Wildfowling And Rough Shooting Dog

[Dan Newcombe 58]

I would say that the OP has made a decent decision although i would also say that a springer would have been just as good a choice. Not worse, not better but definately as good.

 

If you buy a lab for rough shooting then in pretty short order you will end up buying a spaniel because the lab will never hunt like a decent spaniel.

 

People claim to have labs that hunt like spaniels but i have never seen it. I have seen labs hunt well but nothing like spaniels for getting into cover. In time if you buy a lab you will see it isnt made for rough shooting, they are made for retrieving. When you go out with someone that has a decent spaniel all will become clear.

 

The waterwork that you are talking about falls well within a spaniels ability.

 

I have a lab and he does hunt well and when he is onto something picking up he smashes cover to pieces but i wouldnt take him on his own rough shooting in thick briar patches because he wont get in there like a spaniel and i would get pissed off!

 

I know some people dont have the luxury of more than one dog but i would definately go spaniel for the all rounders. But i am biased, i find labs boring.

 

And i would go good spaniel as well, not watered down stuff. With spaniels if they arent getting on and hunting its very difficult to bring then on! Just becuase they have plenty of field trial breeding doesnt mean they are wild, it means that they are wild and untrainable. It means that they hunt hard. Get a nice big one and you are away

 

Dan

 

ps. as they said before, if you are seriously fowling on the shore, geese etc then a lab is the one for you every time and put up with the fact that you lose a bit of hunt

Edited August 19, 2013 by Dan Newcombe