dog's

[Coy Howler]

will a poodle make a good upland bird dog?

[Ranschau1]

I've never seen one, but see in the papers where they advertise Labradoodles. Cross of a lab and a poodle. They claim to be very good bird dogs.

I'd have to see it.

Live Long and Prosper

Good luck.

Mike

[Ayeye]

Coy

Poodles have been used for hunting, there cousin the water spaniel for instance. Go on google and type in "poodles for hunting", you will find plenty of info. I have never seen one hunt but have read articles where they were used with very good results. Ayeye

[Ivy]

If you already own a Poodle ( large breed poodle ) why not give it a try? It's already part of the family. Just another oppertunity to be with Mans best friend.

However if I was looking to upland hunt I would buy a pointing dog ( a G.S.P. ). If I did more Waterfowl hunting I would buy a Lab.

But that's me.

Ivy

[DHotRod]

Look into a PudelPointer, I have been hunting behind one for two yrs. now and really like the breed.

[Uh HUH]

I thought those were called curs? Or "accidents".

J/K ;)

[Juls_OH]

History of the Poodle
by Lee Weston
The Poodle's history is shrouded in antiquity and hypothesis. By the 15th century we see dogs that actually resemble the Poodle as we know it, in writings and in art work.

It is believed by some that the poodle is the original water spaniel. It is known that the Poodle was, and even today, is used as a working hunter and duck retriever.

The very stylish hair trim that is distinctive with the Poodle, and seen in conformation, actually has a real function and purpose. The Poodle's coat protects the dog from water and debris in the water, it buoys the dog, and adds insulation to keep the joints, and the rest of the dog, warm while working. The hindquarters of the dog is shaved so that the dog can swim more easily rather than being weighted down with the equivalent of a diaper and long footed pajamas.
Breed historians are in general agreement that the Poodle had its origins in Germany, with some influence from Russia and then became standardized as a distinct breed in France where it is the national dog. That is why many people today refer to the Poodle with the misnomer of "French" Poodle. In Germany the Poodle (from the German word pudel - meaning "to splash in water") was a very sturdy dog, that possessed two coat types, curly and corded. The corded type of coat is rarely seen in the United States, but is still in existence. The Russian variety was described as somewhat "greyhound" in body type.
We know that the Standard (sized) Poodle developed first, and that the Miniature and Toy Poodles were developed afterwards, and all three varieties have a long history. It is not known for certain if the Miniature and Toy Poodles are "bred down" versions of the Standard, or if these smaller Poodles developed in their own right. An interesting hypothesis dealing with the history of any breed that predates written history, did the breed develop from a common ancestor, or did the breed develop because dog fanciers from different countries were trying to breed a dog for a particular purpose and function and, independently developed a breed of dog that had similar traits?
In France, Poodles were used for a variety of purposes. There was the Caniche which was a large dog widely used for duck hunting. The Petit Barbet was a Toy size dog that led a pampered and primped style of life in the royal courts. The Truffle dog was used in the search for that flavorful morsel that was used by so many of the French chefs.
A very important event in the history of the Poodle is when the breed was imported from France to Great Britain. The Kennel Club of England registered its first Poodle in 1874, and the Poodle Club of England was founded in 1876. In 1910 the curley and corded dogs were put in separate divisions, as was the Miniature. Prior to this time Poodles of all sizes and coat types were shown in the same classes.
The foundations that were developed in England became the cornerstones of the breed in the United States. Precisely when the Poodle was imported to the United States is not known. The American Kennel Club registered its first Poodle in 1886. The Poodle Club of America was originally founded in 1896. Shortly after its establishment it was disbanded, and then reorganized in 1931. The P.C.A. used the Standard and Rules of the Curley Poodle Club of England as its base for establishing the Standard in the U.S. The same Standard now applies to all three sizes of Poodle, the only difference is in the height measurements for each size.
The Standard and Miniature Poodle are shown in the Non Sporting Group of the A.K.C., and the Toy Poodle is shown in the Toy Group.
The F.C.I. (Federation Cynologique Internationale) recognizes four sizes: the Standard, Miniature, Dwarf and Toy. All four sizes are shown in Group 9.

[DHotRod]

Here is my buddy Pudelpointer web site. The dogs looks like a wirehair

www.cedarwoodgundogs

[Juls_OH]

Thanks for the link D...

That is one awesome dog! I had never seen the Pudelpointer before, and after reading your friend's website, I am extrememly impressed with the breed. :)

Juls

[DHotRod]

>Thanks for the link D...
>
>That is one awesome dog! I had never seen the Pudelpointer
>before, and after reading your friend's website, I am
>extrememly impressed with the breed. :)
>
>Juls

Juls, Check this OUT!

Move over, Labs - poodles take to field
Enthusiasm, intelligence wins over hunters

By BEN SHOUSE
bshouse@argusleader.com
PUBLISHED: November 6, 2006
FREEMAN - Dogs bound through the switchgrass, hunters in orange caps advance in a row behind them. The sun shines, and even if there aren't many pheasants to shoot, all is right with the world.

Except there's something not quite right about the picture. The dogs have those bouffant hairdos and those floppy ears, and a couple of them have a sort of pom-pom on their tails.

No, you're not hallucinating. Those are hunting poodles.

The image of a standard poodle hunting pheasants is one of the more incongruous sights in South Dakota. It's about like seeing Queen Elizabeth at a hot-dog eating contest.

But on Saturday, six hunters began a weekend of hunting behind four poodles - Beau, Scout, Lambeau and Bella. Most of them used to swear by Labrador retrievers but now say the companionship and, yes, the hunting ability of poodles have won them over.

Gary Scovel, a retired game warden from Minocqua, Wis., brought the two most experienced dogs, Beau and Scout. He says over the years, he has gotten a few sideways looks from other hunters, but it doesn't bother him.

"They say, 'Those dogs hunt?' and I say, 'Yeah, they hunt darn good,' and they're a little bit surprised," he said.

On Saturday, the poodles worked the fields near Freeman with all the vigor of any pack of Labs, helping to bag 13 roosters and two partridges by day's end, according to the hunters.

They hunted on public land in the morning, so there were precious few roosters to be had. But the skill of Beau and Scout was evident as they charged through the tall grass yet never strayed too far ahead.

"These two like to stay close, and that's something I like," Scovel said. "Any Lab would get on a pheasant, and you simply have to go like a house afire to keep up with them, and as a result, the bird will flush farther away."

Bella, an 8-month-old poodle belonging to Blair Jackson of Sioux Falls, picked up the idea enough to help find a hen in a field of deep grass.

"Bella was on that one - somewhat," Jackson said after the bird suddenly burst from the cover and flew south. The hunters held their fire as the law requires for female pheasants.

Also in the field were Jackson's son Seth, Tony Newman of Chatfield, Minn., and Jim Kostboth of Sioux Falls.

Cultural barriers
These hunters are impressed by the bird dogging ability of poodles, but there are serious obstacles to more widespread acceptance.

For one thing, the culture of dogs and hunting is aligned against the breed. The American Kennel Club puts them in the "non-sporting" group. In 2004, the National Rifle Association enlisted them as a symbol of presidential candidate John Kerry's lack of authenticity, using the slogan, "That dog won't hunt."

Lee Schoenbeck, a Watertown lawyer and outgoing state senator, says he has hunted only once with poodles. While his group worked a deep slough, the poodles stayed on the edges while the Labs charged into the snow, he said.

That cemented his opinion:
"If you're hunting in heavy cover, as hunting dogs, they're pretty good house pets."

But he said perception might also be holding poodles back.

"My quick reaction is it's cultural. But on the other hand, pheasant hunters are pretty resourceful, and if there is a dog around that's going to be a good hunter, they're going to hunt with it whether it's orange, green or purple," he said.

Wet or dry
At one point Saturday, Beau and Scout actually were green.

They were working through a patch of cattails and strayed onto thin ice. Scovel called out to them to come back, but it was too late.

They fell through the ice, into a slough. They struggled to get out of the water, unable at first to either jump onto the ice or break through it to get to dry land. Eventually, they emerged covered in green algae.

Scovel allowed that poodles might have more trouble with water than Labs do. But Jackson said he has seen Labs struggle the same way, and Newman said his dog, Lambeau, does just fine retrieving ducks shot down over water.

In any case, Beau and Scout did not seem to lose enthusiasm after their soaking. They worked the rest of the field, though they did not find any pheasants.

"As for our bird count, make sure that you mention it was all public land," Scovel said.

He has owned poodles since 1974 but says he didn't start hunting with them until he got Beau in 2001. He had owned several Labs but gave them up when he saw how miserable his last one was living outdoors in a northern Wisconsin winter.

At that point, he thought he was stuck with house pets.

"I hate to admit it, but they sleep on the bed at night," he said.

His wife likes poodles for their personalities and the fact that they are easy to clean up after.

"The big thing is they don't shed," he said.

Good bird dog
But then Scovel read an article in Gun Dog magazine about a Colorado woman who got two poodles up to the top ranks of American Kennel Club hunting trials. He started training Beau and discovered his inside dog could be a heck of a bird dog.

What he thought was a compromise turned into the best of both worlds. It was as if Queen Elizabeth not only came to the hot-dog eating contest, but joined in and started slamming down franks with the best of them.

Kostboth, the Sioux Falls man, did not bring a dog but is considering getting one for hunting. He does not want to keep it in a kennel, so he is considering a poodle.

"I was impressed. They did a good job. They followed the commands well, they hunted hard," he said. "It wasn't their fault we didn't get the birds."

But he's still not sure. A dog is a very personal thing, especially when it has to be a hunter and part of the family, he said.

"That's something you've got to talk over with the wife."

[Juls_OH]

Great article...Thanks! ;)

Juls

[Phil T.]

A guy from the "town down the road" used to have a standard poodle that was very good with waterfowl and upland game. I don't know where he bought the dog, maybe Canada.
Unfortunately, that dog was a fertile male. He was hard to handle, and would fight any other male dog he met. He was good at fighting, too.
His owner claimed the major disadvantage to his dog (other than the combat issue) was the dog's intelligence. It would think up shortcuts to doing the job the right way. It required the owner to outsmart the dog. But, when the owner was "in charge" the dog was impressive.

[reddog]

DHotRod

I read that article on Monday.

I dont care how well they do, I just dont see myself afield with a Poodle anytime soon.

The pictures sealed that deal.

[DHotRod]

>DHotRod
>
>I read that article on Monday.
>
>I dont care how well they do, I just dont see myself afield
>with a Poodle anytime soon.
>
>The pictures sealed that deal.

Maybe so but I learned a long time ago not to be breed blind.
I guess you would say the same thing about a little brushpig :) those pink eyes and noses :) on the real note yes they do have that look but a few yrs. back while on patrol I seen one of our new member running a couple of poodles and they did look pretty impressive but so did the guy with a 10 plus K SxS and some pretty nice clothes to go with it.


Good forum...... thanks for the input

>
>

[midnight fire gun dog]

As previously stated the American Water Spaniel and the Irish Water Spaniel have been suspected of having poddle in their blood and while any dog can hunt, there are certainly breeds that excel in the field. Even within breeds there are field and show stock the english springer for example. Unless the dog is already part of the family and shows desire to retrieve or shows birdyness, stick with only true gun dog breeds. I have made every mistake in the book when it comes to selecting the right dog, ####, even within the same litter and proven sires and dams their are duds. As far as which breed, well that will always be up to debate. Right now i'm back to springers but as a kid it was gshs. I also have a beautiful lab that is great and a all around dog. It is also the type of hunting you do. While, I like to hunt all upland and waterfowl, I perfer phesants as of late, and their is no better dog than springers on wild game birds in a nasty Nebraska field, period. They are hotter, stronger, more athletic, with all day stamina. The only other breed I can say equals their prowess is the English Pointer but not on wild pheasants. The only problem is their dam coat, they have the whole field in their coat at the end of the day, but they don't care and neither do I. I hope this is some help.

[Unlogged T-Mac]

Thanks.
Being an upland hunter myself...I have had Field Bred English Springers and I agree.
They don't run out of gas and they are a riot to watch while hunting, they are super affectionate.
.....and all that in a 30# package. :)

[Mike D of SD]

I hunt 3 labs, and run all 3 of them at the same time 95% of the time. At the end of a long day in the field I see very little fatigue in them and they are always 100% the following morning even after 5 continouos days of hunting. They are machines in heavy cover, great noses, harldy ever a burr sticks to their coat, I can hunt row crops such as corn strips and food plots. Labs retrieve with the best of them and are the best family dog I can think of. Of course I am biased because they are all I have ever used, but because of corn strips, which a pointing dog struggles in and the nature of my guiding business I would be hard pressed to try any other dog than a lab. Most groups that I guide bring their own dogs and I have never had to kennel one of my dogs because my dogs dont get along with others.