What breed of gun dog and why

[Tollerman]

Nova Sotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

Useless but funny dogs.

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Had a toller for 15 years.Absolute sweetheart and a great family dog.Still miss her after two years went she sadly passed.

 

[countrryboy]

For rough shooting and beating and esp so if times going to be more limited as others have said LAB all day long..

A lab will do almost everything reasonably well from deer, to flushing birds to water work, pigeon hides, won't get cold either in water or hangingvsitting on a peg/hide. And esp excell at being a pet
A lab won't needless bash cover the way a spaniel will but If ur lab wont hit cover with scent present ur labs not very good. Most of the shoots in my area the beating teams are mainly labs

Yes other breeds may do something better than a lab, say a spaniel flushing but there weaker points will be far weaker than a labs..
They're is no wonder breed out there that does everything well, every bred will have strong and weak points, u make ur life easy and set urself up to have a really deceent dog by choosing a breed that most of its strong points are wot u use the dog for

Personally i think an hpr is a waste of a decent breed if ur not using it to point, using a well bred driven hpr in a beating line is like using a ferrari to do the school run, just a pita really, yes they can do it but not really that suited either for handler or the dog.

 

[jimmy milnes]

using a well bred driven hpr in a beating line is like using a ferrari to do the school run, just a pita really, yes they can do it but not really that suited either for handler or the dog.

100%

 

[jimo]

Springador then you got the best of both lovely dogs

Daughter’s got a Sprocker and that seems to combine the worst of both breeds!!

 

[Heym SR20]

You need a double pedigree mutt. Here’s our Lab x BMH. She has lots of sass, but will dig out birds where spaniels fail, will point and find deer and will even find, point flush and sort of retrieve a grouse or two.

And she is most happy being a house dog.

 

[The Burpster]

Another vote for Springadors. i have 3 and whilst they have their own specialities they are all fantastic robust animals and huge personalities and will turn their hands to anything you can throw at them.
First saw them 25yrs ago when a guy came to a shoot that I was a gun on and he had three and all 3 were faultlessly behaved. I decided then and there when I retired I wanted one to train. Well I got two from the Same litter And 6 years later got the third. Wont have anything else now.
Make excellent house dogs and have the work ethic of a Spaniel. The Lab half makes them easy to train.

 

[countrryboy]

I've got a springerdor too, and he is a cracker but being honest doesnt do anything a pure springer or lab wouldn't do.
Proper old fashioned labs with a proper coat should enter cover no probs, i have seen plenty of modern FT type skinny whippety looking labs tip toe round cover thou, and struggle with the cold, just some of these modern lines with poor coats

And as with any mongral, no matter how good it may be u do have a problem if u want to breed from it, which breed u X too, when ur getting to 3/4's is that 1/4 really making much difference??, And after 1st gen X's u tend to lose hybrid vigor and more health issues creep in.
The other problm with mongrals is, generally speaking folk with decent labs/springer or any working breed are more likely to breed 'pure' somongrals may well be bred of poorer dogs to start with.
Nothing against a decent mongral but i wouldn't buy 1 of a stranger or even pay very much money for 1.

 

[martin_b]

Amen to that...

Had a toller for 15 years.Absolute sweetheart and a great family dog.Still miss her after two years went she sadly passed.

Freddie was my best friend for 14 years.. as a previous poster mentioned "Useless but funny dogs". He was expelled from gun dog school, "lovley dog but cant do a thing with him" then provided years of entertainment for my shooting buddies with his antics, and my efforts to control him, far to intelligent for me! As soon as i retire ( next year?) I'll be getting another.

 

[vizslamad]

You’ll never guess what we’ve got.
Why ? Cos we love em

 

[Phil fox man]

springers all the way.the working day is over time to chillax

 

[Evolve82]

Has to be a lab for me. Just considering a new puppy myself actually. Labs are good with the kids too!

 

[Callumc]

Hi all,

My lovely little cocker is now retired and slowly slowing up.
I’ve always had spaniels in the family and I love them dearly. This time round I won’t have much time to train the dog and I’m wondering what other breeds to go for.
It will mainly be a pet but I like to have a companion in the field. Mainly rough shooting and a bit of beating.
I have been thinking of a visla or maybe a pointer.

What’s your favourite breed and why?

My dad had almost the same criteria to fill, ended up getting a lab cross springer, ticks all the boxes for him, steadier than his spaniels and has more of an off switch, but still grafts.

 

[Ryan Malcolm]

A lurcher just because everyone on here hates them

 

[One on top of two]

Just a quick update on out new cocker pup Freddie ( I came home and they had changed his name 18hrs in haha )

Now at 19 weeks …hold tight