my new gun dog/ deer dog?

Cannon fodder

Well-Known Member
morning all have been training my new cocker for shooting ,but did hope to do deer with him but cant ever see him being slow enough lol.
Just have to get a gwp as well, oh well.View attachment 53401
 
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morning all have been training my new cocker for shooting ,but did hope to do deer with him but cant ever see him being slow enough lol.
Just have to get a gwp as well, oh well.View attachment 53401
Hello
You are quite right not to involve your very nice cocker as a deer dog. Dogs are bred through generations to do a certain task and to my mind do your research on GWP's as with ALL breeds as there are good ones and an awful lot of not so good.
Tony
 
Hello
You are quite right not tEnglish Cocker Spaniel and olve your very nice cocker as a deer dog. Dogs are bred through generations to do a certain task and to my mind do your research on GWP's as with ALL breeds as there are good ones and an awful lot of not so good.
Tony
So true in my experience.
Many years ago I met an old German hunter and spent some time with his dogs.
He absolutely believed that the best combination of dogs was an English Cocker Spaniel and a GSP/GWP, which he owned.
His little English Cocker was a trojan in the thick stuff, but he never used her on deer. That was his GSP's strongpoint.
Of course they were both good on birds but the GSP was the longer distance air scenter, and the English Cocker was amazing in thick grass etc. They were wonderful to watch working together and were best of mates.

That was over twenty years years ago and to this day I own an English Cocker Spaniel and a German Shorthaired Pointer..I wouldn't have it any other way.
They are brilliant together no matter what sort of game I am hunting.
Both have their strong ponts but they compliment each other perfectly, and together they can do anything.
 
I use my cocker for finding deer but I don't have him out with me all the time. Its mostly him sleeping in the van with a bone and if I can't find a shot deer within 5 min, I will go and get him then he finds them without issue.

But its each to their own.


Andy7mm
 
Horses for courses ,and definitely don't think gwp's are slow Geoff. He is bred from Peter Jones stock and is a trial dog but not saying he will not change as he gets older. My old ess bless him is not great health and after he has gone to the shoot in the sky(will be very very sad day) and I vow I will never have another dog again will look at a designated deer dog.
 
Hi mate i have a lab trained for picking up,then trained it for deer using bringsel ,it took about a week of training to perfect the method and i am bye no means expert dog trainer have a go,my opinion is i think there is to much said on breeds and pedigrees,if you put some time and patience in you will get there good luck
 
I know a corgi that performs very well pigs in Australia. The little thing is brilliant at finding them, and does not engage or get get too close to them.
Makes it very easy to shoot them.
He is very cheap to run as well:rofl:

All dogs can do most things, but there is no denying that certain breeds have particular advantages at certain things.

My English cocker will find deer, but not as efficiently as my GSP.
My GSP will flush in really thick scrub, but not as efficiently as my English cocker.
 
My GWP is just about to turn 3, fantastic dog when out stalking but when out for a walk with the wife his is still a big kid (mad), I have tracked a couple of deer now, and now he has turned out to be good at it, training never stops. I only use him on deer and used the labs for birds/picking up.
 
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