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Best Gun Dog?


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Hi all,

I am looking into getting a gun dog to go beating, flushing out and Retrieving, now i had my heart set on a cocker spaniel, but i been speaking to people and some say springers are better and some say labs are better and easier to train.

The dog will be living outside in a kennel/run the size of 10ft x 5ft.

I will have time to walk it in the morning and night when i finish work, it will be given good walks on saturdays and sundays as me and my girlfriend enjoy walking it will also be beating with me during shoot seasons.

Can anyone give me any help or advice on what to choose and why?

Thanks very much for you help and i look forward to reading your replys.

Matt :D

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Thats a fine kennel, something like what's in my back garden.

 

If you can give a dog enough exersise, get it out for a good walk or run 2 or 3 times a day, then you should be able to own a cocker, springer or lab.

Spaniels are better for hunting cover, labs are better at retrieving.

 

I've always preferred spaniels (I'm training a cocker at the moment) but that's due to the kind of countryside I hunt in, the cover is thick and the land is generally wet during the season.

 

Spaniels can be a bit frantic, which might not be the best on a beating line.

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i hate makeing decisions think i am i going to say i am going to get a cocker and i can start to find out information on cockers than trying to find info out on 3 dogs.

 

I dont want to sound as though i cant afford a dog but what is the rough price of running a dog a week/month.

 

I tought

 

£10 a week food

£7-10 a month insurance

 

anything else like monthly vets fees or anything.

Thanks

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Can't really help you all that much, me being in Ireland and everything costing different, but depending on your dog:

 

I get Massbrook working dog food, costs about 15 euro a bag, lasts nearly a month at this stage (cocker is 6 months old)

I supplement her food with this and that, some raw liver once a week, eggs and a little milk, some dinner leftovers if suitable. It works out well, she's in very good condition and has plenty energy (jaysus does she have plenty energy).

Don't overfeed her, she'll get fat as f**k and the amount of shite will overwhelm you.

 

I don't know what you will be charged for immunisation shots, but worming and flea medication you can buy yourself (vets, online etc) and administer yourself. This stuff doesn't cost very much here, and it shouldn't with you either. The flean and worm meds are long term so you don't have to worry for 12 weeks or so.

 

Get your self a good slip lead, training whistle, throwing dummy and a tennis ball or two and you're sorted for the first half of her training at least.

Edited by Macnas
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I have springers, cockers, labs and a hungarian vizsla asked which breed is best out of those I would chosethe springer every time they really are the maid of all work and used for all types of shooting without fault. There's nothing my springers won't do on a shoot day :notworthy:

 

As regards letting the pup interact with others, my pups all grow up having fun, meet the neighbours and their kids, it's all part of socialisation but it needs a few ground rules such as don't let kids play tug with the pup, and endless retrieves, commands need to be the same used by you and your girlfriend. Remember enjoy the pup it's not all work ;)

 

Nicola

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Matt dont know if this is your first gun dog but if it is then why not consider one already trained.

 

Reason i say this is that i did this this time last year and by god im glad i did.

 

I bought a 18 month old ESS of a guy who trains them up and sells on. Hes a good guy and helped me through the rest of the season on a shoot. This gave me valuable expierience for when i took the dog on myself. Now let me tell you i've learn't more off the dog than the dog has learn't off me. Sure he had to get used to me and my commands which vary from the trainers, as in pitch and tones ect, but i can now see how i could have spent lots of time and money on a pup only to ruin it through inexpierience. Ive made mistakes with this dog now, but as its already been trained then things can be rectified, mess up with a pup and its major work to rectify.

 

Any way im taking the plunge in the new year with my first ESS pup and i hope the expirience ive had pays off, Ive never fancied a cocker but theres a guy whos just joined me beating and he has one, and to be honest its dynamite, a really lovely dog and works fantasticly.

 

All the best

 

bob

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Matt dont know if this is your first gun dog but if it is then why not consider one already trained.

 

Reason i say this is that i did this this time last year and by god im glad i did.

 

I bought a 18 month old ESS of a guy who trains them up and sells on. Hes a good guy and helped me through the rest of the season on a shoot. This gave me valuable expierience for when i took the dog on myself. Now let me tell you i've learn't more off the dog than the dog has learn't off me. Sure he had to get used to me and my commands which vary from the trainers, as in pitch and tones ect, but i can now see how i could have spent lots of time and money on a pup only to ruin it through inexpierience. Ive made mistakes with this dog now, but as its already been trained then things can be rectified, mess up with a pup and its major work to rectify.

 

Any way im taking the plunge in the new year with my first ESS pup and i hope the expirience ive had pays off, Ive never fancied a cocker but theres a guy whos just joined me beating and he has one, and to be honest its dynamite, a really lovely dog and works fantasticly.

 

All the best

 

bob

 

i never thought of that, what kind of cost would you be looking at for a dog that is already trained or would it be cheaper to get a dog and send it away to be trained, on the other hand i would like the challenge of trainging a dog up. :wallbash: i dont know what to do he he he

Edited by matt_VTS
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Matt dont know if this is your first gun dog but if it is then why not consider one already trained.

 

Reason i say this is that i did this this time last year and by god im glad i did.

 

I bought a 18 month old ESS of a guy who trains them up and sells on. Hes a good guy and helped me through the rest of the season on a shoot. This gave me valuable expierience for when i took the dog on myself. Now let me tell you i've learn't more off the dog than the dog has learn't off me. Sure he had to get used to me and my commands which vary from the trainers, as in pitch and tones ect, but i can now see how i could have spent lots of time and money on a pup only to ruin it through inexpierience. Ive made mistakes with this dog now, but as its already been trained then things can be rectified, mess up with a pup and its major work to rectify.

 

Any way im taking the plunge in the new year with my first ESS pup and i hope the expirience ive had pays off, Ive never fancied a cocker but theres a guy whos just joined me beating and he has one, and to be honest its dynamite, a really lovely dog and works fantasticly.

 

All the best

 

bob

 

i never thought of that, what kind of cost would you be looking at for a dog that is already trained or would it be cheaper to get a dog and send it away to be trained, on the other hand i would like the challenge of trainging a dog up. :wallbash: i dont know what to do he he he

 

 

For a trained springer expect to pay between 600 and a grand minimum :o labradors are generally much more, but again depends on who trains them and why they are for sale, I have been caught out before buying a trained dog :no:

 

Nicola

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never thought of that, what kind of cost would you be looking at for a dog that is already trained or would it be cheaper to get a dog and send it away to be trained, on the other hand i would like the challenge of trainging a dog up. :wallbash: i dont know what to do he he he

 

 

FECK NIETHER DO I BUT YOU WILL GET THROUGH IT.. BUY A PUP FROM GOOD WORKING STOCK ..TRY AND SEE THE PARENTS WORK {BEST THING IVE DONE }DONT CARE IF ITS FTCH SEE THE DOG IN THE FIELD EVEN IF JUST IN RABBIT PEN ..AND DONT BE AFRAID TO ASK.....AND ENJOY IT ..THERES ENOUGH ON THIS FORUM TO POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION..OH PS FIRST DOG SPRINGER...

GOOD LUCK

Edited by k9wpg
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