Thread: First hunting dog

This is a good discussion . My first pup, but not first dog has been my best so far, worked cattle and a great finder

Originally Posted by phillipgr

Good to read of the confidence you have in your dogs. What about a different question then. Lets say the dog is good and it's the trainer's fault, he/she has given it so many bad habits and made a mess of it. Would you consider putting down a good dog that has be "ruined" by a bad trainer? In other terms, is there a point of no return, for an otherwise good dog, where it is either not possible or not practical to make right the mistakes of the trainer? I can't really see this happening with anyone who is a serious hunter and wants the best for their dog, and you might say you would never give a dog to someone who won't at least be an okay handler, but just hypothetically speaking, that is all.

I have seen a couple of complete idiots stuff dogs up, but it is not the norm , most people will have some issues but nothing that bad you would hope, the idiots do learn from this and the second or third may be better.

Issues can be sorted, plenty of help out there, another thing to consider is with the backyard special you will probably get very little after sales advice, with an established kennel you will get that and they know there dogs well too

Another thing, you can buy a trained dog and hunt straight off, you can buy a pup and train yourself, or you could buy a pup then spend the coin and have someone train it for you...
or get a started dog and finish it
You will get the most satisfaction from starting and training your own pup, but there are other options to how you get there

Originally Posted by moonhunt

I have seen a couple of complete idiots stuff dogs up, but it is not the norm , most people will have some issues but nothing that bad you would hope, the idiots do learn from this and the second or third may be better.

Issues can be sorted, plenty of help out there, another thing to consider is with the backyard special you will probably get very little after sales advice, with an established kennel you will get that and they know there dogs well too

Another thing, you can buy a trained dog and hunt straight off, you can buy a pup and train yourself, or you could buy a pup then spend the coin and have someone train it for you...
or get a started dog and finish it
You will get the most satisfaction from starting and training your own pup, but there are other options to how you get there

What would you say the best way to train a pig dog is?!

Put pig's in front of it.

2 ways I would suggest to someone starting out

Start hunting with a guy that will teach you the ropes and let you run a suitable pup with his dogs, in turn that dog will help bring on the next

Or go and buy an older dog suited to starting some young dogs with, plenty of guys out there will gift an older dog to the right person also

you need to do a lot of hunting, and get pig numbers into those young dogs

shop around and ya could have taken a 0 off and you could have got her for 15 bucks.... would it make any difference ?

If ya dogs root around they are free.My huntador is my third dog but was a blessing as now I have a dog that moves stock with the bark as well as the chase. He is a mongrel in the mornings barking his friggen head off from the time I let him off to the time we move the stock.

Can take him hunting or fishing and just like Tussock said I reckon this dog has split personality,he is quiet and and moves with stealth waiting for what ever is landed or shot.

But he did have a few dramas tonight near the river.

He lept of the sandy track to meet me below when his legs parted and his head was buried in the sand.

On the way home he fucked up again. If he gets wet balls the water will be over my gummies. Yep he missed the crossing.

I always let him cross the rivers in front off me

We had a lab cross bitch Gypsy she was absolutely amazing we didnt get out onto the deer but she was a awesome duck and rabbit dog, one year she retrieved 2 ducks at once out of a high river. She got poisoned on our property in 2012. In photo she was about 8-9 years old.



We now have our new dog Nitro he is 15 months now he is a Vizsla lab cross, this season will be his first duck shooting, but he has indicated deer the first time we went out with him so we are pretty happy.

Good looking dog that, a lot like my main bitch. And man is she driven!!

there are always going to be great crossbred hunting dogs,conversely there will be some poor ones too. but if you look at the big picture and see how we have improved livestock breeds,the same principle applies to hunting dogs. if you want a gundog, look for proper working lines, not show bred.there are not too many about,but if you ask questions you will get pointed in the right direction, then use your nouse. the longer i have been around dogs,the more importance i place on genetics as to being the basis for temperment,character and behaviour.you can only develop the potential you have at the start, you cannot make honey from dogshit as the saying goes.

Wirehunt what cross do you think she could have been?

The people I got her of reckoned she was a lab-springer but the vet said she definitely had vizsla and that all he'd guarantee. She looks a lot like this though.

If you do not have the time to put into a dog, then you should think seriously about having one. They are going to be with you for hopefully 12 plus years...that is no small commitment... I do believe that every dog owner should have a back up plan...if personal circumstances change is there a plan for the dog's future should things really go pear shaped.

Most of us cannot be hunting our dogs all the time...what with work, family etc...so the dog we do have has to be of a temperament and conduct that will allow him to be part of everything that is going on because the nature of the beast dictates this.

I am personally not interested in cross bred dogs of any cross...but I am passionate about a gundog with prey drive that will take your breath away, beauty in its structure, conformation which will allow him to work as his breed was intended, to be amicable around the house, biddable and fun to be with.

well said EeeBees,