break ice, although I have had a couple that would break ice on purpose just to swim. Natural bird dogs out of the crate. Most love to retrieve naturally and will point game at six weeks old. In the house {kennel for me} they are the cleanest of the upland dogs. No wet floors from a wet beard. Shed very little, no maintenance coat, good watchdogs and great with people, very easy to look at.. Great personality and get along with other dogs. Medium in size, camo coat and stylish on birds and don`t eat a ton of feed. Typically very healthy. The smartest breed of the upland breeds and that is important to me. I like an intelligent dog that loves to please.
I run my dogs of Horseback and on foot in the off season. I foot hunt game during the hunting season. Pheasants, Sharptails, Ruffed Grouse early ducks, Woodcock. I need a dog that can do that without being a pain.
I train them all and there is no replacement for a good Vizsla imo.
BUT,, they are not for everybody, but Great for me and my purpose.

I have 1 American Brittany. Wife and i travel with a fifth wheel and the Britts are not to big and travel well. I am getting old and a shorthair would probably knock me over. I had big shorthairs years ago and they were a little hard on my body. My current Britt hunted for me for 4 full days and was running like an all age dog on the 4th day. That is all the dog i need.

Vman wrote:Vizslas, I hunt in temps of 0 - 80+ I need a dog that can handle that range of temps. In the off season I am training and the temps of summer can get,,, well you know. I need a dog that is searching for game not water. In the winter in snow my dogs will hunt all day and not get snow balls in their feet, and when they check in and do a run by their tongue is not hanging out, they are using their nose. They do not roll in the snow and plug the beeper trying to cool themselves. Good in water but I know of better dogs to break ice, although I have had a couple that would break ice on purpose just to swim. Natural bird dogs out of the crate. Most love to retrieve naturally and will point game at six weeks old. In the house {kennel for me} they are the cleanest of the upland dogs. No wet floors from a wet beard. Shed very little, no maintenance coat, good watchdogs and great with people, very easy to look at.. Great personality and get along with other dogs. Medium in size, camo coat and stylish on birds and don`t eat a ton of feed. Typically very healthy. The smartest breed of the upland breeds and that is important to me. I like an intelligent dog that loves to please.
I run my dogs of Horseback and on foot in the off season. I foot hunt game during the hunting season. Pheasants, Sharptails, Ruffed Grouse early ducks, Woodcock. I need a dog that can do that without being a pain.
I train them all and there is no replacement for a good Vizsla imo.
BUT,, they are not for everybody, but Great for me and my purpose.

So, whata ya think bout Vizslas's?

I only have a cocker currently and he's a great all around hunting dog. Looking to add another dog next year, most likely a lab as I do a lot of goose hunting. Sure do love the look of setters and wirehairs though. Tough decision to make when you can't go out and get them all.

I have a Braque d'Auvergne because I wanted a short haired dog that was much smarter and way better looking than a Vizsla.

I read a profile of the breed in a British hunting magazine 20 years ago and mentally filed the info away... When I decided time was right for a dog of my own, I googled around and began researching various breeds, reviewing the dogs I had hunted over, and kept coming back to the BA as the right dog for my situation. I needed a dog with a lack of sharpness toward, kids, dogs, and cats, since all are around my house. I was encouraged by reports of "couch potato" in the house (semi-true ) The relative scarcity of the breed in America was a concern; I asked myself more than once, "If these are such great dogs, why aren't there more of them?" In the end, I took a leap and am glad I did.

Certainly the look was a big factor as I've always had a soft spot for hounds



She's a little soft, and can be stubborn, but, pretty much self trains around birds.



At 8 months, she starts a little slow, but, handles and ranges well in the fields, and checks in when we're in the woods.

I have 4 pointers. I run in coverdog trials and guide bird hunters so I need the best.

We have two English setters and a Chesapeake (all females and all from field trial lines). I like the setters because A) I love the classic look of them, the grace of their gait, and that high flag on point always makes my day B) I mostly hunt chukar and they have the range, athleticism, and endurance to go up and down the hills C) they're sweet souls that are a pleasure to be around and have a nice "off" switch (as long as they get their run). The Chessie is my sweetie's dog and he got her because A) it is his opinion that if you're a serious waterfowl hunter (which I am not) then there is no substitute when it comes to mental/physical toughness B) he believes their innate talent for marking is superior to other retrievers C) it's a true American breed and he's very patriotic and D) (probably most importantly) all of his hunting buddies have labs and he likes to be contrary .

If I was going to add another breed to the pack it would probably be an English cocker. I got to hunt behind one last year for pheasant and it was an absolute treat. Great little dog, very animated and fun to watch, really good at his job, and cute as heck to boot.

Fun question. Thanks for asking!

Two setters at the moment. They are such nice dogs to watch hunt and to relax on the couch.

Sorry to post again , but I was going through some old pics today and remembered why I love setters.

I have a Braque d'Auvergne because I wanted a short haired dog that was much smarter and way better looking than a Vizsla.

Good luck with that! This is what I like. Just kidding. Get to work with a Braque this Spring. It will be a first.

Awesome posts and pics everyone. I really would like to get 3 to 4 dogs someday. For those of you that have this many or more, do you find it to be feasible? My wife and I bring home a moderate income, but my concern is this: With a couple kids and that many dogs, do you feel that you give enough attention to all of your dogs?


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jcaff1019 wrote:Awesome posts and pics everyone. I really would like to get 3 to 4 dogs someday. For those of you that have this many or more, do you find it to be feasible? My wife and I bring home a moderate income, but my concern is this: With a couple kids and that many dogs, do you feel that you give enough attention to all of your dogs?


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I can't speak on it being feasible with a wife and kids because I don't yet have kids and I'm not married but I do have a lady to answer to. Comfortably on the high end I would say 4-7 dogs. With 7 dogs feeding, watering and exercising takes about 2 hours every morning. One or two are inside at a time the rest are in kennels. Three in the house could probably be fine but with 3 dogs and kids running around thats a lot of legs. Attention has never been an issue. If you have time to give 1 dog attention you can give 20 dogs the same. Most dogs sleep all day anyway, the time spent during feeding, exercise and training is plenty of attention. The biggest thing with collecting working dogs is make sure you need that many dogs. Most people don't get out enough to warrant one dog, let alone 3 or 4. Nothing like a pack of bored hounds to make your day to day life heck.

I think that's a personal question that's hard for someone else to answer for you. If you have kids in competitive sports and you work for a living I think you would have a hard time having 3-4 and bringing out their best potential. At least I would. 2 is my personal max. I currently am down to 1 dog and with the kids I'm not sure when I'll add a second again for awhile.

setterpoint wrote:four english setters one pointer setters are my fav,but the pointer dose better in the heat thats the only reason i dont have five setters

Oster A5. Problem solved. I like to leave the feathering on the front legs but do shorten and thin it, and on the tail but remove from the base for about 4" , thin and then trim.Almost forgot, shave the ears under and over!

Most I ever had was four. Down to two retirees. Gotta wait for one to pass before I start a new pup. Been pretty varied. GSPs, labs, goldens, and one foul tempered GWP.

Labs are the happiest and friendliest breed I've ever encountered. I don't think I could love anything as much as a lab loves everything except for maybe the lab itself. Easy to train, versatile, and a pleasure to be around.

Goldens are sweet, beautiful, and trainable. Not a mean bone in their body. Just not enough personality for my taste.

GSPs were my favorite for the field. Least favorite for the house. More prone to chew. More prone to dog aggression. Maybe too smart. Only dog I've ever seen take revenge and openly mock somebody. "Stop begging." Mopes in the corner. I finish eating. "Come here and give me a kiss." Looks me dead in the eye, walks across the room, and gives my brother a little lick on the chin. Another time I gave the other two dogs I had at the time a treat. She didn't come immediately and missed out
Ran straight to my bed and peed all over it. Sassy little brat lol.

Next will likely be a Brittany. Seen some very people oriented brittanies and I prefer pointers to flushers.

I had a Weimaraner.
Then I had a Weimaraner and a Vizsla.
Then I had a Vizsla.
Then I had a Vizsla and a Braque Francais.
And now I have a Braque Francais.
All were/are inside dogs.

Two dogs isn't really much more work than one IMO. More food, more clean up, more hair but not much more work in the big scheme of things.
My theory was that as my older dog got to about 9 yrs old I would get a pup and the older dog would train the younger one. Worked pretty good. They pick up alot watching and interacting with the older dogs when they are pups.

The Weim was a tremendous dog. Queen of the house, smart, beautiful and clever. The Vizsla was huge. 70lbs, almost as big as the Weim, all go and would hunt 'til he dropped. Not the brightest bulb but a lover. The braque is a much better inside dog than the other two. very laid back, not needy, but smart. Tremendous nose and loves to pheasant hunt out in the grass we have birds in. He doesn't like quail though and hates the thorns. Won't hunt them at all. But he's a very cool dog.

I started out with a pointer and stayed with them. Been over 50 years now and while I have seen some awesome dogs of other pointing breeds... I have never had the urge to change breeds.

My dog related activities revolve around upland birds almost exclusively, no waterfowl.

The most dogs I ever had was 7, but that was because of a litter I had that I could not decide which ones to keep from.

Currently I have 3 dogs at home and one with the trainer.

All my dogs are outside dogs. Always have been. Not a fan of animals in the house on a continuing basis. Dog hair and dog smell is not something my wife or I want to live with. Occasionally we will let one in for a treat, but other than for medical necessity...the dogs are outside.

To the OP's question... I had two dogs most all the while I was living in the 'burbs on a postage stamp of a property. I had one child and a fairly demanding job and still found time to do all that needed to be done for the family and the dogs...and me. My son grew up with dogs and took to hunting fairly early on, so there was not much competition from "other " sports, although he did run track through high school. We hunted a lot. Hunting over dogs was...and still is... my sport of choice.

Pointers do have a definite advantage over some breeds in the temperament department. Most pointers have a very defined "OFF" switch, so they generally do quite well with much less attention than some other breeds. They are quite content to live in a kennel environment with short, but routine human contact without coming unbalanced. I have never heard of a pointer with separation anxiety. However, the flip side of that is that most pointers tend to be on the independent side, so while they re not clingy and needy of attention, they will hunt their way away from you and sometimes...not care whether you are following or not. When the switch is turn to "ON", the dog is hunting and that is its unswerving focus.

RayG

I've got 3 Drahts. I love hunting, of all kinds. They point, retrieve, run hot rabbit tracks, tree coons if the coons lucky, blood trail, bay hogs, etc., etc.

I know most of y'all probably have little faith in a dog like these, but they amaze me every time we're out.

The Op's question is very well positioned. He doesn't ask, "What do you think is the best gun dog and why?" Therefore, everyone is 100% correct...even Vman!
Sharon, that is one stunning pic of your dog! What a gem!!

Thank you friend. Nothing better than a tall white tail.

( I think I got that little lady through a breeding of your choosing , if I remember correctly. )

This is a great thread, and a great question.

My eldest is a gsp. I have him because when I got him that was a breed I was familiar with and my friend had a litter. I wanted a dog with a short coat, that would point birds and retrieve them.

My other dog is a pointer. I wanted to branch out a bit and try another breed, a friend of mine ran pointers and knew I would like them. The pointer hunts much harder than my gsp, he covers more ground, and is a nice retriever. He runs like the wind and has more stamina than I thought was possible for a pointing dog.

I'm happy with both dogs, both a different yet similar in ways. Both point and hold nicely for me to flush and shoot the bird. The gsp runs closer than the pointer, he wears out a bit faster but I can keep up with him. The pointer goes very fast, at times I move quickly to keep up with him.

Temperment wise, the pointer is a big teddy bear. He lays around on the couch and is very relaxed. The gsp is a bit more rambunctious and less relaxed. They keep each other engaged in the backyard.

I had Springer's all of my adult life until my last Springer passed. An old friend and childhood hunting buddy recommend that we try a Brittany. We did and never looked back. Great hunters, family members, and sweet dispositions. That's all I wanted.

I have had several breeds of Pointing Gun Dogs.
GSP's have an amazing off switch but like most breeds make sure you research the bloodline.
My dogs are bird hunting machines in the field but get indoors and are calm lap dogs.

I have a 4 month old Boykin Spaniel. I really wanted a lab or wirehair pointer, but our duplex only allows dogs under 35lbs. He's (hopefully) gonna be my little duck dog, and will end up just the right size for my little Jon Boat. Might try to work on flushing later on but I'm more concerned with retrieving.

Let's put aside those who are seriously involved in breeding, as specialization definitely increases the required depth of knowledge.

With that exception, there's a lot to be said for having different breeds over a lifetime. In terms of gun dogs, I've had Gordon Setters, a Labrador and now have two German Wirehaired Pointers. All have been the right decisions at the time, and have benefited my life immeasurably; none have been mistakes. As with dating, you gain greatly by broadening your scope of relationships. But with dogs, your odds of a great series of relationships are much better.

I have a Labrador and an EP.

The labrador is a pet first, and my wife's first dog in her life. It took years for her to be interested in getting a dog for the family. I grew up hunting with labradors and mine passed within the first few months of my wife and me dating, so it had been a few years since I had owned a dog. Since I assumed that I would get just one dog, I wanted one that would be versatile. We just couldn't agree on a continental breed. We could agree that another Labrador would work but I insisted on buying a lab from pointing lines, expecting that it would mostly hunt ducks but I could hunt it on preserve quail and on the annual pheasant trip out west.

Sure enough, she loved the labrador and soon wanted another dog. I thought a Brittany would be a good choice but after considering it more and seeing how well the labrador was performing in hunting close on upland game, I looked into Pointers from walking shooting dog & shoot to retrieve lines to add more range to the hunt. I found a breeder with a program that produces such dogs that can stay in the house.

I have a brittany. My favourite local game is ruffed grouse. I hunt local woodcock also, but mostly for the dog. She's the best hunting buddy I've ever had and best house dog I've ever owned. She's even my wife's favourite dog.

I once owned a springer from the best Canadian Kennel. She wasn't a great people dog and I never had the heart to trainer her to stay within gun range...she loved to run too much. It's why I love a pointing breed.