which dog breed for beginner

[djoyce]

which breed would you recommend for a beginner who lives in arkansas, and quail hunts mainly but will go to kansas at least once a year. growing up, i remember we had an irish setter and a springer, but i was little and have no opinion other than I really can't find info on what these breeds do that are so different from one another

[AZ Brittany Guy]

Either a German Shorthair Pointer or an American Brittany would be good choices. I suggest you go to AKC.org and look under breeds or sporting breeds and you should be guided to both of them. Do a search of the Breed Clubs and you should be able to get some good information.

Good Luck and Happy Hunting.

PS. There are several good Brittany breedings out their right now and one is in your state.

[djoyce]

what and who is the good brittany breeding in my state?

[AZ Brittany Guy]

what and who is the good brittany breeding in my state?

Message
FTbritts
Rank: Junior Hunter


Joined: 11 Jan 2005
Posts: 61

Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 3:54 am Post subject: 3X CH 8X R-U CH FC GUNRUNNER'S LADY'S MAN PUPS

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We are please to announce the breeding between 3X Ch./8X-RU AmFld.Ch./FC Gunrunner's Lady's Man (FC Gunrunner's Whetstone Lady and Shotshell's Flyer) X FULL PROOF BULLETT (Full Proof Frank X Jackie Bullette)

3X Ch./8X R-U AmFld.Ch./FC Gunrunner's Lady's Man is the newly crowned 2006 Quail Classic Champion. (1 hour stake) He is a well built flashy running dog with a lot of stamina and intelligence. When you let him loose he has one thing on his mind, and that is to find and point birds with style and intensity. His Linebred "Gun Runner" lineage is like the who's who of bird dogs with such notables as; NAFC FC AFC Jake's Son of a Gunrunner and NAFC FC AFC Gun Runner's Far Out.

FC Gunrunner's Lady's Man AKA "Lutie's" Record speaks volumes. He has an amazing 19 hour wins and was posted in this years 2007 National Open Championship and has been in the Top Ten Purina All age dog of the year Awards 3 years in a row! Some of Lutie's more notable acomplishments include:

2007 Kansas Championship Winner
2006 Quail Classic Champion
*Runner Up at the 2006 Texas Open All Age Championship
*Runner Up in 2006 Western Brittany Open All Age Championship
*Winner of 2005 Midwest One Hour Open All Age
*Winner of 2005 GPBC One Hour Open All Age
*Runner-Up in the 2005 Western Regional
Shooting Dog Championship
*Runner Up in 2005 Dakota Prairie Championshp
*Runner Up Champ in 2005 Kansas Open All Age


FULL PROOF BULLETT is known as being phenomenally proficient, intelligent, endowed with bird sense, with style and grace in action. She is very impressive on her game, showing high on both ends. She is very biddable, lots of heart and is as tough as they come. She is strongly line bred 4X to Bullet Proof II and 2X to HOF/NFC/AFC/FC/2X Am Fld. Ch. Hi-Proof Rum Runner whom is on record as being a top adult winner with a performance record of 73 total wins 6 juvenile wins and 67 all age wins. She is sired by Full Proof Frank (Frank is the sire to American Brittany Club’s youngest Field Champion in history! Her dam is Jackie Bullett. Her sire is a 6X American Field Champion and her dam is a 1X American Field Champion. This is Bullett's third litter and I have kept a pup out of each one. She is definately putting her stamp on her pups.

You would be hard pressed to find a better bred puppy.

Puppies 8M - 4 F
whelped 11/29/2007
Dual registered AKC and American field
Purina Pro Plan® Puppy starter kit
$600 males
$650 females E MAIL fullproof@sbcglobal.net
(405) 473-8513 ....Jim

Pictures and pedigrees available upon request.

[Grange]

Well a springer is a flushing dog and a irish setter is a pointing dog.

When I bought my first house I decided to get my first dog. I grew up with Chesapeake Bay Retievers, but always like black labs. I went with a lab, which of coarse is a flusher. For me it was the right move. I never trained a dog by myself so I wanted some that was familiar and had an idea of what I was doing.

In my opinion for general hunting purposes I think flushers are easier to train than pointers. Advanced training may be different.

[Greg Jennings]

I have a hard time thinking of quail hunting with a flusher. Don't say that it can't be done, just that I have a hard time fitting it into the place and way that we quail hunted when I was young.

Best, Greg J.

[Ruffshooter]

One way to see the difference in some of the pointing versatile breeds is to go to a NAVHDA event and watch and ask questions. (North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association.) If you are luckiy there will be a few setters and pointers there as well. There are chapters in every state.

[tfbirddog2]

I would highly agree with a GSP or Britt for beginners if pup has good gene pool training will be very easy.I am not a fan of flushers with quail hunting totally wrong for the hunt to me.

[Grange]

I have a hard time thinking of quail hunting with a flusher. Don't say that it can't be done, just that I have a hard time fitting it into the place and way that we quail hunted when I was young.

Best, Greg J.

You may be correct. I don't hunt quail so I'll defer to people who have. But the point of my post is I think flushers are easier to train for hunting purposesfor a beginner. If pointing dogs are better for quail then pointing dog that is easy to train is probably the way to go.

I've hunted with both shorthairs and brittanies and both breeds owners I have talked to say their dog was easy to train.

[TrueBlu Shorthairs]

One cannot generalize that one breed is easier or one type of dog is easier for a beginner, period. There are lines of all breeds that have a tendency to be tougher for a new trainer. But, even that is off. There are GSPs that are just too much dog for dang near anyone. There are pointers so hardheaded that no one can train them. There are Brits that are far too soft for a newbie. However, the opposite can be said of all these breeds as well.

Find a breeder who breeds for the type of hunting you will do in the areas you will hunt. A breeder who has a reputation for breeding somewhat "idiot proof" dogs. Dogs that will take mistakes better. DOGS THAT ARE SOMEWHAT TOUGH AND NATURAL!!! Many GSPs will be more of a joy to train than a chore. Find a breeding of this type of dog.

I own, trial, and hunt GSPs so I am very biased. I do feel you will find more quality breedings, by quality dogs, from quality breeders, who actually hunt, in GSPs. There are good breeders in Kansas(Gulledges), Missouri(Coffelts), Texas(Sale, Rabidou, Bodenstab) of GSPs. You should have a relatively easy time finding a nice pup. BUT, don't get in a hurry. Don't buy from show breeders or those who tell you a JH title means much. Look for pups with parents who are truly HUNTED on wild birds and who compete, with FC AFC and MH titles throughout their pedigrees. This type of dog will tend to be more of what you are seeking IMHO.

[Mav&Lizzy]

I honestly don't think the breed has much to do with it as far as this topic goes. I think its more the blood lines. No matter what breed you get if the pup comes from good breeding it should hit the ground with the right instincts.

My first dog I was 18 years old and bought a 7 month old Setter that had been introduced to gun fire and a wing on a string. I grew up around coon hounds and had only even hunted behind a bird dog once. That dog was awesome and now at 35 years old, I've been hooked every since. Now I've come across dogs with poorer breeding that needed more training and occassionally you'll come across and well bred dog that for some reason doesn't have what it takes, but that pretty few and far between, in my opinion.

For a brand new person though I'd think about a started dog. Find a good breeder/trainer that can help you find something to fit your needs. Honestly it may come down to what breed just looks best to you but all of them, if bred well, would be just fine for a beginner.

[AT2]

which breed would you recommend for a beginner who lives in arkansas, and quail hunts mainly but will go to kansas at least once a year. growing up, i remember we had an irish setter and a springer, but i was little and have no opinion other than I really can't find info on what these breeds do that are so different from one another

I know a few breeders here in Arkansas. My breeder may actually have some on the way don't know if they are spoken for. Where do you live in Arkansas? He is up near Cabot. I live in NLR. You may want to check out the website in my signature and join our discussion boards.

[Greg Jennings]

I do absolutely believe that it is more dog/line than breed.

OTOH, I think that there are generalities that can be discussed.

For example, when talking about a dog that is primarily going to be used for retrieving from water, I think it's going to be easier for a beginner to train them.

Best, Greg J.

[Cora's Shadow]

djoyce,

Do you have any other specifications for your next hunting dog? Most pointing breeds will handle quail and occasional pheasants really well for you. Do you have any coat or size preferences? And what type of dog would you like to hunt behind? Do you want something slow and methodical or something that runs big and flashy? And what about your training style? Can you be tough on your dog or are you looking for a softer dog?

I heard someone say once that you should just pick whichever breed that you think is the best looking. Their reasoning was that you have to look at the dog for 15 years so you better pick something you like. He said that once you decide what breed you like the looks of, you can start talking to different breeders about different lines in that breed to find the right temperament and hunting style for you. I always thought that the guy had a point.

[TrueBlu Shorthairs]

To add to that thought a little, I do agree with deciding which breed looks the best to you. However, there are dogs that are pretty lying by the fire and then there are dogs that are excellent hunting companions. Sometimes the two are the same, sometimes not. To quote my cousin Forest Gump, "pretty is as pretty does". A lousy birddog can get pretty ugly pretty quickly. An ugly dog can be beautiful IF he's a good one...

http://www.gsp-photos.us/field/JK_york.htm

This dog has been called UGLY forever. I was told he should have been drowned as a puppy. However, he's had over a thousand wild birds killed over him, quail, pheasants, chukar, sharpies, has around 40 trial placements, MH scores, and is a great friend. He's beautiful, in my eyes.

[Flush]

I think you first need to decide if you want a flusher or pointer. If quail is the primary target, I think a pointer is a better match, but that is just my opinion.

As for pointing breeds, I think if you stick to the four "main" pointing breeds of Brittany, English Setter, English Pointer, or GSP you can't go too far wrong. Do yourself a HUGE favor though and go see these breeds work before making a decision. You can judge very little from looking at pictures of dogs standing still. Visiting breeders or attending tests/trials to me is the most important thing you can do. Don't stop at one breeder/breed either. See multiple examples of ALL of the breeds you are considering. It may seem like a lot of work, but it should be a 10+ year investment so it's worth it to make the right choice upfront. IMHO most first time hunting-dog buyers spend way too little effort actually seeing the different breeds in action prior to purchasing. You have the least breed bias right now. Go see them all and decide what you really like. It's very much human nature to become extreme biased on breeds about 30 minutes after you bring that first puppy home. Do youself a favor and pick your breed with first hand experience of what the differences are.

In my experience there is a just as much variation in the "beginner" as there are in the breeds. Some beginners are very driven to read/learn and spend lots of time with their dog. Others are less enthusiastic. I say this because some folks will say English Pointers are too much dog for beginners (and English setters to a lesser degree). I say that depends way to much on the "Beginner" as well as the individual dog.

The reason I mentioned the four breeds I did, is because all four are readily available and have a broad gene-pool of dogs that are very capable hunters at reasonable prices. If you find a reputable breeder who hunts and breeds for any of those four breeds the chances are extremely high you will get a good hunter. Beyond that, it's really a matter of style. Thats not to say you couldn't have great luck with a less common breed, they are just harder to find and in certain "rare" breed cases have a lot of variation in hunting ability.

Don't let anyone tell you Brits or GSPs are easier than Pointers or Setters to train. That is completely subjective and entirely depends on the individual trainer and dog. I know of first-time dog owners who have bought and been very successful with every one of the four breeds I mentioned. I also know people who have struggled with each one as well. Doing your homework on the breeder and breeding stock of the actual pup you will buy is MUCH more important than generic, usually biased, information you can get about breeds on the net.

Good Luck

[thunderhead]

It is going to have a lot more to do with the traits of individual lines of dogs within a breed than the breed itself. If you have the time, then you could go to dog events in the area and also visit some potential breeders. Meet their dogs and see them work in the field. Also you can call people who have pups from several of the breeders that you narrow it down to and get first hand information about pups from those breeders.

[Yawallac]

Arkansas quail ........hmmmmmmmm let's see.

POINTER!

[AT2]

We run all kinds around here, pointers and britts are the most popular with a few setters. Even though I dont have any of the German dogs I would like to see them more often.

[djoyce]

well, i think i am going to purchase a britt out of tnt kennels, he has 2 females, one sired by tequila's joker, and the other one is sired by shady's beanstalk both sires were studded out of bull creek kennels.. both are field champions and the price seems reasonable. is anyone familiar with these kennels.

[AT2]

No sir I am not familiar with those kennels. If you change your mind for some reason give me a shout I checked with my breeder and he does have puppies on the ground. 3 males not spoken for. 1 liver and white and 2 orange and white. I can PM you his website if you like.

[ezzy333]

No but the two dogs you mentioned are good with Joker being one of the outstanding dogs of the breed. He just died this past year and was elected to the HOF. A terrific Dual Champion and a terrific producer. Beanstalk is from a great family but is just coming into his own. He probably will never be the dog Joker was but then few dogs ever were.

Ezzy

[FTbritts]

I believe you might mean tequila's joker jose cuervo, not TJ. He is a nice dog and a full brother to NFC Shady's Tia Maria, probably about as close as you will get to getting those genetics. Beanstalk is a super nice dog. He has a ton of point in him. I liked them both so much I bred to both of them and both litters turned out nice. I plan next year to go back to Beanstalk for a repeat breeding. The pup I kept is something else. If I had to choose between the two it would be a jack (beanstalk) pup.

Bull Creek Kennels is owned by brittany pro Jimmy Berneathy whom has just won the All age Purina Award, and is one of the top handlers around today. Jimmy has a nice string of dogs. As for TNT kennels I know nothing of his bitches, about all I know is he is lives north of Tulsa and I think he may be a preacher, but not certain. Go take a look at them ask questions etc..

Jim

[whitedogone]

I honestly don't think the breed has much to do with it as far as this topic goes. I think its more the blood lines. No matter what breed you get if the pup comes from good breeding it should hit the ground with the right instincts.

My first dog I was 18 years old and bought a 7 month old Setter that had been introduced to gun fire and a wing on a string. I grew up around coon hounds and had only even hunted behind a bird dog once. That dog was awesome and now at 35 years old, I've been hooked every since. Now I've come across dogs with poorer breeding that needed more training and occassionally you'll come across and well bred dog that for some reason doesn't have what it takes, but that pretty few and far between, in my opinion.

For a brand new person though I'd think about a started dog. Find a good breeder/trainer that can help you find something to fit your needs. Honestly it may come down to what breed just looks best to you but all of them, if bred well, would be just fine for a beginner.

What he said. You want to look more at the lines/range than the breed. I think a close working setter would be the ticket. WDO