Waterfowl with a Brittany?

[lildave]

Hey Brittany owners, any of you hunt waterfowl with your Brittany?

Just wondering if the Brittany is big enough to handle the retrieve of ducks and geese.

Thanks.
Dave

[nimkii]

I grew up with Brittany's (lab guy now) and the last one we had would retrieve ducks and geese until he got a real arse kickin' from a goose. After that the dog wouldn't even go near water. He still loved going for pheasant, grouse and woodcock but if he new it were geese or ducks, no chance.....

[Huntingonthebrain]

Ducks I can see being ok for a brit to handle. As nimkii said, a goose could give even a good size brittany a crap kickin. I would love my brit to hunt goose, but I just don't think he has the physical size to do it. Especially if they were AB canada geese... some of em are like 18 lb birds.. huge for a little brit to deal with

[Vindalbakken]

As has already been mentioned, it depends on what you are calling "geese".

[Birddogs]

I had a fair amount of goose experience with my two Brits
back in Manitoba ..They were brothers one was 33lbs.
and the other 46 lbs. at his best fighting weight .
They were bred in Iowa by a guy who wanted
waterfowl dogs in the Mississippi back waters .
Long in the leg , they were an excellent tag team
sometimes not all the goose came back .
My buddy in Brandons Lab at 6 yrs old , got a beating
a couple of years ago by a large goose , soured him totally .
That big Brit of mine would run them right over , then pin them
and grab the neck . The small one would grab them by the rear end .
Quite something to watch , then each grab a wing and bring them back.
They were tough dogs , like to lay outside in -20 F. in a snow bank .
I think to some degree it depends on the personality . I think slow and easy . I notice with steel shot I am ringing a lot more necks .

[RyanGSP]

We used to hunt 2 britts and used them for geese and ducks. They would bring back anything we could put down it didnt matter on size but how they grabbed the bird. A wounded goose swimming down the river was a little problem but the dogs just dragged them to shore, got a better grip and brought them back.

[Vindalbakken]

You used to hunt with Brits and now you have a GSP. I am beginning to question your sanity!!!!

[Birddogs]

ROFLMAO>>>>........ Good one Vin .....

Merry Xmas to all ......

[RyanGSP]

You used to hunt with Brits and now you have a GSP. I am beginning to question your sanity!!!!



The old Man used to run britts I never hunted over them as I was too young. I have hunted over my friends and they just aint for me but thats another discussion.

[lildave]

Thanks for the replies folks. That helps a little anyway. I really love the GSP, but it may be too high strung for us...."maybe". I have also looked into chocolate labs, a friend mentioned that I should look at the Brittany before I decide.

Personally I prefer a shorthaired dog. SO if I got a Britt it would be getting a hair cut an aweful lot.

Looking for a family companion primarily, and a weekend hunting buddy in a dog.

Thought this was the best place to ask about hunting for stuff other than upland with the Britt.
Thanks again for the replies.

Dave
OH, P.S - Merry Christmas to you all ! ,....and if you are not a Christmas celebrater...or that somehow offended you..hmmm...this is a Canadian Forum... MERRY CHRISTMAS EH!

[RyanGSP]

I have found brittanies more high strung than any shorthair I have ever met. I am not talking about 2 or 3 dogs here I have looked at hundreds of dogs from more than a dozen different lines. The closest I could find were the trial lines of GSP's but the DK's and NAVHDA GSPs were calmer.

That being said I have net crazies of both breeds and boot lickers of both.

[Vindalbakken]

Is Diego the first and only GSP you have owned?

[RyanGSP]

Yes he is but like I said I looked at MANY different examples in MANY different situations and MANY different lines.

I am not trying to ride down the brittany but they are what they are and thats a high strung field trial dog.

[Vindalbakken]

Just thought I would put a perspective on the source of such definitive statements.

[RyanGSP]

Just thought I would put a perspective on the source of such definitive statements.

Just because he is the first one I have owned doesnt mean I havent been around them all my life as well as the Brittany.

[Vindalbakken]

I know, you already said hundreds of them.

[lildave]

I have found brittanies more high strung than any shorthair I have ever met. I am not talking about 2 or 3 dogs here I have looked at hundreds of dogs from more than a dozen different lines. The closest I could find were the trial lines of GSP's but the DK's and NAVHDA GSPs were calmer.

That being said I have net crazies of both breeds and boot lickers of both.


Ryan, thanks for the comments, however the same holds true for any breed and breeder program. Some breed for field, some breed for companion. I know the breeder I am speaking with for the Brittany's breeds specifically NOT for Field Trials, and more towards a family companion natured dog.
I love the GSP as well, and I too have seen GSP's really high strung, and some pretty mild. Depends on the breeding stock and the qualities that the breeders are working towards.

Dave

[RyanGSP]

Ok tell that to the "Companion bred" brittany that tore up a living room carpet, chewed the leg off an end table, and ate half a sheet of dry wall off the wall all before it was a year old.

Brittanies do what they do and are now bred to do best here in North America and that run trials. Hard to find a Brittany without and trial lines in it although I am sure it is possible.

Here is where I would look for the calmer side of the Brittany http://www.frenchbrittany.org/index.html

[lildave]

LOL....I've seen dogs do that in an afternoon not a year. :cheesy:
Depends on how stimulated they are I guess, and how much energy they need to burn off. Nonetheless, I was looking in here for a "this breed is better than that breed". What I was looking for was their ability to hunt waterfowl.

I appreciate your comments though.

Dave

[RyanGSP]

I am not trying to turn this into a better breed thread dave. Like I said before they are good dogs for waterfowl.

[Jixer]

Brittanys can retrieve ducks, and maybe geese, depending on the dog, the goose, the temperature and your shooting. :fencing:

If you are primarily a waterfowler, they would not be my first choice. There are a number of breeds that are bred specifically for this type of work.


Merry Christmas.:dog:

[Big Bird]

You used to hunt with Brits and now you have a GSP. I am beginning to question your sanity!!!!

I find more Brit owners making excuses or asking if there dog is capabile of doing something than any other breed. Is it the dog or the owners? Why do you not look at this when you buy the breed, you want a small dog to please the wife, that can be part of the house......I know ....I know... I have heard this statement before

There are great Brits out there but it is obvious from your questions and statements that none of you own them.:opps: Remember they were bred for poaching!:cry_1:

This will get the retreiver folk laughing :harhar: as the pointer are fighting:boxing:

:sorry: ..I forgot this is Christmas

Ryan ,,, smart move getting a real dog :clap2:

[Huntingonthebrain]

Let's face it. There are outstanding dogs in any breed and there are average ones and underachievers. I think however that you need to get the dog that best suits your purposes. I have seen big dogs that eat and chew everything. I have seen little dogs and medium ones as well. What is expected of a particular breed is the norm.. but not always what you get. I love Brittany Spaniels. Hands down. They are supposed to be an upland dog. That is not to say that they cannot do anything else. But if you are wanting to Waterfowl with a britt.... you may or may not get the dog to do it. My dog is not big on cold water, so maybe be he could do goose in a field, but as I stated in an earlier post... some geese are pretty big. If you don't shoot well, you might have a lot of wounded birds that will give a brit a run for its money. If you are a better shot.. a dead bird would be an easier retrieve for a little brittany. If your primary hunting is waterfowl, I say get a retriever. They like the cold water, they are big enough to handle even a big goose and in a pinch they make a good flushing dog if you teach them to hunt a little closer than a pointer. The other thing to take into account is that many people do not know how to train a dog and therefore they have a dog (could be a britt or GSP) that is high strung for most of its life.. and uncontrolable Yes they are high strung. I would not want a brittany or GSP that was not... it would IMHO be a detriment to their ability to run all day hunting birds. I will say this: When my brit gets out hunting his tail goes nuts as he hunts. There is no greater pleasure for my little dog then running through a field trying to find birds for me. Now if I could just shoot a little better, he might give up trying to hunt on his own and when he does actually point a bird for me, he might quit giving me those looks that say "Great One Jer.. why do even pull the trigger.. you can't hit crap!!!!" :emmbarassed: The long and short of it is. If you train a high strung dog right and make sure that they get lots of exercise each day you will find even a high strung dog is quite reasonable to have around the house. My brit is coming up 2 years old in May, he is now pretty good when people come to the door. He doesn't chew everything, though underwear, socks and dish towels are still a hot item. He is fairly obedient though and I think he will always be easily excitable. I just have to distract him when he is and calms down just fine This is just my opinion.. hope it helps.

[Birddogs]

I just have a question , maybe someone can answer .
What dog has been refered to as " the Supreme Gundog "
for the last hundred years .. The name escapes me at the moment .
Have a happy new year .

[RyanGSP]

The German Shorthaired Pointer

[Big Bird]

I just have a question , maybe someone can answer .
What dog has been refered to as " the Supreme Gundog "
for the last hundred years .. The name escapes me at the moment .
Have a happy new year .

Bird Dog.. you barked up the wrong tree..::laugh: : The supreme gundog title goes to a "griffon" ... and you thought it was a ______??:dog: Only in your eyes!! Since when did a _________? become a bird dog!!::thmdn:

I own a DK ... now that is for you to interupt...:stirpot:

[RyanGSP]

Allow me to fill in the blanks for Big Bird _______ = Griffon :boxing:

[Birddogs]

Ooooooo...LaLa..... Le Can of Worms ......

Actuallement zis is my first Griffon ... Pronounced

Grii-fawn not grifun ....accent on the last syllabull ....

And I thought those hungarians were pretenscious

( owned viszlas for 20 years and will likely get another one
soon as my wife recovers from this guy ..)

[cdnvizsla]

owned viszlas for 20 years and will likely get another one
soon as my wife recovers from this guy ..)


HAHAHAHAHA!!!:nice work:

Well at least he is showing signs of coming back to his senses!!!!

[RyanGSP]

Ahh ya but he still isnt quiet there. Although You have a nice viszla yourself. I wouldnt complain if I had to own a pup outta him.