Scott Bell
Active member
Bill,
That's an awesome picture
Scott
That's an awesome picture
Scott
Chesapeake, lab, german or maybe something else?
- Thread starter Jon Zuccolo
- Start date
Al Hansen
Well-known member
Jon,
When you begin looking at these little guys, no matter what breed they are, it all boils down to how much time are you willing to spend with this pup to make him or her an outstanding retriever? Most duck hunting breeds are blessed with a long line of pure retrieving heritage. (Check out the standard poodle) It is up to you to take the wee one to the next level.
Al
When you begin looking at these little guys, no matter what breed they are, it all boils down to how much time are you willing to spend with this pup to make him or her an outstanding retriever? Most duck hunting breeds are blessed with a long line of pure retrieving heritage. (Check out the standard poodle) It is up to you to take the wee one to the next level.
Al
Brian Moyse
Active member
Too funny!!!
In my opinion a first time owner/trainer wanting to get a good all around waterfowl dog would be best to get a decent lab. Of the 3 main breeds of retrievers they tend to be the easiest to train, good retrieving instincts and great with the family. With that being said make sure you buy a pup from a breeding that matches YOUR needs. My personal preferences/needs may differ from yours. Some guys like the dog that is fast, stylish and kind of on the "edge" all the time. Others like a laid back dog that may not be in such a rush to get things done, but is a dependable dog in the field. For my hunting dog I like them to be somewhere in the middle, plenty of giddy up and go, but not a pain in the butt in the blind. Some dogs despite extensive training never seem to settle down and can have unwanted traits in the blind such as whining etc.
My second personal choice for a first time owner/trainer would be a chessie. I haven't trained nearly as many chessies as labs, but I have really enjoyed working with this breed. The chessies I have worked with are polar opposites of the prevailing chessie stereotype. They have been sensitive dogs that have done better with attrition than pressure. These chessies shut down from pressure/perceived pressure much quicker than a lab would. These particular dogs have been great around the kennel and bonded with my son. My attitude towards them has definately changed, and I may get one in the future.
My last choice for the 3 main retrieving breeds would be a golden. I have worked with more goldens than chessies, and sorry golden owners not a fan.
Ok, so once you decide on a breed the next important factor is deciding on a breeder that will fit your needs. First don't fall for the marketing hype. When certain breeders advertise their lines as the most trainable, by color, etc it is pure baloney. Every breeding is different, and every pup in that litter has a different personality. I like to find a breeder that selectively breeds for trainability, retrieving instinct, health, etc. In my mind a good breeder should then try to match a pup from that litter that best suits the new owner. Then it is up to you as the owner to bring out those desirable traits to the best of your training ability. It does NOT matter if you go out and buy a great pup if don't know how to train them, or completely mess up the pup.
I have more I wanted to write, but the thunderstorm here has passed and I gotta go....
Pete McMiller
Well-known member
Brian,
Your experience with Chessies is right on. Not sure how the negative chessie stereotype got started but, as you have found, it is far from the truth. They are much more sensitive than people give them credit for and can definately shut down if you put too much pressure on them. Also, they can be pretty easy to train as long as you can convince them that what you want them to do is actually their idea in the first place
Your experience with Chessies is right on. Not sure how the negative chessie stereotype got started but, as you have found, it is far from the truth. They are much more sensitive than people give them credit for and can definately shut down if you put too much pressure on them. Also, they can be pretty easy to train as long as you can convince them that what you want them to do is actually their idea in the first place
Pete McMiller
Well-known member
Very good synopsis Bill, thanks. More people should keep that in mind before picking a dog.
Love the picture...........I've looked like that myself a time or two.
Love the picture...........I've looked like that myself a time or two.
Ron Simmons
Active member
Jon, I have owned Labs, and GSP's and hunted the last ten years with my Brother in law's Chessies. They all have their strong points. The Chessie is a hard charger, the Lab was the easiest to train and believe it or not the GSP was my best retriever. Now all that is great if you have the space for a big dog. I don't so that's why my current dog is an American Water Spaniel. She is good on pheasants and ducks and only balks at a big goose. Plus she is a great house and family dog. They do take a different style when training, (I think because she is smarter than I am) but if you don't have a lot of space for a dog to run, they are the ticket. Just my 2cents worth.
John Klingenstein
Well-known member
I'll throw another iron in the fire.
My next dog will be:
American Water Spaniel.
http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=22143;search_string=gary%20march;#22143
My next dog will be:
American Water Spaniel.
http://www.duckboats.net/cgi-bin/forum/gforum.cgi?post=22143;search_string=gary%20march;#22143
Last edited:
John Augustine
Well-known member
Hi Jon,
The most important thing to consider is what YOU expect from a dog and what time YOU plan to spend on it.
If you just want a dog to pick up birds any of the dogs mentioned here will work. If you want to run hunt tests
then get a Lab for your first dog. I have Tollers and train with a breeder of Chessies and both breeds train much
the same way.But not like a Lab. Neither of these breeds are as easy to train as a Lab but have seen them both out perform Labs
in the swamp or on the lake. If you are particular how things get done they may drive YOU crazy.
Make sure you choose your breeder carefully and remember, you live with your dog 12 months of the year
but only hunt 3 months. John
The most important thing to consider is what YOU expect from a dog and what time YOU plan to spend on it.
If you just want a dog to pick up birds any of the dogs mentioned here will work. If you want to run hunt tests
then get a Lab for your first dog. I have Tollers and train with a breeder of Chessies and both breeds train much
the same way.But not like a Lab. Neither of these breeds are as easy to train as a Lab but have seen them both out perform Labs
in the swamp or on the lake. If you are particular how things get done they may drive YOU crazy.
Make sure you choose your breeder carefully and remember, you live with your dog 12 months of the year
but only hunt 3 months. John
MLBob Furia
Well-known member
I certainly have my opinion, but I wouldn't touch this topic with a 10' pole! ;-) ;-)
To paraphrase Aldo Leopold in his essay "A Man's Leisure Time" :
"To prescribe a dog breed would be dangerously akin to prescribing a wife - with about the same probability of a happy outcome"
To paraphrase Aldo Leopold in his essay "A Man's Leisure Time" :
"To prescribe a dog breed would be dangerously akin to prescribing a wife - with about the same probability of a happy outcome"
Jon Zuccolo
Active member
Thanks for all the good feedback and private messages everyone, much appreciated. Spoke to a breeder near where I am going, and she's gonna show me the parents working when I get up there. Excited to be getting a dog again!
My last dog was a boxer and we had her trained to retrieve hiding kids... Hide-and-go-seek style.
My last dog was a boxer and we had her trained to retrieve hiding kids... Hide-and-go-seek style.
Len Nowak
Member
Thanks for all the good feedback and private messages everyone, much appreciated. Spoke to a breeder near where I am going, and she's gonna show me the parents working when I get up there. Excited to be getting a dog again!
My last dog was a boxer and we had her trained to retrieve hiding kids... Hide-and-go-seek style.
Welllll don't leave us hanging..............what breed?
Jon Zuccolo
Active member
Don't judge but I was gonna look at the wirehaired pointing griffon... I was reading about this breed before, and it has all hunting dog you could want, and is apparently a very good temperament as well (That is very important to me).
If it ends up not being the breed for me, then I would love to get a lab, again, for the same reasons, good hunting dogs with a good temperament.
If it ends up not being the breed for me, then I would love to get a lab, again, for the same reasons, good hunting dogs with a good temperament.
Last edited: