What is the best bushcrafting dog?

[jackcbr]

I'd have to say a border collie. Our old fella on the farm (RIP) was great. He would just mooch about, not bothering anyone or thing, good to keep you warm and instantly returned on a whistle. But you'd expect that from a working sheepdog. Great rat catcher too.

 

[nickliv]

Our 9 1/2 yr old lab, in his favourite environment.

 

[Acosof]

My pooch !! "Frodo Baggins" He's a flatcoat retriever, collie cross and a better dog I've yet to find !!

Hello, it is very nice, I have a collie x golden retriever, and believe will be equally your dog.



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this is sharon , she is a collie x golden retriever, and she has 8 week old.

sorry my english , im spanish

 

[J4C3]

JRT best dog for any job,love the little buggers
some very nice dogs on the thread

 

[superc0ntra]

The dog you can teach to bushcraft
Seriously speaking the only right answer would be your dog since he/she loves you already

 

[Acosof]

Does someone believe that my dog is similar to frodo?

 

[Paul_B]

In some ways Acosof your dog is similar to Frodo, but your dog is so young (and cute) that it hasn't grown into what it will end up looking like. I think in a year's time your dog will look totally different. Could be wrong as I've never had a dog but I do think puppies do change as they grow up. I would say the nose of Frodo is a little bit more pointy (perhaps your dog's golden retreiver part since IIRC they have a broader and rounded nose than other retrievers). Also I think your dog Sharon has smaller ears than Frodo. I think all puppies are cute but I do like your dog Acosof and think it will grow into a handsome dog and most likely be full of life. BTW your English is better than my Spanish so no need to apologise for it.

J4C3 - I agree JRTs are excellent dogs as they are mostly with a high instinct level. I think that makes for a good bushcraft dog but they have some of the bad traits of terriers. That is stubborn. They do know their own mind and follow it. That means you need good training. Also people often think they are snappy dogs but IMHO and IME they only snap if provoked (probably something about knowing their own mind and letting you know it too). That probably makes them best for adult only or older children households (by this I mean where the children are mature enough or taught well how to be around dogs and animals in general). I do think a lot of parents don't really acknowledge how badly dogs can be treated by kids who don't know better. The JRT is one a several breeds who will let kids know to leave them alone. I never got bitten by my grandparents' JRT but looking back on it that is not due to me being quick at getting my hand away when it snapped. I do believe the JRT (Toby and it was 3 years older than me) never wanted to catch me or my sister just to scare us into leaving him alone. The dog was totally devoted to us despite we only saw it twice a year at the most. It used to wait from about 4am in the morning at the bottom of the stairs for us. From what I heard it used to creep up the stairs where it was not allowed then duck back down again every time it heard something that could be me and my sis getting up. When we did go down it spent about 10 minutes totally fussing over us and not letting us move until it had fussed enough in its mind. Then when we went home it would know we were leaving before we did. It would act strange all morning (me and my sis would often only know we were going home half hour before we left when we got told to pack ouur toys up). The dog knew before. Then it would pine for 2 weeks. It would still wait at the bottom of the stairs for us for those 2 weeks (or even longer). I think JRTs are special dogs. Although you do need to treat them well with good training. Other bushy dogs (such as Lurchers) are probably slightly easier to handle well and so could be better bushy dogs.

 

[lab72]

The dog you can teach to bushcraft
Seriously speaking the only right answer would be your dog since he/she loves you already

As this man said !

 

[John Lee]

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

Is a lurcher a type of dog such as a sight/scent hound or a breed? I've never heard of the term and thought it might be another Brit termonolgy.

 

[soulstar1963]

a lurcher is generally recognised as any longdog/collie composite....i.e greyhound x collie. the greyhound for speed and the collie for intelligence......if i had to pick out a lurcher type for taking out wildcamping/bushcrafting as a pot filler i'd go for a bedlington whippet cross, small, agile, fast. there isnt a faster dog in the world over the first 25 yards than a whippet especially one of the laguna bred lines. the introduction of bedlington terrier blood brings more brains into the mix and an infinitely better coat as whippets do have a tendency to rip easily when coming into contact with sharp edges whilst running, wire e.t.c. if you would like to do some more research into the subject may i suggest googling david hancock a well known and well respected lurcher breeder of many years standing, also brian plummer a famous man in the hunting with dogs field. i was lucky enough to spend a year with brian and his wife on the north coast of scotland where catching 40-50 rabbits a day was the norm and also to own fallon a daughter of his best ever dog merab. i hope this helps.

 

[michiel]

I've had a Parson Jack Russel for almost 8 year. Sadly he passed away this year. It's a bit bigger than a JRT, but I like that.

It's hard to find someone to fill his spot.

 

[Paul_B]

Soulstar - mostly right it is a mix of a sight hound and something else. It can be a collie but doesn't have to be. Some of the fastest dogs you can get are salukis and these make a good lurcher when crossed as they are also intelligent. BTW I once heard of salukis being raced and by all acounts they are actually faster than greyhounds but do not take to the track style of racing as more independent and don't take to tracks or that sort of behaviour for some reason.

It can be a mix of two sighthounds such as a grey and whippet and this is a long hound. Or a grey / terrier cross for example which is not a long hound. I even heard of a well known breeder in the UK who added some particular sub-breed of siberian husky into his lurcher mix. It made sense because this particular type of dog was used for everything by the particular tribe in the region it came from. Not many dogs actually leave the area too. Anyway the husky added to the lurchers was used as a hunter, sledge dog, guardian for animals and family an herder and was very trainable as it was highlyh intelligent. Can't remember the breeder's name.

I suggest you look at http://www.lurcher.org.uk/about-eglr?start=2 as a quick description of a lurcher.It is also the website of one of the UK's most well known lurcher and greyhound rescue charity. The other I can recommend is Lurcher link.

As someone said lurchers are a mainly British or Irish dog and you don't really see them in other countries. They were bred for hunting when the true hunting dogs (sight hounds that is) were banned from common ownership on pain of death in Britain and Ireland. Since then they became a poachers dog of choice with good poaching characteristics being bred in. They have to be intelligent as a poacher might bid it to stay still in undergrowth until the gamekeeper goes and the poacher can come back for his dog. Not many dogs are good for that. It also lost favour as (and please don't shoot me for this) it got associated with people in the travelling community especially of Irish history. Sorry but they did. I think the term some use for these is Pikey. Personally I find them a good type of dog. I particularly like the types that look a bit shaggy like a smaller Irish Wolfhound (which is my breed of choice if I had the lifestyle and property to own one).

John Lee - as mentioned its a sight hound crossed with something else. Its not a breed but a type of dog. It is maninly a British or Irish dog type. And finally if you ever want a dog and come across one in USA then don't hesitate to get it IMHO. They make good dogs to have live with you. They can actually make good alround hunters. Depending on the mix they can be good sighthounds and good scent hounds too. To see one in full pelt is a beautiful thing, bettered only by two or more running. If you want a truly fast dog get one with saluki in it. Just be prepared as IIRC they are more difficult (onlys slightly though) as they can have their own mind in the same way a terrier might.

 

[Paul_B]

I must go back onto lurcher link sometime as they are often looking for some urgent dog transport. They foster and re-home lurchers and greys that are in pounds within days of being PTS (put to sleep). They might have a emergency foster home in Scotland say but it is in London so they rely on people who visit their site to offer lifts or lift chains. I offered once. If anyone loves dogs and has time and a car/van/landy please check them out in case you can help. There are a lot of lurchers and greyhounds being put to sleep in the UK when they wouyld make good pets for someone. http://www.lurcher.org/kaye/LurcherLinkwebpages/Lurcherlinkfrontpage.html

 

[Outdoors Dad]

Hi all, I'm a new member (10 mins to be precise) and I spend all my spare time in the wilds of Scotland. I am always accompanied by my best mate, Marvin, who is a 19month old Rhodesian Ridgeback. He satnds 29 inches at the shoulder and weighs the same as some people I know. He's silent, with tons of energy to keep up and carries a large, no huge rucksack (panniers) with ease. And man is he a good toe warmer. I do stop him "hunting" or "gathering" food though, as a red deer is just too much for one person. ;o)

 

[Paul_B]

I knew a dog (lurcher) who wiith a small labrador type of dog formed a good deer hunting team. The owners got rid to a friend outside the southern NP they lived in. it would seem that a deer is no match for a sighthound cross at full hunting pace and the hound was prone to deaf ear when prey was on. It was a tumbler in that it took the prey out by running through it and they both tumble over wiith the dog usually quicker to get up and make the kill. Altough IIRC the other dog was usually close enough to get the actuall kill in. Short ans sweet if more than a little illegal. BTW if you were in The New Forest NP and has a dog or dogs that had caught a few deers what would you do? I'm guessing a few are thinking fill my boot even if they aren't actually going to say it. These owners left them in the undergrowth and re-homed the dogs. The responsible thing to do while escaping prosecution I guess.

 

[Adze]

This fella looks a bit handy...

 

[soulstar1963]

most of what you say is true but i have just got to disagree when you talk about salukis being intelligent........along with ibizan hounds, borzois, pharoah hounds they are some of the thickest dogs on the planet.......if they were so intelligent there wouldnt be any need to add any collie blood. the best lurchers will always have a good percentage of collie blood in them, border or bearded, after all herding instinct is just another facet of the hunting instinct. one thought to ponder over .....if salukis are so clever why do they never feature in obedience competitions ? if anyone in america wants to know more about lurchers then google teddy moritz, she has used hancock lurchers for years to hunt jack rabbits over that side of the pond

 

[J4C3]

Mitch id be lost without my grumpy little sidekick i can understand how you must feel

 

[J4C3]

 

[Bones]

Hi lads!

Bushcraft dog?....

Well, first of all it needs to be a quiet dog. That is it does not make noise while hunting, either barking or shuffling (It has to be light footed).

It cannot wander off, but stay close, watch for silent commands and always stay alert. A reliable dog that you can turn your back on and know it will not stray, but instead remain on watch. When bushcrafting, tracking and hunting, you cannot afford to be making noise, like calling for your dog, so a dog who listens and watchs for your every command is essential.

It has to have a good nose, either for air scenting, or ground scenting, and able to quietly let you know when it has scensed prey.

It must be loyal to you, and be wary of people, yet friendly not aggressive.

It has to be able to assist in hunting and catching prey. If its about survival, the dog must be worth it's daily portion of meat. So a dog that can catch a significant amount of food is essential.

You would ideally like a dog that does not stand out against it's background, but has a dull coat colour.

The dog must be able to understand your request, go out, perform the duty independantely if neccesary and return to you with quarry or lead you to it.

My conclusion:
The only dog breed that I can think of that fit this duty is a collie greyhound hybrid. I am particular to the collie greyhound cross, as I have found this type of dog to possess all these qualities. A collie may be handy as well, but it will struggle when it comes to catching game for you like a lurcher.

Here is my dog. Can you see him?

Bones