Summer Duck Kennels

[Huntlabs]

I guess since everyone is giving their last post, this is mine. I have trained my dog and judged retrievers for several years and I don't believe that there is any difference in the traits of a Hunting Retriever Champion in the UKC and what you call a hunting dog. Dogs are trained to sit quietly by your side, mark the fall of one or more birds, bring those birds to hand, and when ordered proceed in the direction that you give them, to trust you that there is a bird in that direction, follow your signals to get to the bird, and return it to you. If your hunting dog can do these things then he is to be commended. If he runs about the duck pond hunting until he picks up a duck that may or may not be yours, he is not trained to the standard of most UKC HRCH dogs. You decide which is best for you and your hunting partners.

[GAChessie]

You sure that's not a show dog?

Catdaddy...He is kind of fancy ain't he??!!

On a side note, has anyone seen the new show on called "show dog, moms and dads"? Want to laugh, check it out, the best one is the two fruit cakes with their bowa on the dog, kind of makes me think if gundogguru turns into that for the shows!! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Sorry GDG had to do it you are the only show guy I know!!!

[Wad Shooter]

Holy Shit, Batman! Hammers arguing with 5+ guys. You don't see that often!

[Duckman#1]

The DOG is the ONLY reason I still WATERFOWL.

You'll never hear me say that! I have a dog because I hunt I don't hunt because of the dog. I bust my ass during duck season to get on and stay on birds. I do like watching a dog do his thing but I will leave mine in the truck or at home in a heart beat if need be! I did it 3 of the last 5 days of the season. That another subject.

[deadriver]

My fundamental disagreement with your (Hammers) views is that you repeatedly make the implication that the FT dogs wont retrieve without forcing. That is absolutely counter intuitive. The FT dogs is typically more high strung, and able to handle the pressure of being taught to do some very monotanous task, but desire to retrieve is the biggest aspect of the FT dogs!!!!! You may have trouble getting a handle on one, but not getting it to go.

The argument is like saying a "meat" bird dog is better and has more drive than a big running FT pointer. Maybe you cant train your pup off those big running dogs to stay with you, and hunt close if you want, but it can be done. If you get a pointer pup from FT dogs, it will have 5X the natural stamina, and be a birdy bastard with a proven ability to be made to hold long, and i mean long points. So how is that a disadvantage when you make the dog hunt close for foot hunting??? He can hunt longer than a "meat" dog, naturally holds point and has been selectively bred for trainability. The only drawback is if you cant train. If so buy a dog with no stamina, no nose and that bust the hell out of a covey.

Same thing applies here. The FT lab has more drive. Period. More natural retrieve, marking ability and desre to hunt all day.

The disadvantage is if you cant train the high spirited dog, NOT that it wants to retrieve less than a low intensity dog!!!

The only valid points is in the physique and temperment of many of todays FT lines. A lean dog is less bouyant and will not stand the really severe weather like a heavier dog. The FT dogs from the plains are hard core sombithces. NO conditions in the SE compare to dogs that retrieve in Nodak winters, break ice in Michigan, dodge ice drifts in 15 degree weather while retrieving in the Big Muddy or the Miss. If you worry about physique, then be selective and pick a dog with proven pedigrees for performance and have the proper build.

The FT dog not retrieving just dosnt make sense!!

I agree with one thing. This has been kept CIVIL! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[deadriver]

My last post.......

Dogs off of solid hunt test lines shold be trainable, have enough drive for any hunter and not to over the top for most trainers. That is why hunt test came about. Otherwise, you cant tell a good hunting dog from Bettys pooch. Which Betty breeds "sos she can make her a few hunderd dollas".

Peace. [img]graemlins/3way.gif[/img]

I have a thesis to finish.

[Hammers down]

Duckman maybe I mispoke with that statement, maybe I didn't. Let's just say for me that waterfowling is an experience, an experience made up of many parts. For me a dog is just as much of the experience as the birds cupped up, or fine shooting, or calling, or super secret decoy placements. I would stop waterfowling if you said I could not use a call, i'd stop if all decoys were outlawed, so I'd also stop if there was not a dog fetching downed ducks. For me there is nothing better than seeing a dog make a awsome retrieve. Last season My girl KAKI made two of the best retieves I have ever seen. One group of teal, three guns, four downed birds, two retrieves. Kaki hit the water, my brother went to get the boat, because four retrieves in a row in pee dee river don't work, you see the current will have bird four five hundred yards down river by the time the dog gets bird three. She then did something that she has never been trained to do she picked up two birds at one time and brought them to the hill, I sent her back on a long second and she did it again. Now on retieve two she ended up hitting the bank 300 yards down river and running back to me, dropping one of the birds along the way, but thats OK with me. We went back and found it later. A retrieve I consider nothing less than spectacular you may think of as a failure because she "did not follow proper procedure" "she dropped a bird on the way back" . To me That's what hunting dogs do, they improvise, adapt to the conditions and get the job done. My last lab Hammer was famous for retrieving up to three teal in one retrieve. I don't see many dogs anymore with "COMMON SENSE" That morning made my year, I could have stayed home the remainder of the season, how could I top that. Im my opinion once you have experienced waterfowling behind a good dog you can't go back.

I'm sorry to be so long winded But I had a chance to act like a proud PAPA and tell a dog story, i could not resist.

[GAChessie]

HD..Now I can agree with you, I feel the same way, if I cannot take my dog I am not going!! The biggest part of duck or even dove hunting for ME is the dog work, I went on many dove hunts last year and never pulled the trigger, just worked the dog for other people, had the BEST time!! Duck hunting without the dog work is not the same for me. The first memory I have from my first hunt 32 years ago was watching my uncles lab retrieve for them, and the way the guys looked as they watched the dog work, the comments after each retrieve, priceless. Hopefully my son will remember the same.