What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

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Steve007
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What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Steve007 » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:08 pm

Ok. Let's clarify that "bird dog" for many means "pointing dog". Actually, I agree. But here, let's call it a dog that hunts (and maybe retrieves) upland birds, including flushing them.

I had a friend who hunted pheasants over a Beagle. He always claimed Girl (not an original name) was the best pheasant dog in Illinois. She didn't retrieve, but would chase cripples (I admit she bayed when she was tracking one) and hold it until you got there. What the heck. It was effective, and she was pretty little to bring back a pheasant.

I'll bet you could train a Standard Poodle to be a good flusher and retriever easily.

What have you seen?

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Meller » Thu Apr 19, 2018 3:34 pm

Airdale, excellent retriever and pointed too, would retrieve from water or land!

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by polmaise » Thu Apr 19, 2018 4:24 pm

Steve007 wrote: I'll bet you could train a Standard Poodle to be a good flusher and retriever easily.

What have you seen?
It would be good to see a good flusher and retriever within the usual breeds on here .

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by reba » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:00 pm

My ACD (Red Heeler) :D

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by averageguy » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:10 pm

Meller wrote:Airdale, excellent retriever and pointed too, would retrieve from water or land!
I hunted with an Airedale alot when I was a kid. She hunted and retrieved Bobwhites and Doves when we we pursuing them, treed squirrels and Raccoons when that was our agenda.

I hunted pheasants and bobwhites with a female cross of a registered Redbone Coonhound and a registered Lab. The dog was a beautiful charcoal color with a red sheen when she was in the sunlight. Great nose, slow methodical hunter which is not my preference but there was no doubt to her effectiveness in good bird numbers, flash point and bring back everything that hit the ground. Would water retrieve as well and was an excellent blood tracker when there was a Whitetail or Turkey to be recovered.

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Sharon » Thu Apr 19, 2018 5:28 pm

long haired weimaraner

or how about this guy backing his setter friend :)

https://flic.kr/p/24YshDv

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Timewise65 » Thu Apr 19, 2018 8:35 pm

Appalachian Turkey dogs have been bred from a mixture of Plott hounds, setters and pointers. I have personally never seen one of these dogs, but I did see a film on their training and how they are used to hunt wild Turkey.

They are used primarily to hunt Turkeys in the Fall Season. In the fall the way you hunt Turkey is to first locate a flock of actively feeding turkeys in an open area. You then rush in and break them up. Then take cover within range of that flock and wait, in time they will usually return to the area to feed...no decoys or calling....just luck!

These dogs help to locate a flock and run out and break then up then returning when called. You set up in nearby cover and prepare for the shot to come to you. Here the kicker, you now have the dog next to you lay down in a small bag and zip the bag shut. The dog has been trained and they know to hold still and be quite. When that big 'Tom' comes back in the area you take your best shot, and then release the dog who will track a wounded bird (God Forbid) or just sits to mark the down bird....

The film was real interesting and like most bird dogs, the dog seemed to love the whole experience....

I believe most of this goes on in the southern states......

By the way my son and I went out yesterday on opening day of Spring Gobbler Season in Kansas, my son got a real fine Tom....we are going again Saturday....and it is my turn!

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by gundogguy » Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:59 am

Hunted and trained a numbers of Airedales. Hosted some 20 working weekends around the country for the Airedales parent club and Working committee over a 5yr span.
For the most part soft flushing dogs with serviceable retrieve.
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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Trekmoor » Fri Apr 20, 2018 7:53 am

A male border collie I competed with in the obedience ring was a good gundog. He didn't point but he was an O.K. hunter and a good retriever with a soft mouth.

A gamekeepers son had a Jack Russell x Norfolk terrier .....I think. That little dog was a good hunter , was fairly easily controlled while hunting and was also a good retriever although handling was not his strong point ! I never saw him return with any still live birds though ! :lol:

A huge black Newfoundland was a dog and a half at shoots . He was not fast when hunting but he certainly made the bushes move aside ! He liked retrieving but seldom got a chance to.....the other beaters dogs usually got to any fallen birds first !

I've worked a clumber on various shoots. He was a good hunter but not as fast paced as a decent springer or cocker. He loved retrieving but was not very good at being handled onto birds.

I like to try to keep an open mind when it comes to actually working dogs on shoots. Not every example of the more usual breeds is a good example and not every dog from the non gundog breeds is a complete dud.

Bill T.

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by marysburg » Fri Apr 20, 2018 11:28 am

I have a friend who has a Border Collie cross. It's the family pet, and one of those dogs who you could teach to do any job. This dog does a nice field search and flush, then he's steady to wing, shot and fall. Nice retrieve too. Not flashy like a pointy dog, but a very useful dog. He also will do water retrieves on ducks, and is the most deliberate big game blood tracker I've seen. Great dog, and he came from the pound.

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by KCKLH » Fri Apr 20, 2018 4:26 pm

Lol got a good story for this one.

My buddy had a work accident and ended up on a fixed income. With all the free time he was fairly easy to convince to go duck hunting with us and we got him hooked. Unfortunately his wife is the soft hearted type when it comes to animals so there were some budget battles. When she found out he had stashed $500 something odd dollars for a retriever puppy the next summer his money went straight into her purse and she adopts a pit/rott mixed puppy they picked up from a drug raid. When my friends and I find out we had a good laugh at his expense. Karma being what it is it turns out a smart guy with a smart dog and a lot of free time can apparently produce a better retriever on opening day than half the slackers that laughed at him. He moved but he visits every year for Christmas and we all root for her on retrieves. Now when prople ask about her as an inside joke we call her a Black and Tan Crack Retriever.

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by MNTonester » Sat Apr 21, 2018 8:53 am

I'll bet you could train a Standard Poodle to be a good flusher and retriever easily.
Okay Steve, I think you're trying to troll me. :D :D
Oscar, my SP really came on this past season. I've slowed down a bit and Oscar stays close (which I like) until he hits scent. The he really goes to town. He flash points the bird (my description) then flushes it. He's got a bit of a hard mouth, but as long as he finds and fetches, I'm okay with that

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What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by MGIII » Sat Apr 21, 2018 2:41 pm

I know of a standard poodle in training for bird hunting. It’s cool to see

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by JONOV » Mon Apr 23, 2018 1:31 pm

Steve007 wrote:Ok. Let's clarify that "bird dog" for many means "pointing dog". Actually, I agree. But here, let's call it a dog that hunts (and maybe retrieves) upland birds, including flushing them.

I had a friend who hunted pheasants over a Beagle. He always claimed Girl (not an original name) was the best pheasant dog in Illinois. She didn't retrieve, but would chase cripples (I admit she bayed when she was tracking one) and hold it until you got there. What the heck. It was effective, and she was pretty little to bring back a pheasant.

I'll bet you could train a Standard Poodle to be a good flusher and retriever easily.

What have you seen?
There's are a few breeders out there that are doing Retriever tests with Standard poodles, breeding them to hunt. One was on Duck Dynasty once.

I've seen a beagle that hunted pheasants and grouse...Saw it put up a pheasant from across the field.

I've seen an Aerdale at a public pheasant ground once.

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by polmaise » Mon Apr 23, 2018 2:38 pm

Well, if you can guess the breed then you Know your dogs I suppose .
This is my secret weapon for the shooting Field :mrgreen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxQSg0nczo

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by RYNO » Mon Apr 23, 2018 3:15 pm

My buddy hunted the family's German Shepard a few times, she worked the field pretty good. My dad hunted behind a friends GSD a few times as well. We used to take our little wirehair terrier mix out when we were kids, she definitely helped us!

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by Timewise65 » Tue Apr 24, 2018 9:10 am

My wife and I were at a hunt test (retrievers) being held in Sedalia, Missouri. A lady had driven all the way from Denver with two Standard Poodles (Over 14hrs.). She was running them in the Junior Hunt Tests. These tests consisted of two controlled marks and retrieve to hand on land and water. The maximum distances were maybe 70 yds. usually one shorter and one further on both water and land. I watched the dogs run, purely out of curiosity. I had heard of Poodles being used for hunting, but never actually saw one work.

They both took good lines to the mark and retrieved well to hand. They both passed all tests! The only thing I saw that I did not like was they were not hard driving dogs working slowly, but were very well trained on marks. I was not able to see them scenting on the marks, suggesting they had not yet learned to use their noses on birds or maybe were just not dogs with good noses?

We spoke to the owners and they said they both were show dogs, and having a hunting title helped in shows as it expanded the versatility of the breed which is part of their standard....

It was fun watching them, and watching the spectators, most of whom at top Labs or Golden's running. The expressions on some of these faces was priceless....

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by crackerd » Wed Apr 25, 2018 7:26 am

polmaise wrote:Well, if you can guess the breed then you Know your dogs I suppose .
This is my secret weapon for the shooting Field :mrgreen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxQSg0nczo
Robt.! Are you and Monty Roberts taking over Lilibet and Georgie's "din-asty"? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/worl ... abeth.html The clumbers ain't gonna like that, if the PR Anne has anything to say about it.

And what's the big thing about poodles as "unusual" birddogs - they originated as retrievers, didn't they? Not like they evolved from the Sharpei or something...

MG

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by polmaise » Wed Apr 25, 2018 11:58 am

crackerd wrote:
polmaise wrote:Well, if you can guess the breed then you Know your dogs I suppose .
This is my secret weapon for the shooting Field :mrgreen:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPxQSg0nczo
Robt.! Are you and Monty Roberts taking over Lilibet and Georgie's "din-asty"? https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/18/worl ... abeth.html The clumbers ain't gonna like that, if the PR Anne has anything to say about it.

And what's the big thing about poodles as "unusual" birddogs - they originated as retrievers, didn't they? Not like they evolved from the Sharpei or something...

MG
The 'Usual' I've seen too often is 'Standard' breeds Untrained as bird dogs - and I'm not talking Poodles . :mrgreen:
On one particular shoot a guy works two border collies in the Picking up line that would put many Retrievers to shame ,and does equally well in the beating line with the Spaniels. 8)
Another shoot has a fella , with a 3 legged whippet who can hunt and flush under control beyond any abilities of some 'Good breeding :wink:
That same shoot has a Border Terrier called Badger ' ..I love this little guy :) ..He just loves to hunt and goes in cover where even the the hardest of 'So called' Standard hunting dogs dare not . :mrgreen:

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Re: What's the most unusual breed bird dog you ever saw?

Post by gspbrit » Wed May 02, 2018 12:00 pm

Poodles are definitely great hunting dogs; you have to have a tube of lanolin to keep the burrs out though. I hunted over a standard poodle that was the best flusher that I've ever hunted over; she did a windshield wiper imitation at 20 -30 yards and retrieved like a champion. That experience taught me to buy GSP's since pre-hunt lanolin is a pain! Now I use it on my Brittanys, nonetheless. As a kid I had a collie that pointed rabbits like an FC as well.

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