huntin chukar

[chukarlover]

I have been hunting chukar now for a couple of years now without a dog. I have had my good days and bad, but this year I have decided to get a dog. I was wondering on what kind I should get, and should I get a puppy or a dog that has already been trained.

[ICMCumin]

First of all, welcome to the board, Chukarlover. Hope you visit and post often.

There are several good breeds for chukars, quail and pheasants. We had setters when I was growing up and they performed really well. Had friends with pointers and they do a tremendous job too. Hear good things about German Shorthairs as well. They all need time to get out of 'puppy-hood' and become mature game dogs before being seriously used for hunting, though. But a good dog from a good breeder from good stock for any of these breeds will perform well.

With respect to the puppy vs. trained dog question you asked, it really depends on you - a puppy is, well, a puppy. You need to housebreak it, put up with all its antics (they chew up a lot of things that you don't want them to) and growing pains - a lab, pointer or setter take a good two years to settle down, oftimes three years. You need to work with them each day. I always enjoyed the time with my dog - it was kind of a tension release for me.

The rewards with a pup can be great. You really form a bond with them as you train them. Just be prepared to have some surprizes around the house. (watch where you step)

With a trained dog, if - and only if - you get what you pay for, all the training and puppy related stuff is behind you. (Be prepared to spend some major $$$ for a REALLY good dog.)

IMO you lose an intangible by buying a mature dog that has been trained - I question if the bond between hunter and dog is as strong - and to me, that means a lot.

Anyway that's my dos centavos worth....... Good luck and let us know how it goes.

[Bennie]

Just rolled in a little while ago from a pheasant / chuker hunt in Kansas, had a blast and many birds in the freezer. The guides I was hunting with used mostly german shorthairs and springers, and both breeds were excellent pointers. Most of the guides there were using the german shorthairs, seemed to be the overall favorite. Just my .02 worth.

[birdoc]

When buying a puppy, I don't care whats its background is. All you can tell about it is its color and its sex. You can't tell if it will EVER be a bird dog. If this is your first gun dog I would suggest a trained dog or at least a well started dog, something that you can start hunting with right away. If $$ will prevent you from getting a broke dog I would at least get an older puppy, say 6 months old or so. With a puppy that age you can tell what kind of style it has, how much it likes birds, if its gunshy, any inclination to retrieve. At that age you should also be able to get an Idea about how pup will hunt. Will it be under your feet or a run off? with any luck at all it will be out there where you want it. These are all thing that are impossible to tell of a 6 or 7 week old puppy. One more thing. NEVER EVER buy an older puppy or dog in a backyard. INSIST on seeing it in the field and on birds.. Good luck

[DoeNob]

If you don't have time to train everyday during daylight, I'd go for a trained dog. Its unfair to you and the dog to expect a level of performance that can't be achieved without work every day. It doesn't take much, 15 minutes will do it, but day in day out helps enforce old commands and put together new ones.

Make sure the dog is hip and eye certified, wherever you buy from. There are a lot of back yard breeders that don't bother to get their proper certs and you don't want one of those.