Hunting dog vs Show dog

[marshallknight]

Read a real interesting article the other day that said dogs that compete well do not necessarily make good hunting dogs. The reasoning was that dogs with a lot of energy did well in shows (high jumps, fast retrieves, etc.) and the dog might have to much energy to sit still for extended periods of time in a blind. I have zero experience with competition, only hunting. Just curious what anyone who does both thinks. Maybe @flatsmaster or @BigPimpin

 

[flatsmaster]

I think there’s trained and untrained … most well trained have an off switch but I’ve been annoyed plenty of times as birds are circling with a dog whining and beside himself … control is key … my dog wants to retrieve but it’s at my pleasure … hunting a woodie hole or divers where there quicker to work it’s easier to get by but mallards in timber circling can try one so it’s a blessing to say place and know she’s not moving until I say her name … I’ve seen more high power dogs be exceptional in the field then not … kind of like a rope horse … I’d rather work the brake some then constantly have to kick … all that being said it’s important to keep up with obedience there whole life if you want them to stay sharp

 

[marshallknight]

Thanks flats. Article really made me curious, so I wanted to hear from someone with real life experience. Hunted with an older dog the last couple of years and he's as chill as any lab I've ever seen. He will sit dead still and only move his eyes until told otherwise, but he's getting older...so my buddy got a beautiful chocolate gyp. She's 7 months old and she minds pretty well (most of the time). They kept me entertained last time we dove hunted.

 

[mguthrie]

I bought my first lab from a family member not knowing about the different strains. When he got to be 6 months old I contacted a trainer to have him trained for duck hunting. First thing this trainer didn’t like was that he was a yellow lab. Second strike was he came from a show dog pedigree. He kept him for 3 months then told me to get him in the field and show him what the training was about. Big mistake. I finally got him with a guy in Anderson South Carolina that got him finished. Asked if he could take him to a ukc hunt test. He passed the first day almost perfect but got hard headed and failed the second day. Dalton turned out to be a fine hunting dog that was steady in the blind. He absolutely loved to fetch ducks. I sure do miss him.

 

[WOODIE13]

I bought my first lab from a family member not knowing about the different strains. When he got to be 6 months old I contacted a trainer to have him trained for duck hunting. First thing this trainer didn’t like was that he was a yellow lab. Second strike was he came from a show dog pedigree. He kept him for 3 months then told me to get him in the field and show him what the training was about. Big mistake. I finally got him with a guy in Anderson South Carolina that got him finished. Asked if he could take him to a ukc hunt test. He passed the first day almost perfect but got hard headed and failed the second day. Dalton turned out to be a fine hunting dog that was steady in the blind. He absolutely loved to fetch ducks. I sure do miss him.

Seen those ribbon dogs fail miserably in the cold and swift water on the New after the owner talked them up...relied on ribbons v. actual experience in those conditions. Can hunt tests with the best of them though.

A few left after my Zara Spook retrived more (all) birds than their dogs.

 

[ghadarits]

I would trust a dog out of a line of field test dogs before I would trust an AKC breed show dog no question about it.

As long as the field trial dog is actually used in hunting situations no worries. Its different being in a duck blind than being at a field trial but in the end its the same deal they're locating and retrieving downed birds. It might be a little bit of an adjustment for the field trial dog the first time being exposed but not too much. I would bring them and expect them to perform.
Now let's go back to that guy talking bad about yellow dogs. That tells me he's not really in the know. My yellow dog has found birds for me hung up in trees way over my head and that's doing something in my book.

Any dog can have a bad day once in a while just like we can have a bad day shooting where the dog looks at you like W.T.Heck. Mine does when I have a bad day behind the gun.

 

[ghadarits]

Posted by WOODIE13
"A few left after my Zara Spook retrieved more (all) birds than their dogs."

Spooks have retrieved a ton of birds for me and they aren't temperamental.
If your going to go that route change the trebles to a bigger wider gap hook. Trust me you'll be happy you did until you snag that stump just under the water.

 

[WOODIE13]

Posted by WOODIE13
"A few left after my Zara Spook retrieved more (all) birds than their dogs."

Spooks have retrieved a ton of birds for me and they aren't temperamental.
If your going to go that route change the trebles to a bigger wider gap hook. Trust me you'll be happy you did until you snag that stump just under the water.

No snags and used the hooks that came with it. First time I used it was on the Potomac at Quantico creek on a canvassback. It was belly up for a couple of minutes and my buddy went to get his boat which was a couple hundred yds from the blind. I said I got this and first cast right over it, reeled up to it and jerked, the Gamakatsu hook sunk into the wing and the bird came to life. It was January and we had a big sheet of ice, probably 75 ft across and it it grabbed onto it on the far side with its feet. I kept pressure on it turning the whole sheet until I got it in and finished it. Glad I had 20 pound test. Never used it again on divers, but did on wood ducks, mallards and geese, never an issue like that. Also caught a few crappie and bass doing it.

 

[ghadarits]

No snags and used the hooks that came with it. First time I used it was on the Potomac at Quantico creek on a canvassback. It was belly up for a couple of minutes and my buddy went to get his boat which was a couple hundred yds from the blind. I said I got this and first cast right over it, reeled up to it and jerked, the Gamakatsu hook sunk into the wing and the bird came to life. It was January and we had a big sheet of ice, probably 75 ft across and it it grabbed onto it on the far side with its feet. I kept pressure on it turning the whole sheet until I got it in and finished it. Glad I had 20 pound test. Never used it again on divers, but did on wood ducks, mallards and geese, never an issue like that. Also caught a few crappie and bass doing it.

Thats too funny! I bet that was a sight to see!!!!!!!!!

 

[WOODIE13]

Thats too funny! I bet that was a sight to see!!!!!!!!!

My buddy thought so.

Watèr wasn't that deep, but the mud was bottomless. Remember reading about using that technique as a kid in Sports Afield years ago.

 

[chase870]

I think its the dog, I hunted with "My Fat Girlfriend" for years, She was my Wifes baby a total pet and house dog with no formal training. After Sassy passed I got another dog named her Birdie and she was professionally trained. The difference between the 2 is night and day. Both were above average dogs and have picked up hundreds of birds. The difference is Sassy did it because she wanted to and had the coat to go with the cold weather, and Birdie did it because she was trained to do it and didnt have the coat to really handle the cold weather. If its in the dogs nature to hunt they seem to do much better

 

[godogs57]

I bought my first lab from a family member not knowing about the different strains. When he got to be 6 months old I contacted a trainer to have him trained for duck hunting. First thing this trainer didn’t like was that he was a yellow lab. Second strike was he came from a show dog pedigree. He kept him for 3 months then told me to get him in the field and show him what the training was about. Big mistake. I finally got him with a guy in Anderson South Carolina that got him finished. Asked if he could take him to a ukc hunt test. He passed the first day almost perfect but got hard headed and failed the second day. Dalton turned out to be a fine hunting dog that was steady in the blind. He absolutely loved to fetch ducks. I sure do miss him.

Wasn’t Bryan Maxwell that trained your pup was it? Good friend of mine.

 

[mguthrie]

Wasn’t Bryan Maxwell that trained your pup was it? Good friend of mine.

In Anderson? I believe it was. He got dalton finished and he made a fine hunting dog. Steady in the blinds on rice fields in Arkansas. I sure do miss that dog. How is Bryan doing?

 

[godogs57]

In Anderson? I believe it was. He got dalton finished and he made a fine hunting dog. Steady in the blinds on rice fields in Arkansas. I sure do miss that dog. How is Bryan doing?

Haven’t talked to him in awhile. I’ll be in Anderson in a couple of weeks. Might try and look him up.