Thread: Recommended small dog breed for hunting

The family is keen on getting a dog. The rest of the family want a small house dog (me, not so keen). I want something that could wind deer and goats on a monthly hunt and fetch a duck on the 3-5 days a year that we duck shoot. I grew up rural and had working dogs from a young age and had a lab that I grew up with from the age of 9yr. Dogs were always 'outside', but that's going to be difficult if we proceed down this path.

Looking for recommendations on a small breed, stable temperament, low/none shedding, that will have the hunting instinct suitable for deer/ducks.

Train one of the kids up

britt is the only choice suitable for dual role........in the smaller range.
but they are only a bit smaller than a well bred lab or versatile

i have a brit cross dogo argentina: 36kg so not too big. bite strength out of this world, he breaks canon bones and chewed his way thru my alloy mountain bike (the frame!!)
all the weight comes in a smallish package though. very social dog, likes to play with other dogs, sleeps wit the new kitten etc.

Originally Posted by gonetropo

i have a brit cross dogo argentina: 36kg so not too big. bite strength out of this world, he breaks canon bones and chewed his way thru my alloy mountain bike (the frame!!)
all the weight comes in a smallish package though. very social dog, likes to play with other dogs, sleeps wit the new kitten etc.

It chewed through a mountain bike frame!?!

Originally Posted by kawhia

britt is the only choice suitable for dual role........in the smaller range.
but they are only a bit smaller than a well bred lab or versatile

Really?

Is a 'britt' the only small do that retrieves? I can her Foxy owners crying all around the world, not to mention the other 50+ other small breeds.

Hey, I do acknowledge that Foxys can have a hard mouth.

:-)

Fox Terrier.
Had one when I was younger. Was fantastic hunting dog, good on rabbits, possums, goats and deer.
Great family dog yet mad keen on hunting.

Originally Posted by craigc

Really?

Is a 'britt' the only small do that retrieves? I can her Foxy owners crying all around the world, not to mention the other 50+ other small breeds.

Hey, I do acknowledge that Foxys can have a hard mouth.

:-)

Getting ya ducks back half plucked is a problem, I had a good foxy that done pigs and deer too.
I think for a terrier maybe the border terrier is a good option for the water work.
Jagd terriers also can be trained to retrieve very well....
The Germans train dachshunds to retrieve.

When I'm done with gun dogs, I'm going to get a wild pack of foxys and be happy

English smooth hair fox terrier







Catches blackbirds in low flight on the back lawn

Keeps goats n pigs busy by barking in their face

Scents deer then looks at me waiting for my reaction

Incredibly hard mouth

Escape artist

Clown

Showoff

I would have thought a Cocker could be trained to hunt close or at heal ? Would hold there own on ducks .

Sent from my SM-J200Y using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Tussock

Can I come hang with them? A wild pack of foxies would be like commuting if every car on the road was a WRC car.

I'm confident if you were to harness the performance of a foxy it would be devastating. Unharnessed, devastating in a different way. My cousin had two as hunting dogs on the farm. There is not a floor board in any of the houses that was not ripped up to recover one from under the floor. Had a habit of digging along pushing the dirt behind him, thus making a return to daylight unlikely.

He was a very good heading dog though once my uncle took him over when my cousin went on his OE.

I grew up with a lot of foxies. My mum kept a particularly wild strain that was her father's. As kids, every weekend with friends started by selecting which dogs to run, then going to the garden shed and picking your weapon. Hammer, slasher it didn't matter. Our record in one morning was 18 possums. One particular bitch 'pip', would climb trees then fall out attached to a possum. Spent hours digging her out of rabbit holes, bailed the odd pig, ratted the chicken coop, and when dad's labs were gone, fetched ducks. She was addressed by all the common curses but it didn't matter as she responded to none of them. The most fun you can have with your pants on

Originally Posted by Pointer

When I'm done with gun dogs, I'm going to get a wild pack of foxys and be happy

Just so long as you are still doing the pointer thing when "that time that comes all too soon" to look for a replacement for ours.
I would like to try one from a "working breeder" assuming you would be happy to do that and not mind it being used on deer too

Originally Posted by Munsey

I would have thought a Cocker could be trained to hunt close or at heal ? Would hold there own on ducks .

Sent from my SM-J200Y using Tapatalk

would go well til ya walked pass a bush that needed smashing.

Originally Posted by mikee

Just so long as you are still doing the pointer thing when "that time that comes all too soon" to look for a replacement for ours.
I would like to try one from a "working breeder" assuming you would be happy to do that and not mind it being used on deer too

Jims pointers are all secretly trained for dogging deer