So, you want a hunting dog… me too! While I’m not an expert on this topic, and I have zero hunting dog experience, I’m picking up my first dog on 8 March 2021. I’m writing this article as a first-time hunting dog owner and trainer, to share my perspective on the admittedly overwhelming process of choosing a dog breed. Before coming to this decision, I did several years of research on any, and every, dog breed that caught my eye. But don’t worry, it shouldn’t take you that long. Most of the in-depth research occurred in the last six months, once I was confident in my reasons for getting a dog, and my expectations for them as a pet and a hunting companion. With all that said let’s work our way from being overwhelmed to narrowing down your breed choice. We’ll discuss selecting a breeder in a follow-on article (if you want to hear it all wrapped up into a single video click here). So, this is how to simplify the process and my recommendations for you to make it as painless as possible.
So how do you start to figure out what breed is right for you? First thing you need to do is sit down, seriously sit down and grab a note book, and evaluate your needs as a hunter. You want to pick the best dog for your hunting style and environment. Take an analytical approach not an emotional one. Looks are important. There is no denying that we all want a dog that looks good; but function is most important. Who are you kidding anyway, you probably like all dogs. Ok, so with that in mind let’s break it down.
What do you hunt? This is important, it is the barrier of entry to a breed group. Not all hunting dogs are suitable for your specific needs. Before determining which, specific breed is suitable for you, you must find out which category of dog breed is right for you. There are a lot hunting dog groups. There are pointers, retrievers, flushers, versatile hunting dogs, terriers, beagles, hounds, curs, lurchers, sighthounds and probably a few more that I’m for getting about. So, what game do you pursue? If all you hunt are squirrels you want a dog that specializes in that. If you only hunt ducks look into the retrieving breeds. Perhaps hunting mountain lions is your thing, and if so, look into hounds. If you solely hunt birds, focus on pointers and flushers. Picture every type of game you hunt. Write them down in order of precedence. Writing them down will help you figure out what you really do and in what order. With that said, don’t neglect what you want to do as well. If you only deer and squirrel hunt but you’re getting a dog because you want to hunt upland game then put that to the top of your list. The list should be what you and the dog will do.
You have narrowed down what your needs are. The next step is to take your environment into consideration. Temperatures and terrain should have an impact on your breed choice. It’s not the only factor, but it is worth your consideration, and it can help you narrow down your choices. To pick a breed based on where you live, you should look into a breed’s physical attributes. Every breed is slightly different. Every difference means an advantage somewhere and a disadvantage somewhere else. Why was that dog bred? What niche gap does it fill that the other hundreds of dog breeds could not? Where the breed originated has an impact on the dog’s physical attributes. From its coat length, texture, and density, to its stature – how high does it have to jump, how far does it need to run or swim, and in what temperature extremes? I recommend comparing your climate and environment to the origin location of a breed. A dog that was breed to work in the harsh winters of Germany might not suit the Arizona hunter. A dog that was breed for the conditions of southern Italy may not be the best choice for an individual in Alaska. Generations of people in climates similar to yours, hunting the same game, have already done the work for you by creating these highly specialized breeds. You don’t have to start from scratch to invent a new dog breed that will excel for you. Whatever you wrote on your list, there’s a breed already out there that’s up to your set of challenges. Use this information to help select the dog for you.
You are probably aware of your weather patterns in a general sense. Take a look at your regions historical weather data. Look at the averages over the last ten or twenty years. You should also look at the historical highs and lows. When looking at the weather conditions your dog will hunt, make sure you pair this with your hunting season dates. Each State has their own hunting seasons with their own start and end dates. When a dog is retrieving ducks in Alaska will differ from Louisiana. Weather is important in the off season as well. Your dog has to be trained and exercised. If you live in in a desert environment it might get too hot for a thick coated Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. That translates to more work for you, for the dogs’ safety while training and hunting. Dogs don’t sweat. If they overheat, its your job to cool them down so they don’t die of heatstroke. With a dog that’s adapted to sleep buried in snow, or charge into icy seas, asking them to run up hills in the blazing sun all day is going to involve many breaks for water, rest and shade. It could mean calling off a hunt early and going home empty handed. Remember, you won’t be hunting alone anymore. Your dog will depend on you to make hard decisions so you both live to hunt another day. Again, I’m not saying it’s not possible, this is just another item to consider. When I was first looking at a dog my plan was to get a German Shorthair Pointer. I’ve liked them for along time and they are beautiful dogs. When I sat down and thought about it their coat was not the most ideal for where I hunt. Which lead me to look into other breeds with a better cold tolerance. The decision was not emotional it was rational. What is best for the dog is often best for you.
By this point you should have started whitling down breed selections. I believe the size of the dog is an important factor. There are multiple reasons to look at size. One could simply be you prefer bigger or smaller dogs. There is nothing wrong with this. After all they will spend the majority of their time being your pet. How you hunt comes into play as well. If you are a duck hunter that exclusively hunts out of a kayak maybe a Boykin spaniel is a better choice for you than a large bred Chesapeake Bay Retriever. Size does vary in dog breeds. Size differences will be a decision for which breeder and litter to select. Size also ties into the environment you hunt. If you hunt out west where the dogs are going to cover large swaths of land then a small cocker spaniel may not be the best choice. To me, personally, I think size is probably the least important factor when considering a breed, but it is something that has to be considered. Breed size may be a greater factor for you.
Alright, by this point you probably have it narrowed down to three or four breeds. This is a good place to be. Before we move on let me say this, there is no reason to limit your choice to one breed. If you have two or three breeds in mind that meet the requirements you set that’s great! It’ll actually help you depending on where you live. So, let’s take or handful of breeds and move on. For this we will use three dogs that meet the following criteria: a versatile hunter who wants a versatile hunting dog that points over flushes. We will use the German Wirehaired Pointer, Pudelpointer, and Spinone Italiano. These are three dogs of similar size, stature, functionality, and coat. A versatile hunter would be happy with any of them. So now we have to figure out a few more things. We will use this example when we discuss how to choose a breeder as well.
At this point you are probably looking to see if there are any breeders near you. Availability is a huge factor. If you are dead set on the Spinone Italiano or Pudelpointer but the nearest breeder is 1000 miles away and has a waiting period of two years you have to ask yourself a few questions. Can you wait or do you want the dog sooner? Are you willing to drive that far to pick up the dog, or, will you pay to fly it to you? Are the dogs still regarded as a hunting breed or have they transitioned to companion breeds? The history of the dog’s popularity as a house pet will play a role. More on this in the selecting a breeder post.
Some breeds are split in two. The German Hunting breeds have two distinct lines that have to be looked into. For example, the German Wirehaired Pointer. Under the German system this dog is a Deutsch Drahthaar. This is one example but it applies to most of the German versatile dogs. This is another split in the road when its time to select a dog breed. While they are, or were, technically the same dog, different philosophies and standards of breeding lead to greater variances over time, and only time will tell how it pans out. Again, this will be covered in the ‘how to select a breeder’ post.
The real-life decisions will be driven by needs, emotions, aesthetics, price, and availably. The above gives you a basic frame work on how to begin the thought process on selecting a breed. Your ideas will change over time. Take your time and really think about it. Once you have done some back and forth and talked it over - pull the trigger. If you keep pushing it off, you’ll keep changing your mind. Each time you change your mind you’ll need to start this process over again. If you do your homework, you’ll pick a breed or two that fulfills your requirements.
I hope this helps you. This is the process I used to come to my final decision of the Deutsch Drahthaar. Leave a comment down below with any questions, what breed you hunt over, or plan to own, and the reasoning behind your choice. Thanks for reading. Have a great day and remember: be versatile.
Orion
The Versatile Hunter
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