Posted on 12/10/2008 7:28:56 PM PST by JoeProBono
PRIOR LAKE, Minn. -- A rooster pheasant winged high overhead in the cobalt sky, several blasts from a shotgun interrupted its flight and the bird somersaulted into thick grass. "Back," Libbe Erickson told her hunting dog, Rider, and he rocketed into the brush. Moments later Rider returned, pheasant in mouth. "Good dog," she said, taking the bird. Nothing unusual here on a glorious fall day in Minnesota - except Erickson's dog is a poodle. A cream-colored, fluffy poodle.
And nearby, friend Lin Gelbmann's silver poodle, Cache, with an even fluffier hairdo, also retrieved downed birds dropped by a bevy of shooters.
Hunting poodles?
(Excerpt) Read more at bnd.com ...
GoldenDoodles are great as well:
There's nothing wrong with their looks....as long as they aren't sporting one of those lousy cuts they're given for a dog show.
Guy here in town uses two doberman’s to hunt pheasant. People look at his strange till the doberman’s actually go on point.
I use to work with a guy that was into training labs for hunters. He claimed that he could train any breed to retrieve anything, so long as it was physically capable of carrying the dead bird and able to withstand the elements and terrain. He said he once trained a boxer to point pheasant and a shepherd to retrieve geese. His theory was that all dogs can do it, it’s just that some dogs learn faster. some dogs learn slower. and some dogs learn so slow it’s done merely for the challenge...but it is possible.
My grandfather’s last pheasant dog before he died was a beagle cross chihawa(or however you spell it, the tiny taco bell dog, you know the one). He always claimed it was the best pheasant dog he ever had. No training required...took to it naturally without any effort at all. Of course, by that time he was an old man that didn’t walk very far. So the dog’s size wouldn’t have didn’t hindered his performance any.
Except that it’s very doubtful that the French created them, no.
[the French did, however, use them as police dogs for a long time...quite effectively]
History
Poodles are retrievers or gun dogs, and can still be seen in that role. The poodle’s appearance made it popular as a circus dog and pet for the wealthy. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale lists the country of origin as France, but some experts believe poodles may have originated in Russia or Iberia; Germany is also frequently cited, including by the American Kennel Club, since the breed’s English name has German origins[2]. (The name poodle comes from the German word pudel, short for pudelhund or “splashing dog”, reflecting the breed’s development from a water dog; the word pudel is related to the English word puddle.) However, most sources concur that the French are responsible for developing the modern breed into its current form, and developing the different sizes. The French name for the poodle is caniche, referring to ducks and the poodles’ water dog origins.
Even the little miniature poodle I had as a kid spent her free time in the barn going after vermin.
Silly as it sounds, she was a great bodyguard, too.
10 pounds of fluff couldn’t really inflict much bodily harm but she sincerely gave it all she had.
My Reagan on my best solo hunt ever.
Our Maltese is a great body-guard—she guards my wife, especially at nap time.
What the hell is at the end of that leash? A ferret?
Small poodles are good for fly fishing.
That’s what I had heard, i.e. water dogs.
“Poodles have worked in virtually every capacity a dog is capable of filling. From cart-pulling draught animal to parlour-room trickster, from sled dog to assistive guide dog, from warrior to rest-home companion, from truffle-hound to eminently competent bird dog, and from watchdog to show ring master, the poodle excels at everything it sets its mind to.”
My parents have a 3 year old goldendoodle and its the best dog they’ve ever owned. It really does take the best of both breeds and combines them into one furry animal.
She's 17 inches of total psycho....LOL!
This is she:
Just look at those eyes....the "Charlie Manson" stare....;-D
They are terrifyingly smart dogs.
Standard Poodles are the best dogs ever! :D (The one in post #6 looks just like our female.)
No shedding, no smell, great companions, incredibly smart and awesome guard dogs. They’ve spoiled me and I’ll never have anything else.
Aren't they a tad hard to cast with e fly rod?
Yes, I’ll only have Standard Poodles from now on too, never thought I would be saying that about poodles until I got one. I would love any dog, but these guys just have an attitude like “I’m the coolest dog you’ll ever own”.
They are German NOT French!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.