Dog Question - Help!

[fowladdict]

Alright guys,

I currently have two labs. One is almost 14 (male) and retired. And the other is 9 going on 10 (female) and needs to be retired...can't believe I am saying that. The last 9 years have gone by too fast with the female. She has been a great hunting partner. I'm starting to accept the fact that I need another pooch. I haven't been looking, but an opportunity to pick up a lab/shorthair cross came about yesterday. Both the lab and shorthair are great hunters.

I hunt ducks, chukar and pheasant so in theory this seems like it could be a great dog. But of course you never know if these pups would point or lean towards a lab. Does anybody out here have any experience with a pup like this? Any suggestions? All of my life I've had Labs, but at this point I wouldn't mind a pointer either. Time to think about the future I guess.

 

[mhungerford]

I hunt ducks, chukar and pheasant so in theory this seems like it could be a great dog. But of course you never know if these pups would point or lean towards a lab. Does anybody out here have any experience with a pup like this? Any suggestions? All of my life I've had Labs, but at this point I wouldn't mind a pointer either. Time to think about the future I guess.

fowl

i have a friend in nebraska that has a lab/shorthair mix. he loves the dog but it will not go into the water i hates the water, i have hunted behind this dog twice love it one of the best birds dogs i have had the pleasure of hunting behind. but like i said the dog really does not like the water. but i guess it depends on the dog and how it is interduced to the water. i know this is not much help but its all i got.

 

[JohnCushman]

I have a Great Dane and he's not much of a hunting dog..lol

 

[Bio Bo]

Years ago I was given a 1/2 Weimereiner/ 1/2 Lemon Pointer (whatever that was). But that dog at about a year old was as good a natural pointing dog as I have ever hunted. He found birds almost everywhere we went, it seemed.
I've also had a lab in the past that was a very good retreiver. I would guess that the lab/ shorthair cross would develop into a great upland bird dog, but I couldn't say about the water... especially in cold weather. He, likely, wouldn't have the coat for that kind of hunting.

 

[choc dogs]

I've had a weim/lab cross, ok upland dog, hated water. Sometimes mixes don't get you the good parts of either breed, and what you've got is a turd factory. I think you'd have to look long and hard at the personality of the dog, and hope you guess right. One other thing I'd worry about is the shorthair in water, I know some people who only use them as water retrievers early in the season, worry about them getting cold.

 

[hardscrabble]

A freind who I did a lot of hunting with a few years ago had a yellow lab/short hair cross. It was a good hunting dog, loved the water, and was a good upland dog. The dog was terrible otherwise, always jumping on people and bitting. It could have been just that one dog, the owner was really good with it. He gave the dog all the love, care and training it needed but it did not matter that was her personality. The only thing I could think it was the short hair in her, I am not sure. I hatted that dog and would never get a lab/short hair cross. It could be just a bad seed, you may have more luck, it would suck to find out the hard way though.

 

[drahthaar]

I guess I would ask why you would want this particular dog? Judging by your name and your two labs you have obviously come to love, why you would want to take a chance on this mixed breed. The questions I would ask are about the pedigrees of each of the sire and dame. Are they HD free, extropic or entropic eyes, conformation, coat, etc. You have a 14 year old dog, nobody needs to tell you of the commitment it is, it would suck to get an unhealthy mix of genes to deal with for years to come.

If you plan on keeping up the waterfowling, I would look to a reputable lab breeder for a good lab. If maybe your focus is turning to upland, maybe a shorthair, EP, DD, or other versatile dog would make a nice change up in your life.

And then again, just about any dog can be taught retrieving on land and in water if started off properly. It might have a wooden nose, which can't be helped nor would it make for a good upland dog, but whatever isn't natural ability can always be trained in to a dog. Cripes, I watched a flipping rottweiler retreive a snow goose at Freezeout once. What a sight that was.

 

[fowladdict]

Thanks for the input guys. I decided not to go with the pup. Cute as heck and very alert pups, just didn't feel like the right pup for me. So I went with my gut. I did learn a lesson, don't ever take your wife and kids with you the first time you visit with a litter. If you decide not to take a pup they won't speak to you for a couple days. On a second thought the quiet was nice.

The questions I would ask are about the pedigrees of each of the sire and dame. Are they HD free, extropic or entropic eyes, conformation, coat, etc. You have a 14 year old dog, nobody needs to tell you of the commitment it is, it would suck to get an unhealthy mix of genes to deal with for years to come.

You are right on there! Lucky for me I'm married to a very beautiful gal that is a vet tech and knows how to ask those very questions. I dunno all of her reasons, but she has a very strong opinion on purebreds. I'm sure it is the ma/pop breeders that don't care for any of the things you mention above.

make a nice change up in your life.

I think it is just that...I've known nothing, but labs. My dad had a lab when I was growing up and as soon as I moved out I got my first lab (the 14 year old).

 

[Bio Bo]

Thanks for the input guys. I decided not to go with the pup. Cute as heck and very alert pups, just didn't feel like the right pup for me. So I went with my gut. I did learn a lesson, don't ever take your wife and kids with you the first time you visit with a litter. If you decide not to take a pup they won't speak to you for a couple days. On a second thought the quiet was nice.




You are right on there! Lucky for me I'm married to a very beautiful gal that is a vet tech and knows how to ask those very questions. I dunno all of her reasons, but she has a very strong opinion on purebreds. I'm sure it is the ma/pop breeders that don't care for any of the things you mention above.


I think it is just that...I've known nothing, but labs. My dad had a lab when I was growing up and as soon as I moved out I got my first lab (the 14 year old).

You ever think about a Pointing Lab? Might work for a guy like you...

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Ol Abe, 7 1/2 year old BLM. will hunt pheasant, quail, don't have Chukar. Taught him to stay close with a shock collar because he will flush---quit trying to break him of that....he doesnt break waterfowling but he trys to "catch" quail and pheasants like they were a wounded goose or duck....guess that is his mind set on them.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Had a Lab/Springer mix. For the most part was just a "mini-Lab" as she loved water and was good catching ducks.

For upland, she worked hard, and could find birds ok. She just seemed to be too big thru the chest (like a lab) without the height, so she kind of had to work too hard in brush.

She was definitely a "compromise". Good in water, but not big water. Good on upland, but not great. Great house pet and member of the family.