AS there's another fairly heated thread about the use of dog's, I thought it might be a good idea to explain what we use them or how we use them on game.

Jess get's used on everything:

Rabbit's: she ranges out to a maximum of 100 yards, pointing and flushing.

Ducks and geese: she retrieves on the ponds and lakes out of the mai mai (hide). Points and flushes when we're stalking the rivers at a maximum of 50 yards.

Quail and pheasant: same as above but out to 75 yards.

Deer: Absolute maximum range of ten yards, never any more. Points and tracks and takes down anything that's wounded, never ranges out to 'chase'.

Pig's: She's only been on them a few times, ranges to about 300 yards, bails and holds.


The guy's I hunt with have dog's trained to work this way, including labs and Vislas. Most of us haven't got a lot of time for training more than one dog, but the way thess dog's run you would struggle to get better.
For us they are a valueble part of our hunting and we get a great deal of enjoyment out of them.

Stephen

River , my blonde lab and something , is good for spending $25 a week for food , dont count the ice cream and milk he scarfs down .. Good for riding in the truck , following us around , shudda named him "shadow" .. Spoiled Rotten ..
Jack

i grew up raising fox hounds then went to black and tan coon hounds then went to beagles for rabbits. in my life ive trained and owned hundreds and hundreds of hunting dogs and none with a little enforcement have ever chased deer.


now i raise rotties since im not physically able to actually properly train hunting dogs any more so im not antihunting with dogs. i love the sound of a hound on the scent of a fox or the baying at a coon in the early morning hours. there is nothing more fun than hunting rabbits behind a brace of half grown beagles.

if its legal im all for it but i personally dont like to eat a deer thats been ran by dogs they taste off.

I dont have the time or place to run dogs anymore so when my last dog died I havent replaced him. He was an amazing pheasant dog though (Irish Setter).


-DallanC

My little Blue Heeler, Triger likes to work cattle and eats alot. Plus keeps the mailman from comeing to the door, as well as other people when we aren't home.
Wrangler, my red headed AKC, registered grand night chapion walker eats a whole lot of dog food and he lets me know when he is hungry, which is every time I go outside. He also is pretty reliable when it comes time to find a coon, and lets me know when someone comes around the house. He decided to chase a deer as a pup but I fixed him of that. I put a good shock collar on him, when I saw some deer in a creek bed late one night I turned him loose on them and let him have it with that shock collar, he don't bother deer anymore, but he tried to as a pup.
Both of my dogs are very good friends to my wife and son, the dogs are just part of our family.

I have three dogs, One is a Chocolate Lab named Dawg, He is my bird dog, Dove Quail and I am hoping Phesant in the future. the second is a German Shepard, strictly home protection and hanging out with, Shadow does not like loud noises cats or others in the general area if we are not around but he loves and protects the kids. the third is my wifes, Zoey ids a four month old Dash hound (sp) I am not sure as to what she is good for yet except to have to clean up accidents so far. I love them all and have grown to expect to have dogs around always. I once read that " If dogs don't go to heaven, I want to go where they are" Absolutly.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but my main use for my Giant Schnauzer, Franklin, besides protecting the house, is to keep me warm at night. Our winters up here are long and brutally cold at times. That 95lb. body next to me is as good as any blanket made, and unlike my wife, he doesn't snore. Unfortunately his idea of taking half the bed means he gets the middle half. I'm still working on correcting that. I may try him hunting, but am not certain it would work well. I envy you guys who have trained your dogs to work in the field. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

My dog Sasha (Black Lab/shepherd mix) is good as a companion when I go anywhere in my Explorer, and for keeping my feet warm. She is also a very good guard dog, as long as the intruder is 4 legged. Very good around strangers and children....just loves people.....can't stand 4 legged creatures. She also keeps squirrels out of the yard.

Blaine

My dog Kosmo is a Golden Retriever/Yellow Lab cross, weights over a hundred lbs, and he loves people. He loves playing outside with my 3 yr old Grandson and it's fun to watch them wander around the yard, side by side. When a stranger comes to the gate he sounds awful mean with his deep bark and hair on end, but truth be known once you open the gate, he would lick you to death if you let him. He doesn't have a job other then to be here as a friend and make it look like he's protecting the yard. That being said I wouldn't want to be a stranger and come into the yard and grab someone cause it looks like he could be a handfull then.

My dog Floss is a welsh springer. She's a superb ratter and a good all round rough shooters dog. She's not too shabby at finding lost deer as well.

Had a Rhodesian Ridgeback many years ago. Just a city dog that I hoped would turn into a good mate for me and my family, and a guard dog. Used to take him for runs in the scrub out back of my place. He spied a couple of wallabies once and he off after them. No way I could stop him. I eventually caught up to him but he was totally worn out. Them wallabies is quick buggers. Had a good laugh and took him home. Didn't take him into the bush again.
He started to become a handful at about 10 mths old. If he wanted to go somewhere when being walked he went ! Pulled my daughter across a biggish road one day....she just couldn't hold him. He then stayed at home until I could walk him. Ended up getting rid of him to a breeder. He was great with kids, but big enough to be a problem. Hadn't really grown out of the pup stage at 12 ths old and he was about 24" high at the shoulder and as strong as a bull. If I wasn't there to walk him he would get bored and destructive....chewed everything to pieces he could find, even the paling fence.

Didn't want to get rid of him, but he was too much for the family.

Cheers, Vince

What do you think?

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! says Shelly!

Uses for my yellow lab. General overall entertainment. They have a great personality and funny ways to show it sometimes. Retrieves and delivers to hand from the paperboy, my paper every morning. On command fetches my shoes from the closet when I need them. Provides countless hours of entertainment for the grandkids. Always ready to hunt. Always a great listner. --tr

Well...Let's see now...I ride one. He weighs in at 955 pounds. The other is the house/campsite guard and family protecterate. He's a 100 pound Syberian Husky...

I had a lovely Great Dane (Gemma) until ten years back. As to her uses, I won't go into them as some things just ain't legal anywhere!
Del.