What is the best bushcrafting dog?

[Sleepy Weasel]

My mate had a bushcraft dog, fabulous dog, well trained, a good hunter. It only had 3 legs, I got round to asking him about it one day. He said he was in dire straits one year, a bad winter, very little food. Towards the end of the winter he'd run out of food and had decided to eat the dog.

'So how come he ended up with 3 legs? I asked.

'Well,' he replied 'A dog that good, you're not going to eat him all in one go are you?'

Some of the facts, names and the story have been changed to protect the innocent!

I looked after my mate's black lab for a few months, great dog, any water there was in the area the dog would find it, and would run through it, lie in it, roll in it etc even at -5 it would break the ice to find the water underneath. Good temperament too, but still growled at some hoodies who tried to accost me one night.

Dammit, gonna have to get my own dog now........

 

[kINGPIN]

http://i83.servimg.com/u/f83/13/93/88/33/dscf1619.jpg

Mine cocker spaniel still a bit young and not very well trained yet, but in a few months i hope he will be a great wild camp partner. Not the best pic I know.

 

[al21]

I think I'm going to find Rocky hard to replace. Easy to train and very obedient, loyal and very intelligent, what a great breed! No matter whether out for a walk, a night under the stars or in the canoe, a great companion. Very much missed.

 

[African]

This is a great book about the wild days in southern Africa written by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick. Much of it would be seen as un PC now but as stories of men and dogs and hunting and living in the bush go it is brilliant IMO.

 

[Woodlark]

Great subject this!! My most productive dog was a lurcher who kept me supplied with rabbit, squirrel, roe and even the odd pigeon! He did his best rabbiting, however, with my , now elderly, terrier X, who was a wonderful "bushing" dog: he would find and flush for the lurcher to catch - they really understood each other. What I also think is that most crossbreed dogs will be great additions to your bushcraft kit if they are athletic - we even have a ****z Hu round the corner who is born to catch rabbits (by ambush!). I'm glad that so many of you recommend a rescue dogs - the typical bushcrafters mind soon sorts these poor things out and boy do they repay in kind!!! Can I recommend you check out "Dogs Needing Homes" on the ManyTears.co.uk website??? All sorts on here, lurchers, labs, whippets, collies,GSD and some Rotties (if ur interested Al21)

ps what do you do if you get an Islamic dog?
.....Muslim!

 

[wanderingblade]

Best bushcrafting dog?

One thats good at spotting the bunnies?
http://www.joe-ks.com/archives_jun2007/ArmySeeingEyeDog.jpg

 

[spiritwalker]

im getting a red setter pup on saturday so hopefully its this one for me

 

[Paul_B]

If you decide to get a dog and have an idea for a particular breed then please first look for the breed rescue. A lot of breed have their own rescue organisations such as Lurcher Link and there are various onse for Labs, akitas, grt danes, rotties and even the likes of the big mastiffs such as cane corso's and dogues de borgognes (spelt wrong). Definitely worth speaking to the ppl behind the breed rescues even if you don't take one of their dogs on as they really do have the knowledge and are often happy to discuss the breed with you. Afterall it is better to find out that the breed you think you wanted is not right for you before you have a living creature to look after that you don't really want.

Spiritwalker - A Red Setter? One of my old neighbours had one. They are very bouncy dogs. I think you will find that out when you take them out for a walk. Our neighbour's dog would be bouncing up on its hind legs as the owner was walking round form the back of the house on a lead. Bear in mind if it is the same big red long haired breed I am thinking of then on its hind legs it is probably taller that you. Beautiful but a handful when they get excited. I suggest you shut it in another room if you have visitors as they are friendly dogs, perhaps in being too friendly they could intimidate guests who are not used to dogs. Big, red and bouncy, I think that is a good description for a red setter.

Anyone own a springer spaniel? I wonder who is more mad the dog or the tired owner who has to stimulate and try to tire the dog out. Once met a guy with one on a 40 odd mile charity walk. The dog was running all over the place all through the walk. I asked him at about 25 miles point if the dog would be ok on the walk (out of concern). His reply was that last week he'd taken him on a 25 mile plus walk in the hills and he was a little quiet afterwards but only on the drive home. As it turns out they both did the full walk and the dog was still running around like a loony. Owner did 40 miles, dog did 140 miles!!

 

[helixpteron]

I'd have to say my Westie, an adventurous, brave and hardy little beastie, now romping about on clouds.

My favorite photo is one of him on the Delta.

 

[DavidJT]

One you can wear!...

 

[Miyagi]

I've had Border Collies ever since I was a nipper. I used to think I was good with dogs as my BC's worked to a wistle, finger snap or hand sign.

Silly me. The dogs were clever than me TBH.

Not having had a dog for a few years due to work commitments, I "rescued" a 7month old Collie/retriever(?) cross from a c*nt I worked with in April of last year.

At shifts end his van refused to start and he was in danger of being stranded at the Blackhill transmitter near Shotts. None of the lads would help him nor give him a lift and all gave him the cold shoulder.

All the lads on site had dogs, but most were gundog owners and they wouldn't have p**ssed on this chap if he was on fire because of how he treated his dog.

Dog? I'd never ever heard him mention he had a dog in the six months I worked with him.

Turns out the dog had been chained to a concrete balcony for most of it's life, was uncontrollable and hyperactive. You don't say?

Well, I dropped the c*nt off, got a cuppa from his missus and left with a new dog.

I took that dog to work with me every day and it would blank it's previous owner, not growl, not raise the hackles nowt, it treated him like he didn't exist.

It took the dog a good month to settle in at home and around the 'ferry, it wasn't used to being walked or having woods and grassland to romp about in.

It's more of an independant thinker than a BC, chases rabbit, squirrel etc, loves other dogs, cats and children. Isn't territoral nor aggressive and has a curiosity about things that's a joy to watch.

Best dog I've ever had in my life - ever!!

 

[Paul_B]

I doubt the dog would hav p*ssed on him if he was on fire neither. Sounds like the guy was not really suitable to be owned by a dog. Not a BC fan TBH although there's a lot of ones in resuce centres and charities and foster homes up here in the Cumbria area. Not surprising really. I think there are only one breed of dog that has more energy and stamina than BCs and that is the springer spaniel.

 

[dorkingbushcraft]

i like to go out with my grandads golden lab/retriver as he had a time before we had him were he spent a few years on his own living and hunting up the local ruffs and the was found and used as a hunting dog (a bit of a pain while praticing on the air rifle as he tends to chase the shot) hes very loyal and its great as he is very fond of kids and only likes to listen to commands given by kids which i like as im only 13. I also had a belgian / german shepherd who was extremely intelligent and if anyone saw him in the woods at they would probably drop a brick as he was pitch black and looked exactly like a wolf

 

[Salix]

I have a mini lurcher, StaffyXwhippet very quick over short distances but can still sustain a reasonable speed over longer distance, I havn't taught her to hunt as I wouldnt want her to go killing all the wild life on our walks but I would put money on her being able to if she had to. She also eats blackberries, horse poo,spiders, woodlice etc, etc she has learned what happens when she eats rose hips I drop when picking them, she spent saturday evening coughing, But no doubt she will try them again she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer

I have a 14 year old staffy x whippet, excellent hunting dog, strength and tenacity of a staffy, speed and agility of a whippet, excellent with kids. I love all my dogs, and each one is special companion, a dog is a personal preferance, there is no best fit because it depends on what you like. I personally love staffy's, they have a very bad press because of the chav scrotes who usually own them because of the fashion.......although i now see a very big explosion of huskies in the chav sector.......shame really, coz they are a beautiful dog that is built for a specific job, not walkin round the precinct whilst said chav owner supps white lightening........nuff said !


Love your dog coz he will love you, work hard for you and protect you an yours

Mark

 

[hedgerow pete]

my old terrier Tigger was brilliant , god rest her soul , after she was trained i never had nor owned a lead she never needed it , a fantastic hunting out dog, with a brilliant nose

 

[nevetsjc80]

A hot dog, surely with mustard, english mustard that is!

 

[Paul_B]

Surely it is the personality of the dog not the specific breed or breeds that make a dog a good companion? Of course if you're hunting or using as a gun-dog then specific breeds or mixes are probably best

There is a lurcher breeder that is putting some husky into the mix. In particular a special sub-breed of husky that he imported from a specific region of Russia/Siberia. The indiginous people there used them for anything from hunting, guarding, herding, sledge pulling or companionship. An intelligent dog and perfectily able to do any of those roles. It was an exceptional breed for hunting with a keen sense of smell and good instincts. This breeder saw that in them and immediately used it to add those abilities into his already well bred lurchers. He got a lot of stick from the lurcher community I believe for they saw him as adulterating the "breed". All he was doing was adding the breed characteristics of one type of dog into his already well bred hunting dog mix. Now what he got was actually a good lurcher for doing the job of a lurcher. Afterall a lurcher is just a fast sighthound mixed with something else so why not a husky.

Just thought I'd mention that as those dogs are probably the best dogs to have if you're doing anything in the woods that you're not supposed to do such as poaching.

 

[lukem]

i have an english springer spaniel and i love him hes grate at hunting he is not fast but hes full of stamana and he runs and runs and runs hes cought rabbit rat pidgeon crow phesant hes a good pot filler i take him ferreting with me and he never runs out of energy hes also a really strong swimmer in the summer when we go out in the sea with the belly bords i get him to tow me andhes grate when camping hes also quite good at gaurding as he scares he **** out the junkies that go to my neabours house and smoe times go knocking on my door if they are lost lol and hes really strong for pulling stuff

my brother has a jackrussel that we use for rabbiting and bushing shes grate with cats and our ferrets and shes a hardy wee dog

 

[sargey]

may last dog was collie lab cross, she was a superstar. absolutely brilliant. now i have a spaniador puppy. but his brain is 100% spaniel.

dog in a hammock,no problem at all. it's just the jumping in and out of a hammock that can cause a few issues.

cheers, and.

 

[jenks]

The best dog for bushcraft would be one that's patient and doesn't try to snatch the bacon hanging over the fire, before it's cooked.

So that rules out mine.