Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
What is the ideal breed as a companion dog when working on habitat around the farm?
What is your ideal habitat working dog?
- Thread starter Hoytvectrix
- Start date
Labs. Best dog I ever had is a mountain cur, now dying slowly of lymphoma. But there is too much hunt in them. If you stop for 15 minutes, he is going to be treed on something. Plus, he is a little protective if he doesnt know you - which is not a horrible trait when your closest neighbor lives a mile away.
But labs pretty hard to beat as a companion, typically mind pretty well; and not too high strung
But labs pretty hard to beat as a companion, typically mind pretty well; and not too high strung
chucker66
5 year old buck +
Unfortunately I don't take my big lab up to my land. Too many ticks even though I treat him. I just hate taking the chance. But he is a great companion and loves retrieving and dock jumping. He's my 3rd BLM and yes Black Labs Matter . We do take him wen we go up there snow-shoeing though.
jsasker007
5 year old buck +
Been taking my husky and german shepherd with me when I go out with the excavator. They stick around much better when I'm using equipment vs just walking with them. My labs were great too when they were around. Don't think my bulldogs have any interest in leaving the yard.
My first purchase after retirement will be another GSP. My concern is that theyve gotten so popular that it’ll be hard to find a good one. The bar was set pretty high for me.
Wind Gypsy
5 year old buck +
I love dogs but don’t love the hassle that comes with them. About the last thing I’d want a dog for is company on a deer parcel.
The Fishman
5 year old buck +
I had a Treeing Walker Coonhound. When at my property, I would get up in the morning, feed her, and then see her around dinner time. She was everywhere but by your side. I currently have a Beagle and Beagle/Treeing Walker Coonhound mix that aren't as bad but would rather explore than walk with you. I started fostering an unknown breed last summer that I realized was a German Shorthaired Pointer after he grew. We wound up adopting him. He goes all over the place with me and never gets further than 50 yards away unless I am shooting or bush hogging. GSPs have been termed velcro dogs since they don't like to leave your side. He has 95 acres to play on and when you bend over to plant a tree, he is there trying to lick your face.
Brian662
5 year old buck +
I'm fully aware that my lab's habits around my home property result in lower quality deer hunting than it *could* be. However, he's been awesome with the kids, a joy to be around, and we almost don't know life in MN without him. He's only got a couple years left, but we're going to make sure they're good years. The kids will be devastated when he's gone, so will my wife and I.
He runs along the UTV when I'm headed somewhere and perches on a hill top to gather as much scent as he can while waiting for me to finish my project so he can run some more.
He runs along the UTV when I'm headed somewhere and perches on a hill top to gather as much scent as he can while waiting for me to finish my project so he can run some more.
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b116757
5 year old buck +
My miniature fox terrier is great all around farm dog he will kill vermin and actually makes a decent squirrel dog he often knows there is a squirrel in a tree I would have walked right past. Small enough to be a lap dog but busy busy little fellow that generally sticks pretty close to me when I’m out and about. I’ve got a mini Aussie shepherd also and she is a very sweet loyal companion but not the character the fox terrier is he is a fun little dog.
fishin coyote
5 year old buck +
I have currently a Mnt. Cur, a lab and a GSP puppy. Both the cur & lab are seniors so they don’t roam around like they used to and the pup, well she hasn’t figured it out yet but she has a good teacher.
I really dont think a companion dog scares the deer much. Me an my cur were coon hunting and ran the biggest buck i had out of a food plot according to camera. He was back about 45 min later and dog had treed on side of food plot. I was in a lease to bear hunt and they ran dogs for deer. The biggest deer were almost always killed slipping back to their hidey hole. They wouls sometimes run the same mature buck five or six times a year
Angus 1895
5 year old buck +
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
I love dogs....especially Labs, Beagles and GSPs for the respective hunting. Down to two, but had 5 at one point.....even raising gamebirds to entertain both the dogs and I. We will finally call it quits for good after these. Theyre amazing animals, companions and partners but they take so much emotional bandwith, time and money. The end sucks SO bad as well. ( As for the comment on loving people made earlier- I vehemently do not agree with that. Maybe some and a lot......but all or most, hell no)
This said, ill reiterate one of of the above comments; The last thing I want is a dog on my property. Deer fear dogs more than coyotes. They have a great sense of smell and prey drive with the urge to chase (a sprinting animal) relentlessly. They pizz all over and leave a ton of scent. On the work side....I dread dogs near heavy equipment, power tools like saws, a vast area to run away in, animals to get into trouble with (skunks, porcupines, etc). To each their own. lll throw out some hypocrisy with this take...one of the remaining two is a lab that I used to shed hunt with prior to a botched Vet surgery that wont let him anymore. I would only take him to the farm once or twice a year though. We would hit permission and public spots.)
This said, ill reiterate one of of the above comments; The last thing I want is a dog on my property. Deer fear dogs more than coyotes. They have a great sense of smell and prey drive with the urge to chase (a sprinting animal) relentlessly. They pizz all over and leave a ton of scent. On the work side....I dread dogs near heavy equipment, power tools like saws, a vast area to run away in, animals to get into trouble with (skunks, porcupines, etc). To each their own. lll throw out some hypocrisy with this take...one of the remaining two is a lab that I used to shed hunt with prior to a botched Vet surgery that wont let him anymore. I would only take him to the farm once or twice a year though. We would hit permission and public spots.)
