Im looking at doing the blueprint in the new year with a pup. Im looking at a heading dog like "Print." I am 22 and years off having kids so do
not need to consider a family dog as such.
Cheers
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Im looking at doing the blueprint in the new year with a pup. Im looking at a heading dog like "Print." I am 22 and years off having kids so do
not need to consider a family dog as such.
Cheers
I wonder how many 22 year olds have said that !! Apart from that, this could become quite an interesting thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by NZWoody99
GSP x heading dog :thumbsup:
Lab heading cross
Second choice would be some kind of Pointer Heading cross
Exactly what I got. But whatever breed you get. Choose the quiet one in the litter. Unless you like high energy.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sako851
the advantage of heading dog....they are quiet,USUALLY light and have excellent balance....eg how much to move or not to....
you COULD do it with any dog.......a teacup chawahwah in top pocket would be hard case,and a rotty would make sure no one pinched your lunch,just realise you will have dog for a dozen years....choose wisely.
something cheap and not likely to cost a lot in vet bills. I'd be happy with something off trademe/facebook marketplace/the spca etc.
A lot of people go on about such and such pedigree is best but you need to put effort in regardless of breed.
dogo argentina
I'd second Mickey Duck. Choose a dog that suits your life and be prepared to look after it for a dozen or more years. Any breed (or cross) can be taught to find animals if you spend the time teaching them. My grandson's Jack Russel seems have a burning ambition to find deer. Teaching him that he isn't big enough to kill them by himself is proving to be the tricky part.
mate if only it was easy to estimate how much a dog was gonna cost you :)
So far all my dogs have cost me a bunch of dollars. Even the mighty NZ Huntaway which you would think should be fairly free of problems......Nope.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russian 22.
Cracks me up when people spend thousands on rifles and other "gear" yet want the Cheap Dog and diy training.....
What will get you more game.... your rifle or a good well trained dog??
Just remember you will have your mate for at least 10 years and they will take a piece of you when they depart🙁
If possible take a good look at the Mum and Dad first, bear in mind that the bigger the dog the bigger the food bill (or you will just need to go hunting more often!).
the caveat of less likely to cost lots hahaha. Not everyone is cold hearted and can just go through dog's like they're disposable tools. So imo a mutt is much better than a pedigree that's been bred to have all sorts of issues.Quote:
Originally Posted by rugerman
I think if your new to dog training I strongly suggest the heading dog,preferably from hunting parents.
Don't rush into buying a dog, 12 or 15 years is a long time stuck with a lemon. You need to look at how much hunting you're going to do etc also. Breeds like the Vizsla or GSP are proven hunting dogs but they're also a lot of work, guys rush out and buy them and 90% of the ones I've seen in the flesh have been a "waste" as no real work was put into them, a lot of them are downright obnoxious too when you go to visit someone and there's this "million mile an hour dog" that won't sit still for three seconds, I know of one dog from a very good mate that comes from one of the top kennels in NZ and the bloody thing is gunshy and mad as a snake. I agree with the heading dog bit, they're a dog that exudes intelligence and are not high maintenance, they learn very easily and more importantly they retain that information without huge amounts of effort having to be put into them.
I got my Bo as "free to a good home" as a pup through a fellow forum member, he was from hunting lines though, Catahoula/Heading X and he's been such a pleasure to have around and train, he just turned 1 last month and has a few deer to his name now, we've done quite a bit of training and practise but you can tell the dogs that are smart from the dumb ones and he's pretty sharp and a good mix with the strong prey drive and nose of the Catahoula and the intelligence and calm and collected (and quiet!) outlook of the heading dog
If you are asking this question you may not be ready for a dog.
I have labs and love them. Great family dogs and do everything good. If I was purely chasing big game I would go something more specific for that though. I run labs because i’m also big on duck shooting so the lab is critical for that for me. Plenty of good points already, a nice heading dog would go well. A lot of potential with a good vizsla and gsp etc but you also need to be very good at your handling to get the best from them. A lot of work managing them day to day.
@mimms2 keen to hear your perspective on what you disagree with. Not for arguments sake but because i’m always interested in listening to different opinions/ideas. Feel free to PM if we don’t want another classic dog opinion argument in the thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
my Black Lab Weimaraner cross was a great dog , good on anything and had a better nose than my lab , she would find ducks the Lab missed , climb hedges to retrieve , find indicate / Deer , great watch dog as well, it helped that she had the Lab to teach her, i got most of my dog training methods from old RNR magazines and reading books , the best tip was eat on command and moving the feed bowl close to lawn mower/chain saw so got used to loud noises , also could take bone out of mouth ,important with young kids .
Yea fair enough, I agree and do the same pretty much. I have noticed that with him a few times changing small things in the command etc. My pup atm only ever came out of the kennel when I could observe him just to avoid him destroying stuff. As he’s gotten older and learnt the do and donts he’s pretty much out all the time now unless if we go out then he’s back in kennel (5 months old). Yard is fully enclosed though and front of house is seperate to the back where dogs are.Quote:
Originally Posted by mimms2
Funnily enough after talking about how my pup knows the do and donts at home, I came home from work today and he had chewed the bloody back door matt while my wife wasn’t watching. I blame my wife lol doh!
I'm training my pup with the blueprint. Not exactly as he does it but more or less.
It's going well. My pup is stopping, sitting, staying and coming to my call. His system definitely seems to work.
Bea doesn't sleep outside in her kennel though. She sleeps inside in a crate. I agree with what others have said and I don't really like her being cooped up all day.
Consider the type of hunting you will do. Terrain and climate. Match your dog to your personality, lifestyle and hunting. I personally prefer female working dogs for biddability. Huntaways and Strong eyed heading dogs. Learn your individual dogs traits and understand and respect your indicator dog in training. My heading dog is way more "softer" to a growl than the huntaway. Analyze your dogs behaviour and how it uses it senses. Use blueprints concepts as far as it works for you and your indicating dog. Hunt one area alot by yourself and then train your dog in that area so you can set it up for success. Always trust your dog - you will be amazed at what it can be capable of....Have fun :)
My lab x gsp is quite a driven dog. I call it the gsp ignorance. Smart enough to know what you want him to do, but there’s always a moment or two where he thinks about how he can test my decision. He requires a fair bit of pressure while working, more so than a dog that might be more biddable and clingy, for lack of a better word. I’ve had two pure gsps in the past and they were much the same.
They need a lot of work day to day to get the most from them but if you do things right they are very loyal dogs.
Dogs with high drive ability can be slow to mature so that is something to factor in as well.
A good heading dog with a bit of eye and calm temperament. The heading dog crosses Viz, GSP, Lab can be good too, hunting lines are optimal but not essential.
Mines a wire head gsp X heading dog and its a different beast to train compared to my old GSP, GUS, the GSP's have full on prey drives which can make them hard
to keep close when they are on game. My Kahu has been much easier to train and is easy going ( most of the time )