Not All Hunting Dogs For Sale Are Good Hunting Dogs

?Hunting dogs for sale is a topic just not for everyone in this world of today. In fact, it can be rather controversial and heated. But one thing for sure is the worst thing a family or individual can do is purchase a hunting dog with a long bloodline and then try to make a household pet out of it, only taking them out once a year. These dogs were bred with a specific purpose, and that is what they do automatically, with pure enjoyment and love of heart.

A good thing to do when searching for good hunting dogs for sale, is to check with the breeders' references and make sure you see the parents from that particular hunting line. Also, look at the parents and possibly see them in action. If you buy a bird dog from championship bird dogs, then have the owner show you what they can do out in the field. Do not just take their word the dog is good, as the dog may not be quite as good as the paperwork says. And occasionally, out of a litter there will be some that do not work or are gun shy. So just because the sign says hunting dogs for sale, does not mean the dogs for sale are good hunting dogs.

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Before you respond to an ad in the classifieds, or a sign on a yard post stating "Hunting dogs for sale," you'll want to have done your homework and have prior knowledge of the breed. I saw one ad that said, "Cookie is a 5 month old female lemon beagle." Pursuing this ad would assume that the customer already knows about beagles or maybe the buyer is just thinking about the breed, and really does not know much about it other than hearsay. Additional information, such as "papers included, champion pedigree" refers to the fact the dog has some sort of lineage. Is this lineage a three generation or five generation line? Also, just because great-grandpa clear back on mother's side had a championship, does not mean the puppy has one, unless it is listed as such. But it does mean the puppy may be quick-witted and intelligent, as compared to a line that has no championship qualities.

Research. Research. Research. Know your breed before checking out the hunting dogs for sale ads and flyers in the veterinarian offices. Make sure the good side and bad side of that hunting breed are discussed with other owners of that same breed of hunting dog that is planned on being purchased. All breeds of dogs, including hunting dogs, have good and bad points and it is up to you, the buyer, to know what they are.

A Little History Of Duck Hunting Dogs

?Duck hunting dogs belong to a wide group of hunting dogs referred to as AKC's Group One, the group of Sporting Dogs, also referred to as the waterfowl hunting dogs. It is from this group the duck hunting dogs have developed and gained their reputation. Today duck hunting is considered to be an outdoor sporting activity, and the duck hunting dogs are now part of a huge world of hunting, where commercial waterfowl hunting is not as popular as in the past. But for those who do hunt for a variety of other reasons, the water dogs or waterfowl hunting dogs can spot and remember perfectly the exact location of the downed bird.

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Birds such as ducks and geese are part of the same habitat, and have the same hunting seasons or at least they will overlap while using the same hunting methods. In the early days, waterfowl was hunted for food, their down and feathers. Today, considered more of a sporting event, the bird dog or the duck hunting dogs consist of breeds such as the Clumber spaniels, American cocker spaniel, English Springer spaniels, German Wirehairs, Irish Water Spaniels, and Nova Scotia Duck Trollers.

It is no accident that the duck hunting dogs eventually became located in the United States in the early settler days, as the Europeans and early settlers brought hunting dogs with them when with they first came over to North America. The most prominent early imported hunting dogs were the imported Mountain Curs and the American coonhounds, with early diaries of Hernando de Soto having the first written word of the hounds in America. This diary said their hunting dogs were not used for hunting gamebirds or small game, but used for hunting Indians, unfortunately.

In the late 1800s, bird dogs became the rage for "sporting gentlemen" with the quail hunting preserves developing, and then onto more duck hunting dogs and small game bird hunting dogs, in a variety of hunting events. Titles, contests, and money became the thing to do by highly bred gentlemen with highly bred bird hunting dogs that were trained to win by the best. It was at this time that events brought in breeds such as the duck hunting dogs to participate in the first annual National Championship Field Trial in Massachusetts, sponsored by Hobart Ames. Eventually, this became a 25,000-acre hunting reserve by the country. Today, bird dog clubs hold annual events that eventually lead into the national contest, with the duck hunting dogs participating. This area near Grand Junction is the home of the original National Bird Dog Museum honoring 40 breeds from those first hunting days.

The Value Of Coon Hunting Dogs

?At one time, coon hunting dogs and selling the pelts were a hunting man's favorite pastime, with the dedicated majority of hunters enjoying coon hunting, even without getting any pelts. Money could be made back in the 1970s and 1980s, even though most coon hunters did not hunt for the money but for the fun and pure excitement of it. Many were out all night and didn't get one pelt, yet would return the following night for an encore of the fun. Pure dedication.

But after that and onto today, well-planned campaigns by the animal-rights groups against coon hunters and coon hunting dogs dropped the hunting numbers so much that serious coon hunters, along with their coon hunting dogs and high-priced pelt prices have become almost a thing of the past.

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Of course, common sense would tell most that raccoon numbers would now be on the increase, with damage they did to surrounding environments also increasing, causing major problems to the human population and such. There was now no "coon checks" on the increasing coon numbers, which by the way was becoming quite large as the raccoons bred prolifically, usually with healthy coon populations. No coon hunting dogs were around to remove the excess coon numbers causing such coon destruction. Don't get me wrong, there are coon hunting dogs and coon hunting, but rather a placid shell of what it used to be with an excess of controls by nameless agencies.

More than any other sport, coon hunting is done at night and can use any coon hunting dogs that are good at treeing squirrels. Also, this is good as a first time hunting for young hunters to begin their long path of hunting "big game" on. Good wood skills and hunting techniques, and an experienced hunting dog can make a good beginning hunter of any 12-year old. After that, it is just more years and more coon hunting dogs for a life of enjoying hunting coon meat for dinner.

The hunting techniques learned as a coon hunter can be used for hunting other animals, such as turkey, pheasant, deer, or wild hog. Coon hunting dogs are just as versatile for hunting other animals, depending on their ability to smell and stamina to run for a long time. They need to be able to scent the coon in the woods, while barking at that tree to alert other dogs and the hunters of the find. Hunters say that the best coon dogs are the Black

The Breeds Of Bear Hunting Dogs

?The bear hunting dogs vary in breed and type—from the AKC recognized hounds to the primitive breed known as the "Karelian Bear Dog" of Finland that has an ancestral history, which began over 2,000 years ago. But the basic hunting breeds are different into hounds, water dogs, and terriers. And all of them have been bred over the years to assist their owners in bringing home food for the family. Each breed of hunting dog has a particular set of skills, such as the bear hunting dogs, that allows them to hunt a certain type of game. Stamina is not the primary skill even though it is highly important. The ability to pick up a scent and stay with it, in addition to seeing exceptionally well, all play a heavy part in making good bear hunting dogs.

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The hounds are the most popular bear hunting dogs for the stamina they exhibit to hunt bear. The hounds are of the sight or scent groups, or the scent and sight skills together. The Irish Wolfhound hunts big game and the Norwegian Elkhound hunts elk and moose, but the Rhodesian Ridgeback, also known as the African Lion Hound, hunts large game, such as bear, deer, elk, and moose. Also used for bear hunting dogs are the Plott hounds and the Walker hounds.

Bear trapping and the use of bear hunting dogs has become controversial in certain areas, as expected with the viewpoints of present-day animal protectionists. Trappers and hunters view this form of political control by such groups as a personal attack on historical and traditional way of life, with unnecessary chipping away at their individual rights. They argue that this method is a safe and effective way of killing bears, rather than letting the bears become large in number and threaten society and human populations.

The Maine bill, Legislative Document 1635, bans recreational bear trapping in Maine, while allowing bears to be trapped for scientific research, animal damage control or public safety--even though the traps are the same as what hunters use. The ban would remove three types of bear hunting—bait, hounds, or traps—all methods used by hunters alone.

Some popular bear hunting areas are Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Minnesta, Montana, New Mexico, and North Carolina that offer professional guides and outfitters for the black bear, brown bear, and the grizzly bear. Licenses are required and some states require tags. A five-day hunt usually begins around $1,250 on up, for you and your bear hunting dogs. Colorado alone boasts an $180 million annual business for hunting, which is being compromised with wildlife management.

Hunting For Good Hunting Dogs

?How does one choose good hunting dogs without getting stung? Many dog breeders are like horse traders—you get what you get, and too bad if that isn't what was listed. So a dog breeder's reputation, letters of recommendation or phone calls, looking at siblings or mother and father of the dog means a lot when looking for good hunting dogs. Make sure they have some form of guarantee and for how long they guarantee the puppy or dog.

But what is good for one hunter may not mean the same for another, so make sure you know what you want before going out and looking. Do you want versatile good hunting dogs for all-purpose hunting, or one that is excellent at squirrel hunting or coon hunting? Look at where they will be living the remaining time—will it be a family member? Make sure the breed you want is one you have information on and have done your homework on. Just because grandpa had one doesn't mean you know what you need to know regarding the purchase of good hunting dogs.

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Good hunting dogs need to be disease free and have clean genetic lines, regardless of the breed. Make sure routine worming has been done as a puppy, which has usually been done from two weeks. Also, look at their shot records. Did they receive a two-week puppy shot series with only two weeks between them, beginning around five or six weeks? Once the puppy is weaned from its mother, its immune system becomes compromised, and it is up to the breeder to maintain that system up to eight weeks of age when it leaves the nest. A breeder who sells before then is not worth his or her weight in salt. Good hunting dogs mean exactly that—a good hunting dog, not one that is haphazardly bred to make a quick buck. Georgia is famous for good hunting dogs, as most Georgia hunters think more of their dogs than anywhere else, but make sure you don't get a bad breeder anyway.

Capers With Squirrel Hunting Dogs

?Hunting dogs and their owners have stronger bonds than most owners and dogs, with the hunting the added adhesive. With squirrel hunting dogs it is stronger than most. Breeds that are best for squirrel hunting tend to favor the curs and feists, with some terriers being good at it also. The best squirrel dog that is able to track the scent of the squirrel to where it is located, and then notify the remaining pack and hunters, is considered an excellent one at "treeing the squirrel." The squirrel hunters feel if a dog is good with squirrel hunting traits, it really doesn't matter the breed, even though once they find one they stay with it.

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Squirrel hunting dogs demonstrate an abundant energy and stamina, an excellent sense of smell, and are able to maintain a highly alert hunt with their eyes and ears. Excellent companions to their owners, they are part of the family, due to their high responsive behavior to commands and their ability to require less discipline than most other breeds. Squirrel hunting dogs are part of a hunting field all its own, with little in common with the other hunting types.

The rule of thumb is hunting dogs that hunt game well, other than squirrel, are usually not as good at squirrel hunting. Once this dog is found, squirrel hunters will breed this dog down for generations to maintain this natural squirrel hunting instinct. The physical characteristics of a feists, one of the best squirrel hunting dog, is a small dog that weighs less than 30 pounds, and stands 10-18 inches at the shoulder. The feists breed is a short-haired type with a variation of solid or mixed and makes a top-notch favorite for squirrel hunting dogs success story.

Another favorite breed for squirrel hunting dogs is the cur, which many non-hunters refer to as a low-class mutt due to their lack of knowledge of hunting dogs. This breed was developed during the medieval times in Europe, and was known as a favorite of the peasant farmer and herders. The dog came to the New World with the settlers, with squirrel hunting as one of its best functions.

They have a high sense of smell allowing them to hunt with their head up, and are powerful and courageous fighters, having developed an instinct for family protection. Weighing 40-60 pounds, and standing 17-24 inches at the withers, they are considered a short-haired strong muscular dog in an assortment of colors. This dog also is known as an excellent hunter for bear and wild hogs, but their intelligence is best used for squirrel hunting, instead of brute strength.

Squirrel hunting lasts about two to three hours tops, with an estimate of more than a dozen to two dozen squirrels hunted during that time. But if the squirrels are denned in the trees, the dogs cannot get a scent so the hunt will not be as productive as if they are down. Known as being highly unpredictable, a hunt is always a wild guess. It is one of the few sports when the noise of the hunters and dogs do not deter the hunting of the squirrel.