doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Looking for a good (no allergy) bird dog !

I've seen the poodle stuff in my search, what a kick in the pants! I've actually hunted with a visla who was great, but that was back in my pre-allergy days. How do they do with us sniffily folks?

I'm allergic as well. I have to take antihystamines if I'm even going into a house with a dog. Can anyone tell me how to find a Poodle that's from actual hunting stock and can they be trained to flush Quail?
Jim

From what I've seen they are good on waterfowl, and are flushing and retrieving dogs (including retrieving on doves).

Not easy to find and may not be any hunting stock per se in the U.S. but the Lagotto Romagnolo is supposed to be easy on allergies, no shed, and could make a good flusher and retriever. I know someone who has one as purely a hose pet and can confirm the no shed aspect.

I've got to look that one up (never heard of it before). My research has narrowed it down to German shorthair or pudelpointer, but the jury is still out on the actual hypoallergenic factor on these two breeds. I'm mildly concerned about keeping such high-energy dogs around the house, but I'm still early into the research. I'd rather not get a "big going" dog, so something that stays close is still the goal. Don't want to bump too many ruffies! If pointers won't work, then maybe a hunting poodle?

Ironman5- Thankyou! I am a third as well. My son is legally a forth, but he goes by a nickname his mother gave him so the line is threatened! Looked up the Spinoni. Another great dog that I'd never heard of. Probably out of my league, but super nice in that it reportedly has an easy pace and it stays close.

jmc-The Lagotto Romagnolo ie "the lake dog from Romagna" looks way cool. If you have one you can even go into the truffle business when hunting season ends. No mention of it's hypoallergenic nature, but it looks alot like the Portuguese Water Dog which is reportedly allergy neutral.

I would check on the Vizslas and allergies. Every one I have hunted with has been grand, and two were also house dog/pets with great temperment.
P.S.
Says here that Vizslas are the original hypoallergenic dog.
http://www.care.com/family-pet-guide-dogs-sporting-vizsla-p1104-q168399.html
I don't know that I agree with that chewing stuff. My buddy left his in the house when he was at work and it never chewed anything. His Golden before that tried to eat everything, including the kitchen sink.

Lloyd3 - I think you have a dilemma. I've fussed with Field Bred Springers, and Labs for about 30 years, so I'm a bit of a traditionalist. It's my opinion that the lesser-known breeds being mentioned here are lesser know for a reason - on average, they aren't as successful as the popular breeds. If they were, they would be more popular. Not to say you can't get a great dog from one of the less popular breeds, but it is a game of probabilities, and IMHO the deck is stacked against you. From what I have heard, the labradoodle or goldendoodle may be a good choice

tudurgs- I suspect that you're onto something. I am almost a complete neophyte when it comes to good dogs (mine have been mostly pets and mutts). So, this is a brave new world for me. What helps is having a 9-year old campaigning (almost daily) for another dog, and....it would be very nice to have one that is dual-use. This allergy thing really limits my choices, but I figured that if there was any collection of folks who would know something about upland bird hunting dogs, it would be the denizens of this forum.

What little I've learned fits with what Tudurgs said. Also, a "big running dog" can be trained to hunt close and big on command. Training a dog to hunt bigger or faster than it naturally hunts is like pushing on a rope.

I think you're on the right track with a GSP for a good breed that can do it all with speed, enthusiasm, and be a good companion. The allergy issue is something I just deal with. Frankly, I don't think there is such a thing as a hypoallergenic dog. It isn't the hair that's the issue. It's the dander.

If you're a novice like me, I recommend you consider buying a trained dog from a reputable bird dog trainer. I did and I'm glad I did.