Adventures Outdoors'
In Wisconsin
WHICH BREED IS BEST
By Rick Soerl
ell I’m glad you asked, that’s simple it’s the Black Labrador Retriever. This would be an extremely short chapter if I left it at that, and I would be extremely closed minded if I left it at that. I’m sure all my family and friends are thinking, why should I even read this. I guess you know what dogs I own by now, but let us discus this theory I have and my reasoning behind it.
My first sentence was geared towards what I personally have experienced and of course what I need in a dog. Let me explain. I personally think if you’re a diehard quail hunter the pointing breeds are probably best. If you’re a diehard pheasant hunter the spaniels are probably best, although let me say I do occasionally hunt the Chinese chicken and in heavy cover its tough to beat a hard charging lab with a good nose. But the spaniels really seem to excel overall in this quarry. I love to hunt waterfowl and the retrieving breeds just can’t be beat, they are awesome swimmers, tough through the thickest cover, and extremely trainable.
I considered for a time purchasing an American Water Spaniel because of its connection to Wisconsin, but after witnessing several so called good dogs I wondered why they put the Water in American Water Spaniel since I have as yet to see one comparable to a Labradors abilities in the water. And since I hunt waterfowl as my favorite game bird I quickly scratched the Spaniel.
I met a professional trainer out in the field training his dogs one time and stopped to ask him if he had any birds for sale. After talking to him for a while, he being the salesman he was, trying to explain to me he could train and does train all hunting breeds but prefers the pointers, shorthairs to be exact. I asked him why and he said, "Well did you ever hunt behind one" I responded "no", actually I had but I had to hear his response. "Well than come and watch this. I’m taking my field champion bitch out that’s qualified for the nationals on a training test with live chukars". "Great I said", so my training partner and I got ready to watch one of the breeds best.
He put three live chukars in his coat pockets and went to the field and planted them about 75 yards apart. He came back to the truck and put two more birds in his pocket. When he let his champion shorthair out of the truck we were in awe at the speed of this dog and how she gracefully galloped through the field almost effortlessly, he never said a word to her as far as commands and the proud trainer unshouldered his gun as she approached the area of birds, only shorthairs aren’t trained to quarter and she was slightly upwind of the first bird, at blinding speed she past the first bird starting towards the area of the second bird. She never slowed, turning slightly down wind she ran so fast over the second bird that when it flushed, the bird turned completely upside down getting struck by the shorthairs paws, but regained enough to fly away, the dog glanced at the flying bird and kept right on going confident there would be another one somewhere in the field.
We now were a good 200 yards behind the first flush, a little out of range for the trainer’s fancy dancy over and under. The pro trainer now becoming a little embarrassed began calling the dog in, and after several whistle blasts, and lots of yelling the speedy shorthair after gaining 500 or so yards began circling back. After covering the area of the third planted bird for some time and not coming up with the bird, the dog did go on point in the area but the bird must have crept away.
The pro simply reached in his pocket pulled out a live chukar and when the dog wasn’t looking threw it in the grass. He called the dog to the area and the graceful field champion bitch went on the most beautiful perfectly motionless point you would ever see, never moving a muscle and when the proud trainer kicked that bird up the shorthair never even flinched. He cleanly dispatched the bird, walked slowly behind his dog gave her the retrieve signal and the dog made the most perfect ten-yard retrieve you would ever see. He turned to us and said, "Well what do you think about that". My partner and I started to laugh thinking he was only kidding. Then he said "oh you lab owners are all the same, you can’t appreciate a good point". Than I realized he was really serious.
All of us have tried to show off our dogs, and I really think the dogs know when were doing this. I know Labs have a great sense of humor by embarrassing us when we are showing off. Sometimes when were alone with the dogs they look field champions.
It was quite obvious this trainer was much more concerned with the frozen point than the hunt itself. We later went back to that same area after he had left and shot three chukars with our lowly labs. Scratch the shorthair.
I had hunted Chinese chickens (pheasants) prior to that experience before, and always thought if the handler could get the dog to stay in range, not give up on scent so easily, stop pointing mice and rabbit scent, and hunt a little more meticulously they would be great chicken dogs. Painting them black wouldn’t hurt either. This really is all about training and hunting with a dog that fits the hunter’s needs.
I hunt ducks, geese, pheasant, grouse and woodcock. I really need a versatile dog. I also have a big family (five children) so I want a dog that’s a good family orientated breed also. Retrievers are the right breed for me.
This is about training retrievers and poking a little fun never hurts. Us.