Do you ever trial your hunting dogs?

[Tejas]

I've seen the question regarding hunting trial dogs. How about the reverse?

I trialed one of my hunting dogs this weekend. She is almost six years old and had one prior trialing experience a couple of years back. She won the AGD at the Lone Star GSP Walking Trial Saturday. Here's to you Freckles.

[The Zephyr]

Ken,

Congratulations on Freckles win!!!!!

Did Wayne scout for you from horseback?

Regards,

John L.

[Elroy's Bandit]

Ken,
Congrats to you & Freckles on the win!! Nice job,
Bill L.

[Tejas]

There was some scouting from horseback done.

Ken,

Congratulations on Freckles win!!!!!

Did Wayne scout for you from horseback?

Regards,

John L.

[Tejas]

Well, she did it again. Brother Wayne handled Freckles to a second place finish in the AGD at the Trinity Valley Weim trial.
Something to be said for an honest birddog.

[The Zephyr]

Congratulations to Freckles, Ken & Wayne.

I'm gonna have to keep an eye on Wyane's status as "Purina Handler of the Year".

John L.

[Tejas]

Congratulations to Freckles, Ken & Wayne.

I'm gonna have to keep an eye on Wyane's status as "Purina Handler of the Year".

John L.

He's getting more than a bit of good naured ribbing from friends and family as Freckles is beating that "other" dog he is handling. One friend asked him "who's riding in the front seat now?

[Elroy's Bandit]

Too Funny! Big Congrats to Wayne & Freckles...again. Somebody is gonna get jealous
Bill L.

[jbogacki76]

Nice job on the wins.

[Kory]

Congrats!! and thanks for the supporting our Weim trial. I am still trying to get everything dried back out.

Kory
(the fat guy on the 4-wheeler)

[BigShooter]

Do you ever trial your hunting dogs?

No, because I don't want to ruin them with non-wild birds!

[Hotpepper]

Be iot having fun with your hunting dog at a trial or having a great hunting trip or experience with your trial dog.

That is just exactly why I started trialing.

Pepper

[BigShooter]

Jerry,

Huh?

I know you enjoy your dogs. I know you hunt with your trial dogs & probably started out hunting with dogs & that got you into trialing. I just couldn't translate that last post of yours, especially the first sentence.

[Wagonmaster]

I am puzzled by the question. Every trialer I know started field trialing by trialing their hunting dog. All the trialers I know are hunters. All my dogs are hunting dogs. Even the NC. Especially the NC, his broke dog manners are spectacular and that has brought birds to the bag. There is no difference between "trial dog" and "hunting dog" except that dogs that are run regularly in field trials hopefully gets a higher level of training, and are constantly kept up on its training.

Maybe the major circuit pointer/setter people do it differently today, I don't know, haven't run with them for awhile. But I kinda doubt it. The one's I knew were hunting fools, and those dogs were on wild birds most of their lives.

[ezzy333]

If there is a difference between a hunting dog and a trial dog it only proves we are doing something wrong. So what do you think, have we really messed up our hunting dogs?

Ezzy

[Grange]

I trial my hunting dogs in the same area I used to hunt on the same bird I hunted.

[BigShooter]

How many FCs are out there that haven't ever been on wild birds?

Will a dog that has never been run on wild birds handle wild birds as well as a dog that's been on wild birds a lot?

To me these are the more interesting types of questions.

[Hotpepper]

My dog, FC/AFC Dunfur's Hoosier LB is hunted every year on wild birds, planning a trip to Nebraska this fall for chickens. Also was very successful in wild bird trials in Dakota's and Nebraska and Georgia.

NFC/FC Willows on the Spot is an outstanding wild bird dog and excels on pheasants. At the Gulldege's house, the dogs that are trialed are hunted on quail and chickens on Kansas every year, that is what Keith loves to do.

If any person is not hunting his trial dog it is a mistake in my opinion. The old lie told about trial being poor hunting dogs is not true where I live.

Pepper

[Boxa]

I am always surprised that there is even a debate (I mean, weren't field trials originally created to find the best hunting dogs?) All I have to hunt with is field trial dogs, and we do it every year all over the place. I think that if you don't hunt your trial dog you are missing out, and there is no reason a great trial dog can't be a really good hunting dog. Take him out, hunt him hard, keep him broke, collect the ribbons in the spring. JMO.

[BigShooter]

Jerry & Caleb,

Tejas (the OP) just wanted to brag a little & let us know his 6 y.o. hunting dog had never been trialed & when it ran at it's first trial recently, it placed. It really was set up as a brag not a question. I really question whether the post is going to stimulate anyone else to run right out and field trial their hunting dog.

To get his post read, Tejas reversed the question that has been asked and responded to many times before.

Without actual facts I think it would be intuitive to most that:

1. There are many more hunting dogs that have never been field trialed than there are field trial dogs that have never been hunted.
2. There are virtually no field trial competitive dogs that wouldn't point a wild bird they came across on a hunt.
3. The training and manners of field trial competitive dogs rank at the head of the class compared with all gundogs.
4. There are and have been numerous gundogs that could have been field trial competitive but never were given the chance.

Tejas, congratulations to you, Wayne & Freckles!

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

[Boxa]

Jerry & Caleb,

Tejas (the OP) just wanted to brag a little & let us know his 6 y.o. hunting dog had never been trialed & when it ran at it's first trial recently, it placed. It really was set up as a brag not a question. I really question whether the post is going to stimulate anyone else to run right out and field trial their hunting dog.

To get his post read, Tejas reversed the question that has been asked and responded to many times before.

Without actual facts I think it would be intuitive to most that:

1. There are many more hunting dogs that have never been field trialed than there are field trial dogs that have never been hunted.
2. There are virtually no field trial competitive dogs that wouldn't point a wild bird they came across on a hunt.
3. The training and manners of field trial competitive dogs rank at the head of the class compared with all gundogs.
4. There are and have been numerous gundogs that could have been field trial competitive but never were given the chance.

Tejas, congratulations to you, Wayne & Freckles!

Back to the regularly scheduled programming.

To that point... the answer is 'yes' - All I have to trial with is my hunting dogs. Thanks for the clarification.

Congrats to Wayne and his dog.

[BigShooter]

Tejas,

I have a few questions: What's a hunting dog, a dog that seeks out anything that is capable of movement? What do you mean by trial, does it require a judge or jury?

My dogs are on trial every time they are off leash!

[Ruffshooter]

My dogs are hunting first then I do walking trials and tests with them. I expect the same manners and level of skill in each situation. I have one Ruff dog that is an on and off dog when it comes to competing but when its good its good. Just got a second in Canada NSTRA trial, yet the next day he was birdless except out of bounds birds. Thats Buster, Mercy diff. story she is always on for a good competion. She is a truly fine Ruff dog as well.

[Blue Dawn Kennel]

Hey Ken & Wayne just wanted to tell ya congrats on Freckles wins and placements.

Robbi

[TAK]

If there is a difference between a hunting dog and a trial dog it only proves we are doing something wrong. So what do you think, have we really messed up our hunting dogs?

Ezzy

AMEN!!!!!

I think trialing these dogs have done nothing but good! Or should I say it has done me nothing but good! I have been a blood and gutz hunter since I was sneeky enough to sneek my old mans .22 out and kill some rabbits. I continued on and on til I got my first bird dog, from that point I have never shot a bird without having some sort of influance of a bird dog there. Sure back in the day it was hunting the pointing dogs close so if they was to bumb them I could still get them. Now days it is done with a bit more fenese! I like to have them pointed before I ever flip the saftey, or better yet nothing wrong with seeing a dog work and grabbing a gut bomb on the way home because of the empty game bags!

IMO I think everyone should trial as the same everyone should hunt them dogs. It is a win, win for those that do it all. Them dogs are brought forth 10 fold when they are worked at a higher level! And I promise you that you will enjoy them trials/hunts that much more with a very well polished bird dog!