What is your ideal habitat working dog?

[SwampCat]

I truly think deer act differently around dogs in the south than in the north - or maybe it is even more local than that. I had a feeder at the far side of my front yard - 95 yards from my front door. My dogs, with their petsafe collars, can get 30 yards away from the front door. I have seen a number of mature deer at the feeder with the dogs barking 60 yards away, continue to eat.

I am not in this crowd, but have been in a lease for bear and turkey - where they ran dogs during deer season. A four week season. If deer were so vehemently worried about dogs, you would think all the deer would leave the lease - but they dont - and they kill some dang fine mature bucks - most of which are killed sneaking back in.

Around here, deer will displace dogs, but not run them off your property. I have gone coon hunting many a time and deer hunted the next day in the same area and see do difference in deer sightings. We probably kill more mature deer than most in our area.

 

[bigboreblr]

Could be alot of answers here. Some bird hunt. Best dog is a local breeder, or the same breed a good bird hunting friend uses. Sometimes the opposite is good. MY local hunting club releases birds on about 350 acres. The black labs run back n forth in the fields. MY wired haired griffon would use her nose and go from thicket to thicket picking out the spares.

Some folks who don't bird hunt, but do alot of tractor work or go out for the weekend alone would probably beneifit from something around lap dog wise. Just a companion to keep the blues away. In those cases, I think getting a mature dog wold be best. The animal might even be calm enough to spend the day in the hunting blind too.

I do not have dogs anymore. I spend too much time traveling and the ticks are just horrible here in NY. You spend a few hours hunting, then more time just cleaning the dog and yourself off of ticks n ticks.

I try to stay out of the woods until a few frosts in general these days. Focus moreo n late season hunting lcoally, or go to camp where I have yet to see a tick on m or anyone finding one at camp. I hear of one or two from people who bring dogs with them. Maybe the density is so low, it takes alot to get one on you, or it was on the dog when they came to camp.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

Weimeraners, but I'm a little biased. I'd never even seen one until I got mine 9 years ago. Most intelligent and loyal dog I've ever had. Had her pointing at 12 weeks. Perfect balance of hunting and family dog. They know what's expected of them in both scenarios. She's only gotten away in the field twice and that's because we were in grass up over our heads and couldn't see or hear each other. I got her before my wife and I were married, we traveled and hunted two years living the bachelor life, got married and she's moved 6 times with me, between farms and houses in town. Welcomed two children into the world, she's adopted them as her own and will follow them wherever they go to keep watch. I was attacked by a neighbors Rottweiler when I was a kid, so have every reason to hate dogs. As with all dogs, they're only good as their owner!

 

[roymunson]

We had a rough weekend at home. Was coming in the driveway after calling hours with my wife and the dogs ran out to greet us like they always do.

10 year old cocker mix didn't veer off like he always has in the past. Broke his rear end out and had to put him down. Total accident.

There was wailing and gnashing of teeth. I'm not a dog lover, but I felt bad for the pup. Especially tough to see my wife and kids like that.

 

[b116757]

We had a rough weekend at home. Was coming in the driveway after calling hours with my wife and the dogs ran out to greet us like they always do.

10 year old cocker mix didn't veer off like he always has in the past. Broke his rear end out and had to put him down. Total accident.

There was wailing and gnashing of teeth. I'm not a dog lover, but I felt bad for the pup. Especially tough to see my wife and kids like that.

I had a great Pyrenees pup do that to me about a year or so ago as I came in the driveway about made me sick. Wish I had a good way of breaking pups from wanting greet you when pullIng in the driveway. He wasn’t a car chaser just happy I was home. My older miniature Fox Terrier got hit by a suburban when he was younger and is very cautious around moving vehicles he was lucky to survive his automobile education.