best waterfowling dog?

[darrin6109]

thinking of getting a dog to go out and shoot some waterfowl and have a few questions?
1. best breed? (i have kids and limited space)
2.best breeders?
3.where do you start when it comes to training?(are there hunting dog classes?)
4.any other info that you may think is important ?
thanks

[mattchu_19]

Black Lab.

[Tanya]

Labs are pretty common. Black sticks out in the blind a bit more than chocolate. Try to get one from hunting stock vs trials etc stock.

[frodo]

10 out of 10 black labs in the feild trial finals-that and my two blacks that have retrieved 4800 birds tell it all.

[Marc]

The best waterfowl dog can fall into several classes. Yes all retrievers, spaniels, and poodles will retrieve and they all have their place with people having different preferences in what they want and like.

By the questions your asking this is probably your first dog or first dog that you'd like to train to hunt. My personal opinion is that if this is your first retriever then you may want to go toward a Labrador retriever as they are fairly good with kids and tend to love the water and retrieving in general. Make sure you select a dog that comes from hunting / field trial stock and not from a puppy mill or strictly show line.

Golden retrievers, standard poodles, flat coat retrievers will all retrieve and hunt but their longer coats can be more work than a lab that will shed the dirt when it dries.

Join a retriever club and get some instructional books or DVD's to help you a long. Socialize the dog at an early age with other dogs his age and get him into puppy obedience so he can do more socializing and know what is and isn't acceptable. It takes a lot of time and patience to develop a good relationship with a retriever where he trusts you and you trust him. The biggest thing with training a dog is consistency. You have to set a standard and keep it there all the time.

If you have trained a few dogs under your belt and are a hard core waterfowler, have lots of patience/and time and are looking for a hardcore waterfowl retriever, then some may say that the best waterfowling dog overall is a Chesapeake bay retriever. This is the only retriever developed in North American solely for hunting waterfowl in our climate and terrain. He's got a thick warm coat that sheds water, webbed feet, thick barrelled chest, extremely intelligent, strong,exceptional endurance, motivation and determination like no other breed of retriever I've trained or seen. Chessies can easily handle the biggest of Canada geese and blends in exceptionally well with his surroundings.

Remember these dogs were developed by market hunters,their dogs would retrieve 150 to 200 birds per day in freezing water breaking ice with their chest to get to the birds. Then sleep outside near the boat to protect and guard over the decoys and the hunters belongings. They also didn’t use neoprene vest to keep warm.

They've won Field trial championships, Dual Championships, Master Hunter titles to boot. This dog isn't for everyone but deserves an honourable mention when you say you're looking for the "best waterfowling dog ". Plus I might be slightly bias as I presently own and hunt over a chessie.:p

[Crazy_Farmer]

I think in the write up Marc, you forget to mention a couple times "can be very stubborn" :tongue::wink:

[dutchie]

By far for our Climate a Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

Now you are a first time handler, ask Wiley Coyote how easy this dog is to do what he wants it to do.

Marc has had 3 dogs before (I remember him posting that somewhere) that he has trained for Waterfowling, and I am sure that he has had to use the firm hand of the law to make Marshal think twice about somthings.

If you want a dog for a spacific purpose then you need to do the research yourself. I choose a Deustch Kurzhaar because they are very easy to train because of the breeding program in Germany. Only proven dogs will ever breed and be papered for the DK. Best waterfowling dog? no but in my opinion the best hunting dog... IMHO

Myself personaly I do not like 90% of the AKC and CKC dogs that have "Show" titles and in Canada there is a very large show breed following and they try to bridge the gap to hunting dogs.

Learn about the breed, and the genetic make up of the breed, this will give you and idea about the charicteristics of the breed and ask to speak with other owners of thier dogs.

If you want a excellent dog figure out were the breed origin came from and start searching around for specialized clubs and breeders with STANDARDS!!!

So to answer your question the best waterfowling dog is a Chessy, but I would definatly recommend against a first time handler getting one just because of how tough and hard headed some are. If thier will is stronger then yours you are screwed!

Dutchie

[Marc]

I think in the write up Marc, you forget to mention a couple times "can be very stubborn" :tongue::wink:

No... I think I covered it with "if you have lots of patience and time." :mrgreen: This breed is extremely smart, maybe to smart.

[Ian F.]

A trained dog is the greatest conservation tool we have, breed matters not

[darrin6109]

thanks for all the info...i guess theres a lot more to breed selection than i figured

[Dirty]

TIME .... makes the best breed. The more time you spend right from the get go with your dog the better they will be. I started training my puppy right when she was picked from the litter. It starts with basics. I have let the training lapse, and didn't get as far as I wanted, but she will retrieve ducks, and that is all I am concerned with.

If you can't invest the time, be prepared to spend money, and send your dog away for a few months to have him/her trained by a professional.

To me, sending a dog away severs a rudimentary bond between a dog and their handler. You will learn that while training your dog, it is not only the dog that is learning, but you are learning. You learn to pick up the feelings of your dog or discern the actions that they are taking. At the end, you will have a dog that looks you in the eye and awaits your commands, it is very rewarding, and a special bond.

[835]

I own a black lab. All of the info above is what you need to know.Take the pup to obediance training, there are hunt trainers out there to help you as well. Although most dogs comming from hunting stock have the hunting in them you just have to bring it out. picking breed is fun but training consistancy is paramount. training the yourself (in class) as apposed to sending them away will anchor your bond with the dog, done properly the dog will be stuck to you forever doing only what you want because it makes him/her happy. have fun it isnt as hard as it sounds!