Dog questions

[Bubba700]

First off let me explain what me and a hunting partner are thinking. I have a 2 1/2 year old Chessie that is a amazing duck dog and is decent on upland, and amazing with kids. She is pure bread but the fathers owner didn't want the pups to be registered for some reason. We are looking at breeding her, My hunting bud has a 3 year old german short hair that is money on birds but it doesn't like the water when its cold . He comes from proven blood lines whole nine yards paid like 1200 for it as a pup. So we are thinking of crossing them with hopes of the pups being much more tolerant to cold water but with a better nose than what the chessies have.
Anyone had dogs that are mixed labs/pointers?
If so how were they?
Anyone that breads on here see any problems with this?

 

[mtn_extreme]

I didn't do it on purpose but ended up with a litter of lab and shorthair pups about 3 years ago. I have kept tabs on all but 2 (there was 7) so I can speak for the five.

What transpired was 5 of the 7 puppies favored the shorthair (dad) in looks. 2 of these I have lost touch with but the other three show small character features of lab in appearance but only one will retrieve in the water. They will all retrieve on land and all will point on land. One of the three has become more overweight like a lab and the other 2 are skinny.
Of the two that more resemble a labrador appearance, both will retrieve in water, will point on land, and have solid body structure. The drawback is that they do not have the stamina of their skinny siblings. Great dogs for phesants but will be draging after half a day of chukar hunting.
It proved a point that there is no perfect "1". They are all good puppies and have strong suites in there fields. Just depends what your looking for. Of the 5 I keep in touch with. ALL are good hunters.

 

[Idaho Slim]

Bubba, I am a longtime dog breeder/trainer/etc.

IMO, you have what you are looking for in the Chessie. One of the biggest problems today with unwanted dogs, is miss-breeding. Just because you have no papers, doesn't mean you will not have people wanting your pups. More hunters would want a non-papered chessie, than a total outcross that is unproven, and quit frankly a scrub breeding. (No offense) but that is the harsh reality with neglected/unwanted puppies, bottom line is, if you did this breeding and got 6-10 puppies and could not sell them all (Which I doubt you could) will you be able or want to keep them? If not, they end up being trotted off to the gas chamber, or the back of the barn to meet your .22.

Find a Chessie owner that has a stud that doesn't mind breeding to your female or an nice unpapered stud, your pups will still find wanted homes.

 

[bullfrog123]

Well stated Slim, Not to rub ya the wrong way Bubba, but as a past breeder of papered Alaskan Malamutes, and seeing how the market for certain breeds fluctuates, I have quit raising them. It is sad to see pups go for free to peeps that won't work them properly as they are intended for, or see them kenneled for their entire life.

It maybe different for bird dogs, but, this is my experience. Good luck with your adventures.

 

[winter brew]

Agree 100% with Slim......we also breed/show dogs, mostly Siberian Huskies and my wife knows ALOT about genetics and breeding and does ETREMELY well in the dog show world. I know a little, and basically if you have a dog or two dogs that you want to pass on/retain the traits of, you don't want to breed to those dogs but rather the parent(s) of those dogs. The dogs you speak of are unproven producers while you know for a fact what the parents produced. There is little proof that the dogs you have will pass on the traits that you wish to preserve. A bit of a crapshoot if you did decide to go that direction. better off buying from a knowledgable breeder. JMO-

 

[justadude]

I wouldn't mess with the idea of cross breeding. 3 of the best all around hunting dogs I've ever had the pleasure to be around and hunt behind were and have been chessies. I'm not talking about good, I'm talking unbelievabel!! Granted they are flushers in the feild. They are not for the hunter who is used to Gentlemen hunting that pointers provide.
I've seen Chessies and labs a like hunt just as hard and long if not more so in both cases as pointers. The key is temp. Warm days are hard on every dog, but more so on the big boys. In fact colder the better for chessies.

All hunting dog are my favorite. Hell I wanted a Clumber Spaniel for the longest time but always end up with labs and my Brother has Chessies.
Very versital for many different types of hunting. Very durable and pleasent to be around.

Again every gun dog is my favorite.

Good hunting to you!!

 

[Bubba700]

Slim, Frog, Dude, Brew, and extreme thanks for the replies this is the sorta info I am looking for. Nothing would rub me the wrong way on this, I have no clue about this sorta stuff and thats why I asked. I talked to a couple breeders tonight and they recommended the same thing to not mess with it. The reason I'm looking to breeder her in the first place is that I have left the dog at my parents place since keeping her at a college apt isn't an option and go work her 3 times a week and my dad walks her every morning and my parents have gotten attached to her big time so Im giving her to them and am going to be in the position to have a dog at my place and want a chessie. If I stay pure breed with her I already have 3 pupps spoken for already and doubt I will have hard time finding homes for the rest if I stay pure chessie. Thanks for the replies fellas, Bubba

 

[Snow Fox]

It could work, then again it may not. I used to have a Brittany spaniel/black lab mix when I was a kid. She was a great dog and was awesome hunting pheasants and grouse. I then had a male golden retriever that "teached" some dogs how to hunt pheasants. My golden hunted with a professionaly trained, award winning German Short Hair, and made that dog look like a fool out in the field. My golden was one of the best upland dogs I have ever seen, and he was taught by me when I was a kid. I didn't know much of what I was doing at that young age, he just had it in him as far as knowing how to hunt. I now have a papered male Golden Retreiver. His Grandfather was a Canadian Champion Field dog and when I got him as a pup I thought he would be an excellent hunter. He will retrieve a ball or stick all day long, but he refuses to retrieve a bird. He is a good family dog, but is a disapointment when it comes to hunting.
To sum it up, you don't know what you have until you take them out in the field and find out. This goes for pure bred or mix breeds.

 

[justadude]

Good points. I once had a yellow lab that would rival the best gun dogs when it came to quail but when it came to pheasant he was only ok most of the time and really good once in a while. He would give up on downed pheasant way to easily, but would work himself bloody to find Quail. I can honestly say I don't remember ever losing a quail behind that dog even when there were 6-7 down spread all over the place. Pheasant??? UUUHHHHGG!!!! I loved that dam dog though!!!

It could work, then again it may not. I used to have a Brittany spaniel/black lab mix when I was a kid. She was a great dog and was awesome hunting pheasants and grouse. I then had a male golden retriever that "teached" some dogs how to hunt pheasants. My golden hunted with a professionaly trained, award winning German Short Hair, and made that dog look like a fool out in the field. My golden was one of the best upland dogs I have ever seen, and he was taught by me when I was a kid. I didn't know much of what I was doing at that young age, he just had it in him as far as knowing how to hunt. I now have a papered male Golden Retreiver. His Grandfather was a Canadian Champion Field dog and when I got him as a pup I thought he would be an excellent hunter. He will retrieve a ball or stick all day long, but he refuses to retrieve a bird. He is a good family dog, but is a disapointment when it comes to hunting.
To sum it up, you don't know what you have until you take them out in the field and find out. This goes for pure bred or mix breeds.

 

[MTdream]

Bubba, I am a longtime dog breeder/trainer/etc.

IMO, you have what you are looking for in the Chessie. One of the biggest problems today with unwanted dogs, is miss-breeding. Just because you have no papers, doesn't mean you will not have people wanting your pups. More hunters would want a non-papered chessie, than a total outcross that is unproven, and quit frankly a scrub breeding. (No offense) but that is the harsh reality with neglected/unwanted puppies, bottom line is, if you did this breeding and got 6-10 puppies and could not sell them all (Which I doubt you could) will you be able or want to keep them? If not, they end up being trotted off to the gas chamber, or the back of the barn to meet your .22.

Find a Chessie owner that has a stud that doesn't mind breeding to your female or an nice unpapered stud, your pups will still find wanted homes.

bingo!!!!

have had three Chessies now...AWESOME dogs, and the nose can be developed better with training...

lots of them used as rescue dogs and search dogs...just dont forget (as I am sure you ahve experienced) Chessies are NOT labs, and do not respond the same way in training...it is like foundation quarter horses vs. arabs...one can be manhandled, and the other is typically encouraged to do the right thing...

is a good topic alone...training Chessies...

 

[Bubba700]

bingo!!!!

have had three Chessies now...AWESOME dogs, and the nose can be developed better with training...

lots of them used as rescue dogs and search dogs...just dont forget (as I am sure you ahve experienced) Chessies are NOT labs, and do not respond the same way in training...it is like foundation quarter horses vs. arabs...one can be manhandled, and the other is typically encouraged to do the right thing...

is a good topic alone...training Chessies...

Yea they are great dogs, She loves to go after pheasants its like she has this war with them, only problem is the heat, on warm days I really have to watch her and cool her down frequently. This was just a spur of the moment brainstorming idea any how. Training her has been fun, your dead on with the statement that chessis don't respond like labs do in training, She is hard headed at times but man I wouldn't trade her for anything. Super smart, first season we were hunting her at 6 mo and she was after a duck that kept diving on her, 4th dive we see her head disappear and just her tail sticking out and walla up she pops with the teal in her mouth. You just can't teach a dog that sorta thing, either they got it or they don't.