dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 Is there anyone that has some advise on the best kind of dogs for shooting pigeons with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Labrador Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) Is there anyone that has some advise on the best kind of dogs for shooting pigeons with. Personally, I would use a sxs 12 bore to shoot (at them)and I would take a lab to retrieve only. Edited December 5, 2011 by Good shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
camokid Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 one thats a good shot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eccles Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Lab ESS or Cocker all ok.But they are not all good shots :lol: could not resist that comment :lol: On a serious note any of them can do the job along as you train it right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Wood pigeons being a sort of larger dove, you could always abide by what they say in the States: Boykins Make Better Dovers. Pretty good at goosin' too: MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbit_stu Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Wood pigeons being a sort of larger dove, you could always abide by what they say in the States: Boykins Make Better Dovers. Pretty good at goosin' too: MG Nice photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) Any dog that does not mind picking them up , it may take a little patience at the traing stage , I was lucky and my my cocker loves picking them up , a cocker for me is ideal as they dont take as much room in the hide ,though you could use a ridgeback and build a bigger hide !,I would go down the route of buying the dog you really want and training it for pigeon shooting a pigeon dog will 99% of the time be carrying out very simple retrieves. Edited December 5, 2011 by fenboy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Ta, rabbit_stu. Fenboy's sussed it - any of them can do the job *if trained* and that's the only area I can see where an "alien breed" such as a Boykin would be better than other ESS or cocker, as they're trained nonslip and generally considered more retriever than spaniel. Would like to see a ridgeback in a hide, though. MG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mart46 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Cracker, good post, but have you tried to find a Boykin in this country? Rarer than chickens teeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracker Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) That's a fact, Mart - always find myself wondering how their progenitor, the Chessie, made it to the UK (and when)? but now they're pretty well established. I heard there were a couple of Boykins near Tamworth, but not worked. Still, unless you absolutely had to have a spaniel with retriever lineage, I have to believe your spaniels would do the job every bit as good. Some of them maybe better than... MG Edited December 5, 2011 by cracker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mpk Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 One of these Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 what about golden ret'vrs. Do they like to do pigeon shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan-250 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 My girlfriends blue mearle collie pup brings toys back (the real fluffy ones) not typical shooting dog but am sure he'd pick it up pretty quick. He'll do anything for a digestive. not tryed him yet, but he's still too young for gun fire still, I rekon anyways. I would say a lab or springer but as others say. I would of thought most will be trainable, get a dog you will love for everything , pet, worker, companion and one you want with you always and miss him when he's not around. As they hopefully will be around for 10-15 happy years. I'm sure I read somewhere the other day on here about a chap taking a pug x with him shooting as it was his new girlfriends dog. All dogs try to please, given the time with you an training it must be do-able with anything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 so will it be best to wait to see if somone has one that might be already good at picking pigoens up will the pug be a quiet enough dog with barking and sitting still for a long time. i have not herd of a pug doing shooting before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan-250 Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) Neither had I but someone said he took his mrs 1 out with him . I'd be surprised if it could lift the pigeon let alone carry it a fair way. I think it was a cross with a spaniel or something tho. So probably more spaniel in it. I suppose it depends if you want to eat the pigeons, use them as dog food, sell them or give them to birds of prey charitys. Depending if the dog is hard mouthed. I think a lab is a good all rounder if you have good hip scores and eyes tests. Will sit infront of the fire and be a loyal family pet aswell as be a good field dog. Plenty available but get off a well known breeder. But there very common so it's upto you if you want something different. There's lots of variables to think about, will the dog be out much ? Or as a pet more ? Is there kids about ? Will it sleeping the house or kennelled ? Do you want it as a guard dog ? Lots of questions to be thought of. It's not easy, take your time. Edited December 5, 2011 by dan-250 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted December 5, 2011 Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 what about golden ret'vrs. Do they like to do pigeon shooting. As I said any of the known gundogs will be ok pigeon shooting , if trained correctly , and a goldie would fit into that catageory,Would not recommend one to be kept indoors though as they shed a lot of hair ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 6, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) if i get something to do the pigoen shooting will that dog be ok for doing other shooting as well i dont want to have to get two dogs so what is the best dog if you are doing some rough shoots as well with rabbits and other birds. is the norkolk terrier a good pigoen dog for shooting with Edited December 6, 2011 by dastardlyandmuttly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traztaz Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 The rout I took was to get myself a HPR ( Hunter Pointer Retreiver) I opted for a GSP ( German shorthaired Pointer). Sam is fantastic and does all that is asked of him from sitting in a hide to shoot pigeon, to pointing phesant and hare rabbit woodcock etc and can also blood trail for deer and if need be knobble and pull down wounded deer. The only thing I will not use him with is Wild boar as he simply has too much body mass and would be opened up like a tin can if a wounded boar hooked him. Fantastic breed, hard work to train and become master with ( I have a very good pure German one as I live here, I understand the other side of the pond they may be more biddable). I would not swap Sam for the world, ask him and he can do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kent Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 For sitting and waiting and making retrieves nothing beats a retriever. Lab being the most used and easiest obtained. spaniels and HPR's will do it but are generally only restrained and on edge in the confines of a hide. If you also want a roughshooting dog then its hard to argue against a spaniel or HPR in favour of a retriever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
utectok Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 I'd say a lab for hide work but they are boring my cocker is great in the hide but can get a bit cold when wildfowling so has a wee neoprene vest !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted December 6, 2011 Report Share Posted December 6, 2011 Over the years I've used a GSD, three Border Collies, a Lab and an ESS. If you get a dog with a good temprement and train it well the breed doesn't matter. I've even seen terriers make good retrieves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2011 did the german dacsund stay quiet for enough for shooting/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UKPoacher Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 (edited) did the german dacsund stay quiet for enough for shooting/ Yep! Zara (Zap) was an enthusiastic walk up / retrieve dog and would sit quietly in a hide all day if necessary. My best memory of her was one Beater's Day when it has snowed that powdery snow that causes spaniels to ice up. Consequently no one brought their dogs so Zap worked a line of eight walking guns all day. She flushed, retrieved, flushed, retrieved without tiring. At the end of the day she had brought me over forty of the fifty four pheasants shot. I was offered £1,000 for here there and then. She would also track, search and bring down a man yet was soft with kids and very playful. Edited December 10, 2011 by UKPoacher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Traztaz Posted December 10, 2011 Report Share Posted December 10, 2011 The little German dogs are ace, the German terrier is a fierce valiant and fierless *******, who will work pig all day and never tire of agressing them. The Teckle, a wire hair version of the Dasch hund will do all the above does plus blood track for miles and miles, ( a graet dog to have on your knee when in a high seat in winter waiting for pig, bit like a very mobile and usefull hot water bottle!!) and the daschy, the classic does it all. All can also be used for earth work and are formidable with both badger( Legal here) and fox. Great little ( generally calm) dogs. I said generally because the German terrier is a hand full , mainly a dog for driven pig and is the most agressive little ****** I have ever met and scares me more than any pit bull ever would if he has decided this pig is his!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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