Best breed of dog for waterfowl retrieving

[Crazy_Farmer]

I agree with you on certain points, you can have some great half-breds or even mutts that pick up the ability to retrieve or flush birds but I've seen my share of dogs ruin hunts compared to the statement any dog is better then no dog when it comes to duck hunting. Sure it may restrict some areas to where you can hunt but my dads hunted without a dog for 35 years. He's always just had farm or family dogs never wanting a trained waterfowl dog.

I see the uses of working dogs, though they arent for me I have to honestly say. The quotes likes "If I couldnt hunt with my dog I wouldnt hunt at all" I can see where guys are coming from spending all the time training and when they do finally make that perfect retrieve I guess its very satisfying to them, but I just see anyother dog bringing back a duck or goose.

Duck hunting I love dogs for bringing them back from the water instead of wading out to get it, but out in the fields where I hunt 90% I'd rather just walk out and get my own birds. You need a well trained calm dog in fields, either in their own blind becuase running up and down the field tends to flare geese alot, I'd also hate to have to tie them each time they come back after a retrieve, you have to worry about shooting then untieing him as he's going mental with geese on the ground. I guess they should be trained not to brake when the geese are 10 yards away and coming in. I ran into that problem a few times last year but I believe my brothers dog "Hank" is far more prepared for this season then last so I believe they'll be less swearing this year.

[Sitkaspruce]

Well I am in the process of see just what is better.

We have these two


The chessie "Sitka" is now 10 yo and is slowing down a lot, although she still loves to retieve. She is amazing, very strong (both in will and mind), has a great nose and eye sight and goes absolutely crazy when she see the gun case out. She was a little harder to train, but I stuck with it and she ended up a terrific retiever.

The yellow lab "Kaza" is now a year and a half and loves the water. She is a dock jumper and loves to retieve in the water. On land she has not had much training, so I am hoping to get Sitka to train her as she did in the water.

I am not big into waterfowl any more, so the training will be more for fun and games, although I hope Kaza will take to grouse like Sitka did.

Since Kaza is a smaller lab, 50 lbs, we are thinking of putting her in Dock Jumping and agility training, so the wife can get involved.

You cannot go wrong with any of the retieveing breeds, just remember that you will need to spend lots of time on them and as some one all ready pointed out, you will only get out of them, what you put into them.

Have fun and enjoy them as they WILL be come your kids.

Cheers

SS

[GoatGuy]

I've got a lab, she works well. Hunts pretty much anything other than wolves and coyotes - she comes hunting for everything other than wt's. She's saved my hide from a couple bears that wanted to eat me and also trees a couple of bears every year. We haven't done too much waterfowling but what we have done she's gone in full bore and does very well. Does well with the upland stuff too.

I'm not sure spending the big $ is the ticket. I get the impression that sometimes expensive dogs are like expensive guns - a lot of guys don't use them to their full potential. I think training and spending time with the dog is the big thing. Just my opinion...........

Oh yeah, her name's Kaza as well. There's a bit of history with that name

[HuntNHookSports]

"If I couldnt hunt with my dog I wouldnt hunt at all"

That pretty much sums it up for me. I love dogs and have lots of reasons to own one.
I can pick up my own ducks but only 1 in 5 is stone dead. Dogs are best at chasing down runners, swimmers, and hiders. In a open field, nothing is funnier than a lab tackling a goose making a run for it.
My dog knows the difference between ducks and other birds by the wing beat. Often she sees the ducks long before I do. I just look where she looking and there they are.
Also, I hunt alone alot and I enjoy the company of a good dog.
I am fortunate enough to have our own training grounds at home so it is easy to find time for them. Training is good reason to go to the lake and see who is fishing or water skiing.
Here is a picture of our training area with all the dekes set up.

[Marc]

shotgunjohn, you make a valid point. It's definitely better to put more time into training then it is to spend more money on a dog. That being said you have a higher chance of getting a good dog if you purchase it from a breeder that has titles under their dogs. I got lucky with my first lab Nash who is now 12 years old. He was an awesome hunter but developed hip dysplasia at the age of 2. So we got a replacement dog from the same breeder and the dog turned out to be a total dud. She's a great pet but that's where it ends. She's about as smart as a stump. The breeder I picked up both dogs from where more into show and pets with no real titles to their dogs. My first pure breed and my first mistake.

I've also hunted over a lab X chessie and it was a good retriever. You don't have to train a dog to the point where it will do 400 yard blinds to hunt ducks but your dog should still have basic obedience so when you tell him down, sit, or stay that he knows what's expected of him.

When I'm hunting with my dog I enjoy watching the dog work more then actually shooting the ducks. I guess when you've been hunting with a dog for 10 years it just feels unnatural to do it without one.

I guess the answers we've been seeing so far are more related to the topic of the thread then the quality of dog. He was asking for the "Best" breed of dog for waterfowl retrieving. A dog breed doesn't become the best without training.

[outdoorsman812]

everyone put great points and info on here, thanks everyone for your imput

[shotgunjohn]

While I did say that you don't need to be a master trainer I do agree that any dog needs basic obedience training. They certainly shouldn't break before the shot. My personal preference is for them to start at the shot but this is mostly dictated by the fact that we hunt in an area that has swift flowing rivers and heavy cover. A bird that makes it to the river or creek is usually a lost bird and sometimes that extra jump of the dog going on the shot makes the difference. Of course you need to be able to call the dog back in, in those occasional instances when you miss.

[Marc]

I agree john, it doesn't take much to lose a bird where you hunt as I got to witness first hand last fall. I was no more than 20 feet from a duck with the dog on his trail and bingo it was gone no clue where it went. Unfortunately it doesn't matter how well a dog is trained it's inevitable sooner or later a bird is going to be lost hunting over water like that.


I think we've kind of gotten off the beaten path here with the original question. I guess what it all comes down to is a Chessie, Lab, Golden, and even a Nova Scotia duck Toller will make a good retriever if the owner puts in the time to at least get the basic obedience ( come, sit , down, stay) and does some retrieving and scent drills with the dog. Half the fun of hunting over a retriever is in the training.



I guess what I'm trying to say is you can't expect your dog to be a retriever with no training just because it's of a retriever breed. They do have some natural instincts that helps out a lot but they still need guidance.

[Jimsue]

Lot of interesting points. I do breed labs so I would be a bit one sided as to the breed selection. I would like to comment on the cost of pups and what you may or may not get. Buying a pup is like getting the foundation of a house put in. If the parents are not sound, trainable and have a desire to hunt, its unlikely the pup will to. Pups on the higher end of the $ scale are to some extent more predictable in regards to the above traits.
Buy what suits your needs but do your homework.

Regards Jim