Here's the deal, I read the previous lab and shepherd, and X dog referral threads. I even pm'ed a couple people from them.
I'm looking for a hunting dog. Something that I can expect to snag duck/goose, pheasant, flush, and has a family history of being steady. Well biddable is a plus, along with the tenacity of a bull dog. (I'm a new trainer too, so I need smart.)
I'm not restricting to a particular breed, so I'd love breed and breeder recs.
It would be nice to have a pup that can be trained and competent for:
- Duck
- Goose
- Pheasant
- Quail
- Chukar
- Scent tracking
Physically capable of handling what the northeastern environment can dish out (COLD!). Only other caveat, needs to be smart enough to know - "squirrel are ok, but touch my cat and you're becoming a set of fur gloves."
I'm initially leaning towards a Chessie or a Lab, but would be interested in a GSP. I'd prefer to not have to ship the pup here, and I'd like to have a breeder close enough that I can use them as a training resource. (For example, proper gun intro, and force fetch training.) So obviously, preference goes to an active hunter breeder...
Ok, thanks for any suggestions!
I'm looking for a hunting dog. Something that I can expect to snag duck/goose, pheasant, flush, and has a family history of being steady. Well biddable is a plus, along with the tenacity of a bull dog. (I'm a new trainer too, so I need smart.)
I'm not restricting to a particular breed, so I'd love breed and breeder recs.
It would be nice to have a pup that can be trained and competent for:
- Duck
- Goose
- Pheasant
- Quail
- Chukar
- Scent tracking
Physically capable of handling what the northeastern environment can dish out (COLD!). Only other caveat, needs to be smart enough to know - "squirrel are ok, but touch my cat and you're becoming a set of fur gloves."
I'm initially leaning towards a Chessie or a Lab, but would be interested in a GSP. I'd prefer to not have to ship the pup here, and I'd like to have a breeder close enough that I can use them as a training resource. (For example, proper gun intro, and force fetch training.) So obviously, preference goes to an active hunter breeder...
Ok, thanks for any suggestions!