Duck and house dog advise

S

smithsc1

Member
Let me begin by saying that I have been following this site for a few years now and I have learned a ton by reading the postings at this site. To everyone contributing, Thank you.

I have read up on the common dog breeds and some of the more specilized breeds used in waterfowl hunting. I know what AKC would say, but I am interested in what the dyed in the wool duck hunters think.

We are looking into getting another dog in the next year. The main purpose of a new dog would be twofold: to be a lovable house pet and to protect the household. I would also like a good duck dog for cattail swamps. We also prefer big dogs. Our current is an Anatolian mix weighing 90 lbs and 11 years old. She is very smart, affectionate, protective and very stubborn. If I could substitute duck retrieving for stubborn, I’d be in thrilled.

I would almost prefer to "rescue" a dog if practical. Most of our pets would be 6 feet under if we did not adopt them.

Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

FYI: I learned to listen to the "local guys" during my first U.P. winter. (I thought choppers were a kind of motor cycle... not warm mittens)
 
threaten you or enter your house? Or are we talking just "barking"?

You can train a Lab to eat people no question....heck you can train a Chihuahua to do that....if you rely on what comes "natural" though you won't find a whole lot of Labs that won't stop barking and start licking as soon as the person crosses the threshold....the "BARK" though can be "fearsome to behold", Mike's is more of a "roar" and if I didn't know him I wouldn't come inside without a very big stick.....

Goldens bite more people than any other breed in the country I've read....nuerotic donchaknow.....and Chessies ahve the "rep" of being the "protector" of the bunch, although as much as I pretend to dislike them I've not met one in years that wasn't so Lab like in demeanor that the difference was negligible...(Before hardcore Chessie owners who love their "he'd protect me to the point of laying down his own life" shout "FOUL", yes I know that there are still "some" out that fit that description)...

Its a choice thing....Chevy vs. Ford and if "companion and protector" were paramount over "lover and retriever" i'd forget the retriever part and go with a Shepard.....a big hulking Belgian one.....

Me...I'll take Labs, Black ones with dangling junk, Chevy Trucks and now that the Duick Commander is pimping Benelii's, Browining Shotguns.....

Steve
 
I have owned both Labs and German Shepherds. If I were ever to recomend a loyal, lovable, easily trained dog it would be the Shepherd. However The Lab hunts. He to is lovable and loyal yet a bit more stubborn than the Shepherds. He is very intimidating and would probably scare an intruder. I don't believe however that he would bite. The shepherds, on the other hand, would have torn someone apart. That's the best that I can do. Good Luck, Kevin
 
BLM would be my choice and always has been, Black coat and white teeth glaring are awful intimidating to an unwelcomed guest. Always had ours in the home and wouldnt have that anyother way!
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and they will hunt, easy to train from a good breeding and love to please the owners thats 4 sure.​
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There is not a doubt in my mind that my chessie would bite someone who entered the house unwanted. He would bite someone who I permitted in, if I hadn't worked with him so much. Aggressiveness isn't necessarily a desireable breed trait these days. Unless you are a quarterback for the Falcons. I rescued my dog from being sent to a Chessie Rescue.
The good/bad part about field bred dogs is that there are a lot of people who THINK they want one and then find out they don't. Look at the rescues and you might be able to find a dog that has a pedigree that someone just didn't know what to do with.
As far as aggression, not sure you really want it. My chessie definitely borders on guard dog while the lab is a friendly watch dog that would lick a stranger to death. Some of my chessies "aggressive" traits actually seem to be a little bit of timid unfriendliness though, rather than bold agression, if that makes any sense. If he doesn't know you...he is pretty likely to bite if you do something he doesn't expect.
I know this is a small sample of experience, but its mine so far.
In general it is Chevy/Ford debate all over again.

Added: There is a large enough difference between my lab and chessie that I would not reccommend a chessie to most people. Thats not a "my dog is badder than yours" brag either. The chessie took more work.
 
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I've had Goldens, Black Labs and German Shorthairs.

The Goldens were both the smartest and the dumbest (and she was a retired Open field trial dog). The Shorthairs are the most biddable. I used to think that Labs didn't have much personality, but they have "learned me up". I currently have a GSP and a female Lab. Both bark and then the GSP hides and the Lab licks.

We tried to rescue a dog, but the shelters around here have adopted a "No Hunting" stance and you have to sign a paper that their rescue dogs will not be hunted. Pissed me off so much all I'll donate is food. If you can find a rescue dog, that's a great alternative. Be aware many of them wind up there because they're "gun-shy" because some idiot pulled the trigger to see what would happen.

Good luck.
 
out of "fear" than from "aggression"....see my comment about "nuerotic" Goldens being the # 1 biter in the U.S....not a condemnation of Goldens at all just a statement of fact......

Dogs should never BITE unless directed to lest you suddenly find yourself on the end of the pointed white things that you expected to be sunk in someone else.....

I've not owned a Rescue Dog but my thoughts on those based on the ones I've known is that the very nature of them being "rescue dogs" in the first place somewhat predisposes them to be "biters"....take a dog with some aggressive tendancies like a Chessie and put him in a situation where he ends up a "rescue dog" and I'm surprised that they don't bite more fruequently in what they might see as "fight or flight" situations that really aren't....no condemnation of "resuce dogs" and big KUDO's for those organizations, and ultimate owners, cause it sure isn't the dogs fault, most times anyways, but the owner that creates the need for them.....

I guess my point here is "be careful" with your definition of "protection".....

Steve
 
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Buy the hunting dog you want and load your 12 ga. with # 9 shot for home protection.

Just my $.02 worth.
Best,
Harry
 
Colby, my old yeller lab only barked about three times in his life (that I knew of). The last two years of his life, he was pestered by my wifes Spanish Water Dog. She barks everytime a car comes in the driveway. Our front door is down a half flight of stairs and when people would come to the door, Colby would be looking around the corner of the stair wall and since he was looking down....his brow would be all wrinkled up. The little dog's head would be about at his knee height and she would be barking. I always laughed when I turned around and saw this as I knew Colby's tail was wagging like crazy on the other side of that wall but people would say "that dogs huge and scary,does he bite?". Bob, my next Lab, will be my next perfect pal. I feel sorry for rescue dogs but I would never own one. You don't know what you are getting and it could be a very expensive heartbreak as soon as you are attached to them.
 
Chesapeake Bay Retreiver, I got my first one some 30 years ago and never looked back. I don't call them agressive, they are just territorial.
 
I think finding a mentally stable dog that would protect, hunt and be family friendly via rescue would be a tall order. Even if you looked at puppies, there are a few breeds out there that come to mind, but for what your asking the dogs quality of the breeding would have to be top notch. Even then there are no guarantees from getting a down right aggressive dog.
 
IMHO,

Let me premise by saying that in one point in my waterfowling life I was a Chessie purist. I had a working kennel dedicated to all things Chesish. I found them to be Loyal, hard working ,hard headed yada, yada, yada. I fell away from them when I went into business for myself and spent so many hours away from home and the marsh that I felt guilty for just letting them sit at home. In truth I don't think they minded it so much themselves.

A couple of years went by, I re- tooled my career, kids came along, and one day I got a call from a buddy whose parents had a year old Chocolate lab that they just could not handle. They got him to replace a thirteen year lab and expected this pup to act the same. they went so far as to instantly change his name to the old dogs and expected him to obey. Things just were'nt working out.

I took him home on spec. and figured I'd give it a week. After a day of calling him by his old name and working him on the basics I found him to be very trainable with little or no need for negative reinforcment. That was eight years ago.

His force of presents around strangers is excellent. Three years ago we moved off our little farm to a house dead center of town on mainstreet. Everyone that walks by get a window shaking bark, luckily they don't see his tail wagging as the leave his line of sight.

The lab has just as good a drive for the hunt as my chessies did but he seems to fatigue at a point just short of how they used to work. Although it should be noted that every dog is an individual and "as ye sowe so shall ye reap" with regard to training and conditioning.

My experience with this "rescue " dog is probably not indicative of what challenges you would face with other, older dogs that quite often can have a myriad amount of problems to overcome.

Good luck in your search,
Ballard
 
My adult son moved home and with him his lab, Roy. This is the sweetest, most gentle, dog I have ever known and our first permanent dog in the home.(we dog sat for friends once in a while though) He will rattle the windows when something is going on outside though. Once he knows you hear him, he is quiet. It is as though he understands that once we are alert he does not have to make any more noise.

My wife likes having him on the first floor of our house in the late evening before I get home from work. He can raise heck with the noise when he hears anything outside. We praise him when he does bark because he does not bark at the wind and imaginary things. The thing is, there is no doubt in my mind that he would show the burglars where the silver was hidden, and serve them iced tea, if they got up the nerve to break in with all of the noise he would be making. It is just fierce noise with the wagging tail.

I personally do not like the idea of an aggressive dog. I think that the dog's lack of intelligence (compared to a human) could result in consequences unintended. The meter man or cable guy crossing your yard could be targeted. If you really think that you need protection, a lab will alert you, and an 870 will keep you safe without having a mind of its own.

It all makes me glad that I live where I do. Break ins are more of a worry when we are not home than when we are. I've never kept a gun handy for protection, never even been tempted to. I do have that option if a burglary gang starts targeting the neighborhood but as I said I'm glad that I live in an area where such crimes are very, very rare.

Bob
 
As previously stated... I would not recommend a CBR for most people... for me I will never have anything else. My pup Kodiak just turned 1 on Tuesday. He is driven... a little wild bull @ 83 pounds. He is also extremely (vocally) protective. But he is also great around kids. My 10 1/2 year old CBR is also great with kids... Not much of a protector (never had a reason to be) except for his size.... I will never have anything else... Make no mistake though, even though they may appear to be lab like... they are not labs. They appear hard and tough... but emotionally they are very soft... training is not like that of a lab.
 
My hunting partner rescued a nice black lab... there are organizations out there specifically organized around rescuing labs. His came from Alabama. Look around the net, you'll find them.
 
Like Andrew stated i rescued a black lab from an organization called Conn. labs for rescue , great, people to deal with ,and though it is a crap shoot as to what you will end up with , i got a 1 year old female nuetered from a rescue in Alabama who someone did not want for what ever reason . The wife and i met the dog that was staying with a foster family in Conn. and right away i new "Miss Raven" was something i could work with . To date she has flushed numerous stocked phesant as well as retreiving waterfowl . She has become a big part of the family and likes to lay in front of the woodstove when not hunting . My decision to go this route has worked well for us granted i did not get her " papers " but all i wanted was a companion to add to the traditional experience of hunting . Goodluck with your choice



Dave M
 
You can find good chessies in resuce. They are hunting dogs and people who want a pet are not always prepared for the energy level. My wife's first chessie was a rescue and he turned out to be a great dog. If you go the route of rescue find someone to help you assess the dogs temperment. The protective nature is part of the breed and is inpart what makes a chessie a chessie. That said, if their protectiveness gets out of control it can cause problems!

Things to look out for are guarding of food/water bowels, toys, kennel space, etc. doing these things is not necessarily bad. Allowing that behavior to continue, and the dogs response to training/correcting will tell you a lot.

A chessie also needs to see you as a leader. If you don't, they will! There is a story of someone who bought a well trained chessie. On opening day of duck season the new owner took his dog out with his buddies. The owner had bragged about how well trained the dog was. The first duck was shot and the chessie amde an excellent retrieve. After getting to the duck the chessie than swam to a nearby island and proceeded to eat the duck. Once done he returned to the blind, ready for the next retrieve! This dog was retrieving HIS birds, not realizing the owner was allowing the chessie to retrieve his birds.

Regular, exercise and activity are important. They want to please their people. You can accomplish this trough regular training, even basic obedience.

Tom
 
Protection: ever watch that Discovery Channel show "To Catch a Thief"? On several shows there were dogs in the house and the guy went in with his friendly manner and befriended the dogs and cleaned out the house. On one show the dog was a pitbull and it loved the attention he gave it. So having a dog for protection is just in your mind and not the thief's. If the guy(s) are affraid of dgos then maybe in they would not take a chance. Any dog that still has its hearing will be a good early warning device while you are home.

That said any dog that makes their family "property" will protect the members, which can make having your kids' friends over tough. Tag is a game that quickly stops being played.

Chessies are a really funny dog. I have only be around three of them.

One had to be muzzled all the time or she would bite anyone that got near the truck, the house, or her owner. It is not fun to have a muzzled dog hit your leg with no warning. It still hurts but there is no blood and stitches to deal with. The reason the dog was muzzled full time was due to her habit of sitting in the truck and going after people that walked by. She made contact one day through an fully opened window, and the victim was going to shoot her right there in the truck, but they relented to the owner and he muzzled her all the time. She was not happy about that. He could not feed or water her if other folks were around. PITA but he loved her.

One was a big dog owned by a women and he had the typical "territory" thing going for him. He flea bit me once at a house party after being egged on by his owner. I thought they were just joking, but she really did talk the dog into biting my leg - nice big welt and a tiny hole in the jeans. I had a pretty low opinion of her after that, and the dog was just being a dog. When she did get married the dog went outside. When the first baby came the dog had to go away since flea biting a baby is rather much like a full on bite to an adult.

The third one was actually the pup of a breading of the two above. 110 pound goof ball. Great hunter, loved everyone he came into contact with. And not territorial at all. I was never around him after he stopped being a puppy though, but I doubt if he changed much.

The local lab rescue in Palmer, AK (wetland retrievers) had to stop taking all labs, and will only rescue AKC labs now. They were filled up with lab mixes and house pets that were not hunting trainable and some were not even obidence trainable. It but a big dent in their kennel business having to house pound puppies rather than working dogs. But they still have some good dogs these days. Some come from the military families that get their next duty station overseas and can't take the dog or send it to family in the states. A started dog for $250 to $500.
 

I have been Hunt testing and field trialing Lab's for many years. I have a group of friends that have well bred competitive golden’s and there are a few nice chessy's at almost every trial.

Of the three retriever breeds, with respect to home protector, the golden would show them where the keys' are and how to open the gun safe, the Lab would give them a good bluff and there's a 25% chance the intruder would get bit and the chessy would make them truly regret picking that house. These are generalities and a little stereotypical but also what I think is most often true.

When it comes to hunting - There are wonderfully talented animals in each breed and there are also some that are totally useless. If you want a dog that will really hunt and is old enough that you have a chance to know what he's/she is like I would buy a field trial washout. These dogs usually have THOUSANDS of dollars of training and their "weakness" in the trial game maybe something you could care less about like not being able to mark well at 400 yards. They usually make FANTASTIC duck dogs and great pets. I would get a BIG BLACK MALE. My first Lab was 80# male and I can assure you no intruder would have wanted to push him to find out if he was bluffing and he was just the greatest duck dog and buddy. I miss him bad.

If you get a rescue lab, a fine and good option, find out WHY it's in the rescue. There are SO MANY lab's being bred for all the wrong reasons and MANY of them have health issues. I have a good friend trains drug detection dogs. She gets most her dogs from recues and most of them are labs. More than 1/2 the dogs she looks at either have bad hips (she has them all x-rayed before she spends months training) or heartworm. If you go with a rescue dog I would advise that you spend the couple hundred dollars and have a vet do blood work and check x-rays for hips.

Duck Hunting was how I got into the whole competitive dog thing and now I hunt because of the dog work. I would be VERY happy to help you in anyway I can find a nice dog. PM me if you have any questions. I have no other motive and do not have a dog for sale.
 
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