Labradors

[keepdiggin 9,567]

I think they make good family pets but been beating a few times and 99.9% use spaniels. Do most people agree the spaniel is a better working breed?

[Mooch. 177]

All depends what work it's doing. On my shoot its 90% labs.

[jessdale 416]

A Labrador RETRIEVER is bred to RETRIEVE. A spaniel is bred to hunt. Dogs for jobs.

[mike07986 0]

i think its horses for courses tbh labs seem to be pretty easy going and alot calmer than spaniels but spaniels do hunt incrediablely well it all comes down to what sort of shooting youve got or do at the end of the day and personal prefence

 

mike

[sikastag_1 689]

Personally mate I like labs as long as they are big strong type not the wee stumpy ones or the ones that look like black whippets lol, if I was only keeping one gundog it would be a spaniel probably a springer as they have more size than a cocker, as has already been said labs are retrievers though. I have 1 and she hunts like feck though I'm not into trials etc so I don't mind letting her hunt. Depends on the work you do if its picking up or beating mostly either way if I had only 1 gundog it would be a springer. Labs come into their own when your shooting a lot of wildfowl and need a waterdog that big bitch of ours will retrieve a LOT of ducks and geese from big ponds in a season and a spaniel couldn't compete with her in IMO, she retrieved 2 geese at once last season and was well out in a large pond that's why I wouldn't be without a lab unless I never had room for 2 gundogs

[stroller 341]

Although I have a labradoodle and wire haired vizsla as my gun dogs, we look after a lot of labs and spaniels in our day to day dog boarding/day care business, some of which are working dogs. My personal favourites are the labs just because they are a bit more easy going (Not all) than spaniels.

 

We find a lot of working type spaniels in pet homes and without proper training/exercise they go nuts. To be honest I would say about 50% of dog problems are down to not enough exercise. The other 50% is down to poor socialisation of the puppy and lack of the owners consistencyin care and training.