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Hunting with the "Off
Brands"
Fred Jagow
with his American Water Spaniel |
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Fred Jagow (Mr. 16 gauge)
HUNTING WITH THE "OFF BRANDS"
Off brands. It is a term generally used to describe a product that
is not as popular or well received as others, but is just as
suitable for use and, on some occasions, can exceed the qualities of
the product it is replacing.They are usually less expensive because
they don't have fancy packaging or a greedy corporate conglomerate
behind them.
Off brands can be found in just about every type of goods available:
firearms, breakfast cereal, automobile tires, ammunition, gasoline
clothing.......the list can go on forever.
You can even include gun dogs as well, although a better title would
probably be "off breeds" rather than "off brands". The idea is the
same, however. There are dozens upon dozens of hunting breeds out
there, yet only a handful seem to be well known or well used. While
Labrador retrievers, English Springer spaniels, English setters, and
German shorthair pointers may be the most popular, there are a host
of other hunting breeds that will fit the bill, and sometimes do it
better than the more well known breeds.
My first dog was an "off breed". He was an American water spaniel,
and I became interested in the breed after I had some difficulty
locating a local breeder of English Springer spaniels. I became
somewhat disillusioned when litter after litter was either "show
stock" or "pet stock", meaning none of the parents hunted. To make
matters worse, it seemed that the breeders didn't know the
difference. I asked one breeder if his litter was from hunting
stock. "Sure", he replied, "They're a hunting breed". I asked a few
more questions, like what type of shotgun he preferred, where he
hunted, ect. I became quickly obvious that not only did his dogs not
hunt, but neither did he.
I'm primarily a waterfowl hunter, with some occasional upland
hunting (rough shooting) thrown in. At that time, I was hunting out
of a very unstable 15 foot canoe, so I wanted a smaller dog (which
is why I was looking for a ESS). However, I also wanted a dog with
as little white on it's coat as possible, as I wanted the dog to be
hidden from the keen eyes of passing wildfowl. Just by chance, I
happened to read an article on the American water spaniel in a
magazine, and it seemed that this was the breed I was looking for: a
dog of small stature that was completely brown in color and whose
coat could protect it from the elements while fowling. Having never
seen a live dog, I did a lot of research into the breed (remember:
these were pre-internet days), including looking for breeders. I
found a whole three! Since I never saw the breed at any of the dog
shows I went to, I assumed that most, if not all, of these dogs were
of working, "hunting" stock. I wasn't disappointed.
I got my pup and he was everything that I had hoped for, and then
some! He was a retrieving fool at 10 weeks of age, learned quickly,
and loved to flush birds. His low profile and dark color help him
blend in, even in the slightest cover. He would sit quietly between
my legs while I paddled the canoe in the marsh, and he still left
plenty of room for the decoys. In a similar trip with a companions
larger and somewhat unruly Labrador didn't go quite as well; October
marsh water can be quite invigorating, especially if one gets
submerged in it!
So should you choose an "off breed" for your next hunting companion?
The answer is a firm "maybe". The purpose of this article is not to
espouse the virtues of off breeds over more popular, traditional
breeds such as the Labrador or English Springer spaniel, but rather
to let the reader know that there are other options in the hunting
dog world other than the well known standards. If one has never
trained a dog before, then a biddable Lab might just be the right
dog for you.
The first step in deciding whether an "off breed" is for you or not
is to sit down and make a SPECIFIC list of what you want the perfect
dog to be: color, size, temperament, what type of hunting conditions
it should handle, what type of game it will be hunting and in what
proportions, ect. You also need to take a look at other conditions
as well: Where will the dog live? (home with a large yard, or small
apartment?) Who will take care of the dog? Are there any children in
the equation? Not just your own kids, but nieces, nephews,
grandkids, neighbor's kids, ect. Use this list as a guide.....it
doesn't make much sense to get a cocker spaniel if you are primarily
a goose shooter; by the same token, it doesn't make much sense to
get a male Chesapeake Bay Retriever if you hunt primarily snipe and
woodcock and live in a small apartment.
While I have yet to see a sporting breed that didn't like children,
there are some breeds that tend to do better with older children as
opposed to toddlers. Keep this in mind while researching your
selection.
Next, check out one of the various books on dog breeds. Most have a
good photo or two, along with a small list of information relative
to the breed's origin, temperament, size, color, and associated
physical ailments (such as hip dysplasia or entropion). After using
these sources to narrow your choices down to a few breeds, start
looking for more detailed information on the breeds you have chosen.
They may have had books written on them, although with the more
obscure breeds, this probably won't be an option. Others might
require a fair amount of research in the library looking up old
resources. You can get additional information from the breed's club
and internet sources. I would caution you to be aware that it is the
responsibility of the breed club to promote the breed, so everything
said here will probably be more in a positive light than a negative
one. Check with the breed clubs to see if they have a list of
breeders, and then go and visit them if possible. Sometimes the
breed clubs will sponsor field trials or "fun trials" where people
with an interest in the dogs will get together for some fun. It is a
good place not only to view dogs, but to ask questions as well. You
can actually see the dogs work, as well as get an idea of their
physical appearance and capabilities.
The next step after you decide on a breed is to find a
breeder....not always an easy thing. Two things to keep in mind is
that because some of these dogs are somewhat rare, the cost can be a
little higher and they will have a smaller gene pool, which means
that diseases like hip dyslplasia, entropion, ect, ,might be more
prevalent with that particular breed than another. It is a wise idea
that when you put down a deposit for a pup that you get a guarantee
that if any of these conditions shows up in the first year you can
get your money back or a replacement pup. Most consciences breeders
will want to make sure that they know of poor genetics in their
stock, and will do what is necessary to correct any flaws.
For a lot of people, one of the more popular breeds will do just
fine. After all, they are popular for a reason. However, there are a
lot of good hunting breeds out there that are less well known and
are just as deserving of a "hunting home". It would be a shame to
loose some of these breeds to obscurity because of a lack of
knowledge. They add a nice change to the hunting scene, and for
people such as myself who find Labrador retrievers just to
"vanilla", even the chocolate ones, it's nice to have a variety.
After all, variety is the spice of life! |
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