PAX Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) I'd rate a gundog far higher for trainability than a sibe. I'd also rate a gundog far better looking I would agree. Umm aren't Labs gundogs/guide dogs? Edited January 22, 2009 by PAX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Midol Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 (edited) I meant they both have the "You don't know how hard it is to live with one till you've lived with one" bit You're all bias Edited January 22, 2009 by Just Midol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monah Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 I meant they both have the "You don't know how hard it is to live with one till you've lived with one" bit :pYou're all bias :p Nooooooo!!! Biased??? I love living with gundogs, they are so joyous about everything. My ACD was VERY serious too (like the kelpie mentioned) and I also loved that, so dependable and grown up, but, I do adore the pure fun of a gundog. My spinone is the best retriever ever and will not deviate from her course of action and brings the item to my hand every time and my viz is a fantastic flyballer, extremely reliable (treats ). Both are highly trainable and easy to live with, although friends may have something to say about the easy to live with bit :D I don't link trainability with intelligence either, both my wolfhounds and lakelands were dificult to train (although I didn't know it until I got my viz who is soooooo easy), but they were very very intelligent dogs, just not biddable. They are very intelligent (yes Pax, labs are gundogs) and all stunning to look at ;) :p What were you saying about sibes????? :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FionaC Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Oh and re: Gundogs and small animals ..... This was last night ... (poor little fella didn't have much luck in being tall enough to return the obligatory butt-sniff though) (excuse the darkness in the photo but it was getting late) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavik Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 After working in a boarding kennel I have had many breeds come through. I started a dislike for some breeds of dog and it wasnt until recently that i realised they are all gundogs. They just came across as "nutty". Please dont take offence because i believe in their family environment and more so in a "working" environment they probably dont behave quite the same way as they do in the kennels. Mind you i have some gundogs in that have been very calm and quiet and well behaved. Its a bit like my dobie i suppose, he has alot of energy/drive and often drives me nuts but I know he will be best when "working". Working at the dog daycare was like that too - and yep, the most 'difficult' dogs were often the gundogs - I think most staff developed an issue with Labs - they tended to bulldoze other dogs, trash the place and put their head through the walls :D Many holes in the wall were due to Labs! Very trainable and keen and fun and enthusiastic, but in a limited space with lots of other dogs and running around - a bit of a nightmare! BTW Midol I think Sibes are one of the most beautiful breeds, but I don't think I would own one. There are one or two gundogs I would consider owning. Most of the breeds I like are in the herding group though :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugerfly Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Thats funny fiona Yep Ruger is scared to death of my parents chi and give him plenty o respect ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J... Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Working at the dog daycare was like that too - and yep, the most 'difficult' dogs were often the gundogs :rolleyes: - I think most staff developed an issue with Labs - they tended to bulldoze other dogs, trash the place and put their head through the walls Many holes in the wall were due to Labs! I have to admit I cringe when I see Labs off-lead, particularly at the beach. Even if its only a small percentage who are badly behaved with no recall, they still outnumber the other breeds easily and seem far worse when they are so rough and rude with other dogs. Thankfully a lot of them are either ball or stick mad and tend to focus on their owners, but those that don't Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkySoaringMagpie Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I once took a repeat Beginners class of which every dog member was an adolescent gundog. As youngsters, some of them have the attention span of gnats. I took a class once with 5 labs in it, all adolescents. Sheer madness, particularly for a sighthound owner who values calmness and independence. Sadly I think a lot of people get labs because of their reputation as good family and working dogs. And they are with the right handling and training. However, the adolescent "if it moves, bounce on it, if it doesn't, eat it" approach to life must be hard to take if you're used to seeing labs on kleenex ads and working as guide dogs. In fact I think I feel sorrier for owners of breeds with "good" reputations because at least if you own a breed reknowned for being hard to train, if you bugger it up no-one is surprised and if you get it right, they all fall over in shock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Gundogs are nutters. Very excitable but highly trainable. They have big play and socialisation requirements Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke W Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Dunno what to say. Barkly loves everybody and everything and seems very trainable. I think. First dog I've trained for 20+ years. He's a better dog than I am a trainer! At 11mo, he can be a bit unfocused and unreliable at times, but from what I gather, he's actually very, very good for his age. One of the trainers I work with says I should start going for my CCD. Today he did his first perfect chained formal retreive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
labsrule Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 Give me a "nutty" Labrador any day. I love their enthusiasm, exuberance, sheer joy of life and making the most of every opportunity. What fun I have had over many years with Labradors and the memories are just priceless. In all the years (many ), I have had Labradors, they have made me laugh every day of those years with their antics and I could not imagine my life without a scallywag Labrador in it. How boring would that be They truly are without peer and I want to come back in the next life as a Labrador, in a home like mine Humans could learn a hell of a lot from Labradors and their take on life Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paddles Posted January 23, 2009 Share Posted January 23, 2009 I have 2 english springer spaniels, before them, I had 2 Shelties, both breeds are lovely in thier way (all were just pets) with minimal training, sit, walk on lead and recall) all are brilliant (Ok, fred and sophie are destructive at the moment, but just you see in ten years! LOL) But I have to say, that the springers, are more likely to just want to be with you, as opposed to looking if you have food in your hands...... Best family dog ever! (For active kids anyway) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blacklabrador Posted January 24, 2009 Share Posted January 24, 2009 Give me a "nutty" Labrador any day. I love their enthusiasm, exuberance, sheer joy of life and making the most of every opportunity. What fun I have had over many years with Labradors and the memories are just priceless. In all the years (many ), I have had Labradors, they have made me laugh every day of those years with their antics and I could not imagine my life without a scallywag Labrador in it. How boring would that be They truly are without peer and I want to come back in the next life as a Labrador, in a home like mine Humans could learn a hell of a lot from Labradors and their take on life Their exuberance is lovely but can be wearing at times!! They are just feral as puppies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted January 29, 2009 Share Posted January 29, 2009 Ruger recently said in a thread that unless we own a gundog we won't know what they like Can someone explain the traits they have which make them harder to train or the inability to get reliable commands? OK, I am interested. Which (Ruger)thread are you referring? HARDER TO TRAIN ???? or the inability to get reliable commands? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quickasyoucan Posted January 30, 2009 Share Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) We had welsh springer spaniels growing up. They were great dogs to grow up with, don't know about the training bit though cos unfortunately that was few and far between. Dad's idea of training was its okay so long as the dog comes back when you call it. I have memories of sharp puppy teeth clinging to my flares (we had one litter from our first bitch) and of being pulled around the block by 2 very keen bitches. They probably were full on but we were kids so, so were we. My Dad still has a welshie, he is 74 and is on no medication whatsoever (my dad not the dog ) as Georgie has 2-3 long walks in nearby woodland per day. Dad is probably fitter than I am. This is in the UK so no fear of snakes. I have to say I do have a soft spot for gundogs and I would never confuse exhuberance with untrainability (sorry probably not a word), my only problem with labradors is that they are taken on by too many people who think it is acceptable to stick them in the back yard with no training and no exercise oh and to feed them too much. Oh and those people who are buying chocolate labs because it is the latest fad. As per usual it is people who are the problem there. I saw some working labs on TV the other day, they were muscly and obedience - gorgeous. Edited January 30, 2009 by Quickasyoucan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gottalovealab Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Adolescence would be one of the most difficult challenges facing a new gundog owner. They are later to mature in mind than a lot of breeds and people need to be prepared for that. In saying that, most are highly trainable and are hugely sociable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna H Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 Adolescence would be one of the most difficult challenges facing a new gundog owner. Tell me about it! and this isn't the first time I've gone through gundog adolescence! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2psinapod Posted February 1, 2009 Share Posted February 1, 2009 There is absolutely no comparison to prey drive in a Sibe and prey drive in a Gundog. A Gundog will not kill everything it catches, in fact a Gundog has a soft mouth, I've watched one of my Pointers catch a butterfly in it's mouth on a porch, trot up the yard to release it and play again. My Pointers live very happily with a Green Tree Frog that lives within their kennel run, each night they greet him (Kermit ) with a sniff and a slight nudge, Kermit doesn't even budge In my wildest dreams I can not see that happening, multiple Sibes co-existing with a frog?? :shakehead: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lablover Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 Thought I would add, in my experience, German Short Haired Pointers, from show stock generally have not lost the degree of working ability to the extent of other gundog breeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zhou Xuanyao Posted February 2, 2009 Share Posted February 2, 2009 ruger naughty naughty that ?git? was saying that if you have a problem with recall, dogs bolting out of cars and down the street, ect, the solution is to blame yoursel and improve your leadership not make a joke out of it, blame the dog or the breed and hope for better luck next time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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