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dog for roughshooting


PotHunter96
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the time has come for me to get a nice easy dog that will be used for roughshooting and the odd bit of decoying or duck shooting the dog will be staying in the house and will be a pet as well as a worker i have narrowed it down to 3 options:a labrador as i think that although not as good at flushing they will retrieve things for me and that is my main interest number 2:a lurcher as i like these types of dog and again while not as good at flushing they will retrieve things and number 3: some kind of terrier as i like the terriers thay are my favourite breed of dog and they will be good at bashing brambles and rushes but as i will mainly be shooting rabbits woodcock and pheasants in VERY thick cover i dont know how reliable at retrieving they are i have ruled out spaniels because of the ear problems. any suggestions appreciated.

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My border will retrieve my decoys because they are crunchy and is great at spotting and flushing live things but once it is shot and dead he shows no interest at all...but I have heard of terriers that will retrieve game.

Hi Anthony mate if your border does the job for you. you may as well give me your new cocker pup for a xmas present :lol: :lol: :lol:

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my preffered option would be a working jack russel terrier but wouldnt want to spend all that money and time training it to find that it crunches up the woodcock or dissapears off down holes but would it be worth the risk as im sure that the terrier would be perfect for flushing game but not so sure about retrieving although i have seen videos of jack russels retrieving dead game but im only really concerned about runners as i wouldnt mind retrieving dead birds myself.

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Spaniels are great for rough shooting and are great in the thick cover, better than most labs. (In my opinion having labs).

 

Labs tend to be easier to control, if I was in your position I would be looking between a Lab, springer or cocker.

out of those three it would definetly be the lab as a quite like them although my other worry is LOTS of barbed wire fences (some really complicated ones as well) need to be crossed and im worried that the dog may cut itself or become impaled on the more difficult ones?

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Hi Anthony mate if your border does the job for you. you may as well give me your new cocker pup for a xmas present :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

Lol! The border is costing me a fortune at the moment as he fitted (for the 4th time ever but for a lot longer) on Sunday so we rushed him to the vet and he has an appointment with a neurologist on Monday! He is fine now and thankfully insured and I think it is diet related.

 

My mrs has already fallen in love with jet, I just need to stop her from mothering him too much!

 

Ant

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Out of the three dogs you have listed my choice would be Lab all day long and they can flush as well as any other if trained well to do so. If you were going to contemplate another breed my money would be on springer spaniel.

Good luck and enjoy it.

 

Kind regards Tristram

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out of those three it would definetly be the lab as a quite like them although my other worry is LOTS of barbed wire fences (some really complicated ones as well) need to be crossed and im worried that the dog may cut itself or become impaled on the more difficult ones?

 

train to jump correctly and on comand. See a dog heading for a bad fence blow the stop wistle go over and hold the wire down and or cover it. To be fair a fresh and healthy lab can clear a five bar gate if its practiced and built up slowly, its no bad thing if they hurt themselves in a non serious way in practice as it teaches caution but you just cant arrange that

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The archetypal roughshooter's dog is considered to be the German Shorthaired Pointer, trained to hunt, point, flush and retrieve. Should be steady to the flush and can even be trained to sit to the flush, shot and fall. The rabbit will outrun the the terrier and lab, but you might find yourself shooting the lurcher as it homes in on the rabbit. However, you mentioned heavy cover, so I imagine this will hold back any dog and provided you are the right side of the flush, can shoot the emerging game without endangering a dog running in.

 

The heavy cover makes me suggest the wire-haired HPR's such as the GWP or the HWV.

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I can't believe you aren't considering a Spaniel for a roughshooting dog. They are the complete all rounder regarding flushing and retrieving etc. Ok a Spaniel will be harder to train than a Lab but if you put the work in it will be worth it as a Springer will hunt thick cover better than a Lab. Good luck :good:

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What ear prolems are you on about? All breeds have elevated risks of some specific complaint, but it doesn't mean they all suffer from them. Labs are famously prone to hip dysplasia, but most are fine. Spainiels are the obvious choice for what you want. If you don't like spaniels, labs are easier to train generally. By the sound of it you need to go beating or shooting a while to expose yourself to the varios types of breeds and see what you like. Buy a dog from a recognised breeder, or from dogs you know, and you should have a good chance of a healty dog

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A dog will pretty much do anything you train it to do,i have a jrt he hunts deer tracks deer rats goes rough shooting take him beating on shoots and will out work any spaniel or lab etc just has more stamina, how ever he is only a little fella and although he will drag bag shot game he will rag it if living!terriers hey! He will not collect floating game and will noly swim to chase!

my dads terrier and mates will both retrive off river though both jrts! My dog is always overly keen for 10 mins whenevr i take him shooting ut he settles sfter this im used to it now!

buy a terrier theres no other breed with such a personality!

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okay i see peoples points about spaniels and before i make my decision i need to know does pet insurance cover the ear problems that spaniels are so renowned for? thanks

 

From the choices you have mentioned it would have to be the lab you cant be serious and expect to get a lurcher and terrier to retrieve ducks game etc they will do it but not to the standard a retriever, but i would say a spaniel cocker or springer i have a springer and would be ideal for what you want, and i cant say im aware of a ear problem in spaniels think you have got it wrong buddy good luck mate

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Have a look at Brittany spaniels,a bit stubborn and wilful,but a good all round dog,I use mine for rough shooting,pigeon decoying and duck shooting,they tend to go at the rough a bit slower than some spaniels,but that's because they go to point on game,and they have great sense of smell.

But a great companion and all round field dog.

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I have had both a springer and currently a cocker neither has suffered from ear problems yes perhaps odd one does but then labs can suffer from hip and eye problems and i know which would be easier and cheaper to treat !.

I really think you would be going down the wrong route by getting a lurcher or a terrier as a gun dog they are bred for totally different applications of the three definatley a Lab , but for the sort of shooting you suggest perhaps a spaniel would be better or at least should be considered as you mention keeping it in the house I would perhaps lean towards the cocker simply as its a smaller dog.

Edited by fenboy
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are they good at bringing pigoens to you they are french arnt they do they understand the normal commands like

 

No it does help if you talk a bit of french but some do understand english, my mate has a german shorthair pointer that just would not understand english so he had to learn a bit of german but its all good now he talk german like.... :rolleyes:

 

As for them bringing pigeons back im sure there fine i would not call them a beginners type of dog though plus your not going to be doing pointing type of work so i would stick with a cocker or springer mate

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Springer all day long. I have 2 bitches at present that will hunt all day long in a beating line, my old boy sam is at the end of his working career but i still pick up with him on the drives after lunch. My couisin has a another dog bud who i trained for him that will put in a shift of work that anyone would be proud of. If you are looking an alround hunting/working dog you will not beat a springer!

 

Not as hard to train either as some folk make out!! :good:

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