Dog Question

AL 555

My own dog died a while back due to old age he was a cocker spaniel it was a family pet and nothing more i didnt ever hunt with him as i only started shooting this year. my question to you is it possible or normal to own a springer spaniel or any other hunting dog for hunting and aslo have it as a family pet or do the two mix?? also how easy or hard is it to train a dog for hunting and can anybody do it???

elius

Some say yes some say no i say yes:p. My pointer is as much a family pet as a hunting dog. And when ever she's in the field she doe's all i ask of her. Grandad always had pointers and as well as being a gamekeeper he was also a beater. Use to bring them to the pub with him. I dont see any problem but as i said some completely disagree. O and just to add all police and customs dogs are often seen as pets as well as working dogs as all things its all in the training dog respond well to affection.

homerhop

I would say yes, I had 2 that I worked as a pair and they got treated better at home than I did at times, they lounged around the yard and into the kitchen when they could get away with it, but the minute they seen the gun or got a run in the fields all the natural hunting instincts kicked in.

fodda

Even better as a family pet as the more time you spend together the easier it is for them and you to learn from each other

kieran1141

have springers and setters over 30 years and have always been pets with my 6 kids, have 3 now and 1 of them sleeps inside the front door, but when it comes to training just you and him for 10 or 15 min a day on the whistle and retreiving to start, i suppose i realy can onely speak for springers but had 5 or 6 setters and they were pets to, best of luck.

doyle61

i always see them as pets first and foremost. if the dog isnt good for a pet its not going to fit into my style of living (kids visiting etc). i find though that they are able to distinguish between work and play and when the gun comes out they know that its work time, and boy do they love when its work time:cool::D

Thomasofmel

I am planning to get a hunting / family dog as well - thinking of a springer. Kids want a dog - I want a dog

Tackleberrywho

Thomasofmel wrote: »

I am planning to get a hunting / family dog as well - thinking of a springer. Kids want a dog - I want a dog

Me too!
The brother got some form of Lab cross recently. he is an idiot though.

I had a lab/pointer cross and kids loved him. However he preferred to hunt without the gubn

If something bolted "see ya tonight when I get home was all I could say"
Very like my old dog.

He was a frustrating cu*t, but I loved the auld hoor.
And was great with kids like the above

elius

When i got my pointer she was a pure gun doged kennel housed 24-7 didnt hunt and was down right useless apart from being able to retrieve and she's not gun shy. Complete differant dog now you look after a dog and it will look after you.