Bird Dog Breeds

This past week I received a few phone calls from some friends looking for a good bird dog breed. Most of the people I talked to were looking for dogs that can perform well in a hunting scenario, yet can also be good companion/family dogs. Fortunately, that’s exactly the same qualities that I look for in the dogs that we hunt and breed. There are several different breeds that come to my mind. In no particular order the German Shorthair Pointer, American Brittany, German Wirehair Pointer, and English Pointer. Depending on who you talk to some people would say there isn’t such thing as a good English Pointer that can be calm and gentle at home and still preform well in the field. To them I would say nonsense I have one at my home right now. At times I think we get set on a certain breed. As it is important getting to know the breed’s qualities and natural tendencies. It’s even more important to find out about a particular litter or puppy. Make sure you find out about each puppies’ parents and each puppies’ individual personality to make sure you get a dog that will fit what your looking for. A great way to do this is talk with the breeder or trainer. Explain to them what your looking for and let them give you some advice on where to look or who to talk to. I believe the people that called me last week will have a better start on finding what they are looking for in a bird dog breed if they are asking questions and doing their home work .  Remember just because a particular breed has some similarities it’s not always the case for a particular puppy. Make sure you ask the right questions. Have some good “Gun Dog Talk” as I would call it.