I run a cocker and a black lab for game shooting. The cocker is at retirement age and the lab is now 8 years old. I started stalking 6 years ago and now shoot 30 to 40 deer a year. I have never had the need for a dog to follow up a wounded beast but appriciate that i am likely to one day.
I'm now thinking about the next hound and want something whose primary focus is a stalking companion. The lab has come with me for the past few years but he is very much bird focussed and doesn't show a great deal of interest in deer.
I don't want a single purpose deer tracker, I want a dog to walk a few meters in front of me and air scent the deer before they ping me. If I need to follow up a wounded beast it must be able to perform that task as well, but this will be the secondary use i hope.
I have boiled it down through talking to others to the Visla, either wire haired or smooth. I want a bitch rather than a dog as in my experience they appear to be easier to train and a bit more consistant than the dogs.
Could anyone give me any advise on a) whether i'm right in my analysis and b) which breeders should i approach for good working stock.
Thanks for your help.
I'm now thinking about the next hound and want something whose primary focus is a stalking companion. The lab has come with me for the past few years but he is very much bird focussed and doesn't show a great deal of interest in deer.
I don't want a single purpose deer tracker, I want a dog to walk a few meters in front of me and air scent the deer before they ping me. If I need to follow up a wounded beast it must be able to perform that task as well, but this will be the secondary use i hope.
I have boiled it down through talking to others to the Visla, either wire haired or smooth. I want a bitch rather than a dog as in my experience they appear to be easier to train and a bit more consistant than the dogs.
Could anyone give me any advise on a) whether i'm right in my analysis and b) which breeders should i approach for good working stock.
Thanks for your help.