Popular Dog Breeds - Gundogs
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Gundogs
(Sporting Dogs)
As their name suggests this group are eager participants
in the pursuit and retrieval of game.Over the years they
have been bred to retrieve, in water or on land, or to
"set" , "flush" or "point"
the game for the hunter.
Generally gun dogs hunt by scent usually airborne not
ground scent. They fall into four broad categories although
their skills often overlap: -
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Retrievers
are dogs that find and return game to the hunters.Some Retrievers
are especially equipped, for instance with a water-repellent coat
and webbed feet, for retrieving downed waterfowl.
Retrievers were bred primarily to retrieve birds or other prey
and return them to the hunter without damage. Although spaniels
and some pointing breeds routinely retrieve game, and many retrievers
are skilled in finding game, retrievers are distinguished in that
non-slip retrieval is their primary function. As a result, retriever
breeds are bred for soft mouths and a great willingness to please,
learn, and obey. A soft mouth refers to the willingness of the
dog to carry game in its mouth without biting into it an essential
when retrieving game for eating.
The retriever's eagerness to please and its ability fo be trained
has made retrievers such as the Labrador Retreiver and Golden
Retriever extremely popular as pets and assistance dogs
Pointers
have a breed history that dates back to the early 17th.
century they were bred to stand in front of their quarry, with
their nose and body rigidly still , thus directing (or pointing)
the hunter to its location.
Pointers have a high energy level and will invariably be thinking
about hunting or tracking. They can be extremely friendly, love
to cuddle, play with other pets, and enjoy the company of other
humans, young or old. They are usually independent, loyal, and
a responsive breed--they take instructions easily and areusually
extremely intelligent.
Setters are dogs that were
originally trained to set, or crouch, in front of the quarry preventing
escape . Originally the hunter would make the capture with the
use of a net. Today it is more likely to be a gun, hence the name
has evolved from Sporting Dogs to Gundogs.
Flushing Spaniels. Spaniel
is a type of gun dog first used in the British Isles during Caesar’s
invasion (54-55 BC). It is thought spaniels originated from Spain
(hence the name). Spaniels were originally bred to flush game
out of dense brush. Later, in the late 17th.century spaniels had
become specialised into water and land breeds and their role was
further changed by the advent of guns, from somewhat all-pupose
roles of retrieving, flushing, setting and springing of game to
that of a more specialsed gun dog.
Spaniels are generally small dogs with long coats and drop ears.
Some
of the dog breeds that fall within this grouping.
- English
Setter
- German
Pointers
- Gordon
Setter
- Hungarian Vizsla
- Irish
(Red) Setter
- Pointer
(German Longhaired)
- Pointer
(German Shorthaired)
- Retriever
(Curly Coated)
- Retriever
(Flat Coated)
- Retriever
(Golden)
- Retriever
(Labrador)
- Spaniel
(Clumber)
- Spaniel
(Cocker)
- Spaniel
(English Springer)
- Spaniel
(Welsh Springer)
- Spaniel
(American Cocker)
- Spaniel
(Irish Water)
- Spaniel
(Sussex)
- Spanish
Water Dog
- Weimaraner
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Gundogs invariably make good companions and ideal family pets,
they are intelligent, sociable, good with both people and other
dogs and easy to train but they do require lots of exercise (open
spaces are useful , you walk 2 miles they run 10).
Most Gundogs have "soft mouths",essential when retrieving
game) and love playing with, chewing and chasing toys. They are
ideal pet for active families and are tolerant of children.
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