Little shedding, Protection, Bird dog

    • Bronze

    Little shedding, Protection, Bird dog

     If any dog guru's out there can help me, I'm looking for a breed that is good for field and water bird hunting, home protection, and sheds very little.  If anyone out there can think of a breed or two that may fill the bill, I'd appreciate the info.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Standard Poodles come to mind, immediately. This is the very thing they were bred for. You would have to find the right breeder, of course, but that goes for any breed.

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    • Gold Top Dog

    What are you looking for as far as home protection?  Alert barking, or actually backs it up with action?

    Edit to add - I've joined your threads because you cannot start two threads about the same topic (violates Forum Rules)

    • Bronze

     Mostly alert barking but, if the need arose, I'd like the dog to be willing to take action.  As, far as starting two threads, oops, I didn't know people actually read those rules, I usually just use common sense and it seemed harmless.  Now I know !

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    a145

     Mostly alert barking but, if the need arose, I'd like the dog to be willing to take action. 

    No matter what breed you get, you can't expect any dog to just "know" when it needs to alert bark or when to "take action" without actually training them to.

    • Gold Top Dog

     Spanish Water Dog?

     

    CHARACTERISTICS
    The Spanish Water Dog is an intelligent and versatile working dog with strong herding, hunting and guardian instincts. He is an exceptional companion, attentive and animated, showing strength and stamina combined with unusual agility. He is versatile and easily trained, performing his assigned tasks with competence and dignity. He is reserved with strangers but should not exhibit shyness.

    • Bronze

     That's not exactly true.  I currently have a wonderful German Shepard, who's had no guard or protection training.  I'm certain, based on my experience in our years together, he knows when just to bark and make his presence known and when to take action.  I know every dog needs training but, obviously there are breeds that are known for certain characteristics, that's what breeding is all about.

    • Gold Top Dog

    a145

     That's not exactly true.  I currently have a wonderful German Shepard, who's had no guard or protection training.  I'm certain, based on my experience in our years together, he knows when just to bark and make his presence known and when to take action.  I know every dog needs training but, obviously there are breeds that are known for certain characteristics, that's what breeding is all about.

     How often and why has your dog been called on to "take action"? What does he do?

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    a145

     That's not exactly true.  I currently have a wonderful German Shepard, who's had no guard or protection training.  I'm certain, based on my experience in our years together, he knows when just to bark and make his presence known and when to take action.  I know every dog needs training but, obviously there are breeds that are known for certain characteristics, that's what breeding is all about.

     

    Depends on what you mean by "take action".  Most dogs, even GSDs, even working line GSDs will not bring actual courage and fight drive to a confrontation automatically.  Fear barking is just that....fear barking.  It's very effective but that is not true protection or fight drive.  You can only evaluate good fight drive if you have a good helper/decoy that knows how to test and read the dog.  Just because a dog will bark and bite does not mean it's not extremely stressful for the dog.

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    a145

     If any dog guru's out there can help me, I'm looking for a breed that is good for field and water bird hunting, home protection, and sheds very little.  If anyone out there can think of a breed or two that may fill the bill, I'd appreciate the info.

    Chesapeake Bay Retriever.  They are moderate shedders, but they are nice workers & they are more protective than your average retriever.

    One of my Dobes fits the bill as well.  He'll even tenderize the bird as he's swimming in. Tongue Tied

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     I may regret saying this... but, a Weimaraner.  Please check out the WCA.  They were essentially bred to hunt all day and be with their people at night, as well as guard the home.  I do not think you should ever expect a dog to "take action" seperately from a command.  That is playing with fire, IMO.... that's a lawsuit waiting to happen and your dog will probably pay for it with their life.  I would hate to see a Weim put in that position... I love the breed too much.  Please take care in picking a breeder, this goes for any breed of dog you choose. Make sure they are a member of the parent breed club (ie. Weimaraner Club of America)... if they are not, that is a *RED FLAG*, keep looking. 

     The breed is low shedding (well, depends on the line, but mine and those I know don't shed much at all, except maybe a bit seasonally.) They must be a part of your family or your dog will be miserable (so, live in the home with you).  They need lots of training and exercise.  Excellent close hunting companion (unless you go to a field line, then you will get a big run out of the dog, so depends on what style you want) and all around versatile breed, point, flush and retrieve.  But, they must be trained, I cannot stress this enough. Obedience class, mental stimulation, they are very smart and will train you if you don't train them.  I would say most people would agree Weims are the most guardy of the Sporting dogs.  I'm just worried by what you mean by "take action", again, I don't think a dog should ever be in that position ESPECIALLY without the proper training. They should never attack (except in very extinuating circumstances), that to me is an unstable dog (and see Liesje's post again, I agree 100%). But, if you just mean a big dog that has a big bark... my male can be seen in my front window and alarm barks when anyone comes down our driveway.  He let's me know they are there and let's them know he's here.  He doesn't seem to mind the pizza guy Embarrassed 

    Just to point out, they used the Weim in the creation of the Doberman..... there's a reason for that Wink

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    a145

     If any dog guru's out there can help me, I'm looking for a breed that is good for field and water bird hunting, home protection, and sheds very little.  If anyone out there can think of a breed or two that may fill the bill, I'd appreciate the info.

     

    It's been my experience that any large dog is intimidating to people who don't know the dog, or are uninitiated about which breeds are naturally protective and which aren't.  Aussies (herders, not bird dogs) are naturally protective, but a naturally protective dog can be a liability if not trained, thus the comments you are receiving from others about the need to channel that activity appropriately.  I much prefer to see newbies not opt for protection ability, but for alerting ability.  Plus, not that many gundogs are also protective, because they were bred to work with groups of people, some of whom might not be familiar to the dog.  If a dog kept barking at your hunting buddies, he'd scare the birds off, too, right?

    If you want a dog that hunts quail, pheasant, duck and rabbits, the American Water Spaniel is a compact little dog with a minimal shed coat and less of the health problems that occur in the Standard Poodle.  Obviously, the same caveat applies when looking for breeders - make sure they belong to the national club, and look for working titles in the parent dogs.

    • Bronze

     I honestly did not mean for this to get so complicated.  I may not devote as much of my life to dogs as some people and maybe a little out of the lingo but, I've owned and trained several dogs, including Labs to duck hunt.  I currently own a 7 year old German Shepard and love him very much but, I'm a bird hunter and longing to train another dog for field and water work, I thought it would be nice if he or she could complement my Shep in home protection (and didn't shed as much) if the need arose.  Simply, what I mean by that is, if a stranger comes on my property I appreciate the strong alarm bark that my GS gives. What I mean by take action, if someone has broken into my home and is beating me with a baseball bat, I wouldn't mind a dog that would bite the criminal or attempt to intervene in someway, to buy me some time to defend myself.  I know every dog needs training but, my German Shepard seems to use common sense in his aggressiveness, meaning he barks at strangers, accepts who I accept and on one occasion appropriately took action (yes, he bit someone, that deserved it) (a whole other story).

    I was looking for some breeds that would possibly combine some of those traits, like the Weim and Chessy.

     In hindsight to avoid any over analyzation, I should have just said I'm looking for a bird dog that doesn't shed a whole lot and has some of the characteristics of a German Shepard or Doberman but, thanks for some of the mentioned suggestions.

    • Gold Top Dog

    I know this might also be a sensitive issue as well but what about a Laberdoodle (Lab/Standard Poodle mix)?  The low shed of a poodle and since you are familiar with labs it might have very similar trates that you are use to working with.  I personaly would not suggest going to breeder for one though, mainly because it's hard to predict if the puppies will have the exact traits you want when you mix breeds like that.  If you choose a dog of this sort when it's older it's also easier to evaluate if it's a good match without all the guess work plus you would avoid paying the designer dog cost that is outrageous with this mix. 

     

    So yeah, I'm suggesting looking into laberdoodle rescue.  They were originally bred as service dogs for people who wanted the aid of a lab but the low shedding of a poodle, then the desiner world got a hold of them.  Since both breed are also good bird-dogs I would assume that combo would excel in hunting as well. A well established rescue will do what they can to pair you up with a dog that matches your lifestlye based on the needs of the dog.

    • Gold Top Dog

    The Chessies I've known have been more protective with a rougher temperament than most labs/Goldens and many GSDs so that might be a good choice.  Not sure about shedding though, it seems like having the double coat would mean lots of shedding.  I used to babysit and dogsit for people that had one and their entire house was covered in a layer of Chessy fur.