Unusual Gun Dogs

[Thistle]

We are lucky in that the organised shooting round here is not 'posh'
We have a pair of Shih tzus that work locally, they are very ken but can't manage anything larger than partridge.

I have also been told of someone training a Staffie and another friend who has a fox terrier sized mongrel who is the best gundog her OH has ever had.

Anyone else have an unusual working dog?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

My JRT will pick-up. He wasn't ever really trained, just copied the Labs.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Not working dog as the ones you're talking about, but there was a Swedish Papillon that was an official Search and rescue dog, in rubble search.

Though I remember a story about a Pointer doing a perfect point far, very far away out in rather wet terrain. When the hunters had splashed and squelched their way within shooting distance, the dog got an avance-command and it did, but sort of a very short avance, no birds came flying and the the dog did a new perfect point.
So eventually the hunters splashed all the way up to the dog - it was pointing at a frog.

 

[Thistle]

Like it!

 

[Cop-Pop]

LMAO

My dog is a lab but he thinks hes a cat so does that count?

 

[Ravenwood]

My first working gundog was labrador x Australian Huntaway and my friend works a labradoodle - neither are probably that odd though!

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

my collie will go identify whatever you get down, but then stand over it looking at it, then me, like FOUND IT MUM! COME OVER AND SEE!
(don't think he would make a gun dog)

 

[Blanche]

My border collie would pick up and bring to me but one dalmatian I had would pick up and eat!!

 

[severnmiles]

An inuit I bred picks up pheasants, stalks live pheasants and rabbits and brings them back untouched. He also herds sheep!

 

[Benjamin]

In one of my OH's shooting mags, there was a Boxer that was trained as a retreiver/picker uper at a driven shoot.

Also, the people we got Gunnar from had a puppy from another litter that was also trained as a retreiver!

 

[Thistle]

Now I couldn't imagine my boxer picking up, well he would pick up and dissappear!

 

[Inchy]

our old lakeland terrier just to run away from home to join the local shoot when he heard the guns....they always brought him back at the end of the day and gave us a pheasant to thank us for all the hard work he'd done!

Never trained but he was a very good gundog....only problem was once he'd retrieved he'd then expect you to throw it for him! he was slightly obsessed with playing fetch!

 

[tina579]

My collie points, flushes and retrieves bless him, he is currently used by my dad on days I cant make and although people tend to laugh when they first see him it is amazing the number of people who have complemented me on him, a couple have even asked about buying him. Today he did a couple of water retrieves. I honestly dont think I will have another dog like him!

 

[Bedlam]

So eventually the hunters splashed all the way up to the dog - it was pointing at a frog.

My pointer only ever points at bumble bees and helicopters. If you shot
at either I imagine you'd be in trouble.........!

[/ QUOTE ]

 

[Lucy_Nottingham]

how come everyone elses collies seem to be better than mine?!

 

[Puppy]

Canine Puppy (GSD) in her youth was a terrific gundog. I took her out beating thinking she'd be very good at putting them up, but she left the whole shoot speechless the first time she retrieved and brought it back to me unmarked like she'd been bred and trained for it!!

She saw the shoot last weekend when I was visiting family and they were all saying how grand she was in her day!!

I can't wait to see what Popple will be like!!

 

[Thistle]

What will Popple retrieve - fledgelings?

 

[Puppy]

Slippers, garden gnomes, plantpots, cuddly toys (that we have no idea where they came from

) Super big sticks (not ones you throw you understand, just ones she likes to bring in from the garden looking very pleased with herself) socks, pajamas, gloves, hats, sponges, grooming brushes, leadropes, tail bandages.... Pretty much everything!!

More seriously though, she is half springer, and she REALLY wanted to go out with the shoot last weekend (it's my uncles shoot and we had lunch with all of them before they headed of again) Unfortunately, at the moment I'm of course not well enough

but next season we'll be joining in

To see her in the woods, you can really see the springer and she's fab at putting them up, but no, I don't think she'll ever retrieved though, lol.

I got some nice pics of her and puppy in the woods, shall upload them now and get them in the PG

 

[Puppy]

Pictures now posted in the PG

I'll make a gundog of her yet I tell you!