My last dog couldnt swim so now i need a new one.

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Originally Posted by username

Yeh thats how i feel but a mate has a 6 month old and it just loves retrieving stuff. He chucked a gumboot one day and with no training it ran over quietly picked it up and brought it back and dropped it at his feet. you cant beat that. Its not what you are after but it gives me a dilemma. get the perfect dog that i really dont want or get a dog i want that thats a great natural pointer but cant be assed leaving the mai mai to jump into the pond with icebergs just to get a bloody duck because its retrieval instinct is week. Im 50/50 lab/brittany.
Please dont abuse me cos I havent chosen a lab yet.

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If you are stoked with the dog, you will put way more effort and time into it than if you aren't. I'm kinda the same, username, and I'll admit its silly. But I see labs all the time: fat and slobbery like BH describes them - I don't see the side of them from good lines as good hunting dogs. So when I compare video/photos of a mean looking athletic HPR breed, I feel that even though a good lab from a good line would be as good (or maybe even better), it wouldn't have the same novelty and excitement as an HPR and therefore I probably wouldn't have the same motivation to put heaps of hours of training into it. I think I probably shouldn't get a dog until I don't have this fallacy. But surely, seeing a mint as lab at work would cure it, I just never see that.

When it comes the time to look for an indicator dog, I'll mix with a few guys who have different breeds and ask if I can see them at work. I wouldn't be surprised if its the lab that comes out on top for me, but I'll have to see it with my own eyes before I really get stoked on one.

Am I making any sense?

Yep. Comes down to the simple question, do you have work for a pointing breed? I'm in the same boat in my view about labs but you can't deny their usefulness in NZ conditions. You need to see a top lab in action. Or a curly!

I just do not see how watching a Labrador working could ever send tingles up your spine like a HPR, Pointer or Setter can when they are hot and working their magic on birds...


however, the breed being the most popular breed cannot hold that title for no reason:D

it's more the handling and control rather than the hunting ability watching a good lab, for a dog bred to sit back and wait til needed they are a good choice for extended heel work.

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Originally Posted by EeeBees

I just do not see how watching a Labrador working could ever send tingles up your spine like a HPR, Pointer or Setter can when they are hot and working their magic on birds...

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She makes a point. Seeing an HPR on point has some magic. But if you can read your lab (for deer work) as well as you can read your pointer, then a dead deer is a dead deer.

Curly? Im not going to get a dog untill it feels right. No breed feels 100% yet Even though im sure it wouldnt mater what dog i got after a week im sure id love it. My little purse dog Ivy proved that.

HPR?

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Originally Posted by username

HPR?

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Hunt point retrieve
GSP, GWP, Viszla, Brittany, Weimaraner are all members of this family

another name for versatile, hunt-point-retrieve

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Originally Posted by username

No breed feels 100% yet

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What do you think of a pointer-lab cross?
Any thoughts, boys?

Cheers

Yep far as labs sorry with Ruff on this and mine although I think it's brilliant he d probably say get rid of it. If it crosses four paddocks while yr mates are saying oops better go find your dog then comes back with the winger you told it to go and get it shuts all your mates up. Then just embarrass everyone next retrive turns a duck in the pond around so he can bring two back at once . I reckon there's the odd clever one out there still but do have no idea how he d go in the bush except to know if I said get it he d go then come then go again Dunno but awesome to watch Way cleverer than us. Could write a book on duck hunting with this bugger as he's that good and no. No one trained him prior to comin to me. Blood thing. I reckon.nThing I love this dog for if I say go get it he's off and with feedback of yes No he ll go till he finds it and I'm dick head as neutered him.

Shoulda said Lab Lab Getta Lab in my previous post sorry. Friendly. Loyal . Friendly easy going . Friendly. Smart . Friendly tries hard to please Friendly Loves to learn stuff and did I mention friendly? End of the day you buy it and you train it and it ll be as good as your efforts IMO cos I'm no trainer and I m sure there's cleverer dogs Out there

I'm pretty confident it won't bite me tussock. As Ive said I just don't like them, I've seen good ones and individuals that I like but the breed just does nothing for me.

Why not try something completely different to avoid the arguing and go a curly retriever ha my old man had one and she was pretty handy. Had a pretty inventive name too... Curly the curly retriever :)

and username that's about where the money is on having a good mate. Id love the best gun dog but would sacrifice a bit of that for a loyal friend. As you said though, whatever you choose you'll Love it. I think aesthetics are one of the biggest differences here. Labs are very friendly, brittanys in the USA are called the people dog and just about anything down to a shitzu cross will be a Friend. I was getting too cute up over analysing things and comparing breeds and in the end went for one I just liked

I agree B_H, thats why I mentioned a curly on the previous page. I'd have a curly before I'd have a lab. I will go out on a limb here (and get shot off it, just watch) that it is probably easier to find a good curly in NZ than a good lab

PhillipGR Pointer/lab crosses can be excellent