Hunting

How Do You Know Which Type of Hunting Dog is Right For You?
By Geoffrey English

The type of hunting dog that you choose is determined by the type of hunting that you plan on doing. Most hunting dogs are used to assist the hunter when it comes to finding, flushing out game and even retrieving it for the hunter. If you are hunting with a shotgun, you will want to use gun dogs. Gun dogs consist of dogs that will locate game either before your shot or right after. Some gun dogs will retrieve the game for you while others will point. Not all gun dogs flush the game out. Here is an outline of different types of hunting as well as the type of gun dog that is best suited for this sport:

Duck Hunting

Retrievers love water and everything that goes along with it. A retriever is a good swimmer and will actually enjoy getting wet. They will be only too glad to jump into the water and retrieve a duck that you have shot down. If you are hunting in or around the water, a retriever makes the best gun dog.

Retrievers have a soft mouth that will enable them to pick up the prey and bring it back to you without damaging the bird. Retrievers are the gun dog of choice for those who like to hunt ducks.

Quail Hunting

Quail are a bit more difficult to find and can be on dry land or near the water. Spaniels make excellent gun dogs for quail hunting as are excellent at finding game in thick cover and flushing them out. Hunters who enjoy hunting for this type of wild game often like using Spaniels such as English Springer Spaniels or Cocker Spaniels. Both breeds will hunt near water, flush out the prey and retrieve it.

Pheasant Hunting

When hunting for wild game such as pheasant, you can use a pointer. Pointers will not retrieve game, but will find it and tell the hunter where the game is located. Pointers have a larger range than a spaniel so they are good to use when you are hunting for wild game or upland birds.

Gun dogs are a type of hunting dog that is used to assist the hunter when he is hunting for small game, usually fowl. You will know which hunting dog is right for you by the type of game that you are hunting. Spaniels and retrievers are usually interchangeable as they will both locate and retrieve game. Retrievers are thought to have the edge when it comes to retrieving in or around the water while spaniels have the advantage when it comes to foraging for prey in thicket. Most hunters hunting water fowl will use retrievers while those who hunt wild game fowl will choose spaniels.

Pointers and setters are better gun dogs for hunters who prefer to have a dog to flush out the prey and allow him the hunter to find the prey. Decide what type of game you would like to hunt and then choose your hunting dog accordingly.

Geoffrey A. English is the Founder of GundogsOnline.com, the internet's premiere online magazine dedicated to hunting dogs. Their site has a wide variety of dog supplies such as Dog Training Collars, SportDOG, and Dogtra products.

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