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I have a ten year old brit. Great dog. But, he does slow down after a few hours, and on a weekend hunt, then what? You need another dog to cycle in, or you have to hunt with friends and their dogs.

I just had someone offer me a FREE one year old setter from great trial stock. He likes birds (is new to them however), points with nice high tail, big runner, responds great to commands, house trained and great indoors, but needs some love and training and to be worked on birds. Great! I even recently acquired an aluminum double dog crate from a friend. Only problem, I live in town in a small house with my brit, my wife, and four cats, with a small yard and kennel in the back. Not exactly ideal for a rangy setter. And, I take my brit with me everywhere, so what do I do with the new dog? Leave him in the kennel all the time? That doesn't seem fair to the dog, and although he was rescued from the pound (the original owner was hard on him and couldn't handle a big runner apparently) and needs a good home, I want to be able to give the new dog love, time and attention, and I need to keep my small house somewhat sane. It's tough enough as is. Not to mention the additional expense with food and vet bills.

Being a chukar and hun hunter who likes a tractable dog that isn't afraid to stretch its legs, it's so hard to pass on an opportunity like this, but...

The current owner has a few dogs and would like to meet with me and the dog this weekend.

What would you do? Confused

Get a bigger truck, so theres room for the 3 of you(and you'll need someplace to sleep, if the wife didn't give you the ok) to travel everywhere together
You know the deal already, time out of your scheduel to work the new guy. Kennel won't last long, if the brit is a indoor dog, so will the new guy. Cats and dog will figure it out soon enough
If your ok with it sounds like a deal

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

As the great W. C. Fields once said," Never let 'em bamboozle you ,son.But then again, never drink anything stronger than gin before breakfast." A free dog is very tempting but make damn sure you can make the time and have the room for a wide ranging setter. Take it from an old EP guy- you gotta have the room and the time- It won't be fair to the dog or you.

Good luck!

Think I'd have to pass with the small yard not to mention it could be hard money wise. Its a sin to coop up a runner like that just as you have said. Too dam bad cause You'd be a great owner for that dog. Sad

Thanks guys. That's one for, two against. There is one other possible solution. The friend of mine that put me in touch with the dog's owner is a breeder and trainer who would like to help me train the dog. If I could get him to keep the dog for a year or two until my brit gets too old, and I could take him out on hunting trips, that might work. But again, that wouldn't be fair to the dog either, especially during the off season. And, again, the added expense.

I'm trying hard to justify this, but it doesn't seem to be working.

Heavy sigh. Sad

That would be a no, on that solution. No socialization to your home, for the dog, as well as he xpence, not fair to you or the pup.

You already have a 2 dog box, another run won't take up that much space, cost is something you will have to decide, your brit is 10 years old... Valid concern voiced with regard to socialization, but I presently run a "free dog" that I rescued at 2 years of age, from a troubled city home, he's 5 now, has twice the nose of my blue blood field trial britt, albeit he doesn't cover as much territory.

That being said be I'd sure like to run a dog before I committed. Field trial stock can mean many things, there are few true all age dogs out there but there are a great many who simply run too big for the average foot hunter.

Good luck either way.

Two dogs is better than One. You can handle it. If you already take care of one the second is a peice of cake.

I've got two medium dogs and a small yard. One weim, she's 9.5, and one GSP, he's 5. They are high energy dogs. Wife and I have to make time for walks and play time to keep the pups tired out, but it's doable. Now if I could only get them to hunt...

I say if the dog strikes you, go for it, you can make it work.

Member Joined: 29 Jul 2007 Posts: 17

I would not be concerned about confining a setter. I have two now, one is 3 1/2 the other is going to be 10. They each have there own kennel, side by side, that is 12' X 6' with the dogs houses on the outside and concrete floors. The dogs are in the kennels all day long while we are at work; I let them run around the yard in the morning and at night before I bring them in. At night they are confined to a small area in the basement. I run them on the weekends at a farm when I can.
Keeping them confined in this matter does not seem to change them from being big runners when they are taken to the field. I do not consider my dogs to be big runners at 50 yards but some people do.

I would be more concerned with what this dog has been exposed to in his first year or so. He may have habits that are hard to break. If he has been kept in the house at night and now you are going to change that you may end up with alot of barking.

Most hunters with dogs reaching ten years or so arrive at this problem, the second dog usually works itself into your family and things eventually work out. Good luck.

Member Joined: 15 Jul 2007 Posts: 230 Location: SW Idaho

I find that two dogs is much more work than 1 dog, especially when you need to train both. Care and feeding is more work (not double, but more).

With that said, I always try to keep two dogs 6 to 7 years apart in age. By the time the old dog is 10 and not as able to hunt hard the young dog is coming into its own. The old dog needs very little training at 6 and can help impart good habits (as well as bad if so allowed) to the young dog. They are very "monkey see, monkey do" pack animals.

Both of mine are GSP's, high energy, but I have a very large yard and it helps.

Just be sure to show due deference to the "seniority" of the older established dog. First pet, first in and out of the door, first treat and the like. It helps establish the pecking order and helps prevent fights.

Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 30

you might want to check out Large Munsterlanders or perhaps even the small munsterlanders..

I have owned Large for almost 15 years, love em', previously owned goldens, labs, curly coated, retrievers,,,

the LM's, I've owned are better retrievers, and in fact usually excel at finding wounded game, (usually have high prey drive)

generally have calm, cooperative temperments, bond strongly with owners,

females would generally fit your size requirement.

wish you all the best in finding what will suite you best.

cheers

UDF - I have a pair of 3 1/2 yr old pointers who live in the backyard during the day, and in the house at night and on bad weather days. They have adjusted well to domestication and really don't need a large yard. Some of my buddies have young English setters and they live in the house and sleep in the motels when we hunt. They can adjust well if they aren't psychos. Do a trial run for a month, if possible, and see what happens.

Thanks all, you've given me a lot to think about, and a lot of great suggestions.

I'll let you know what I decide. Very Happy

Guest

No issue with two dogs hunting in front of you. However, I always skeptical of "free to good home" dogs. I used to shoot with a guy who got one of his first dogs from an ad in the paper. It just happens that dog was a real gem and he hunted behind her for several years before she died. Since he got one diamond, he thought all dogs in that category would be the same... wrong!! After five or six dogs, he finally came to the conclusion that these dogs had either owner problems or their own problems. He certainly did not have the ability of the "dog whisperer" where he could fix up these screwed up dogs. He finally got a pup from a good breeding and let a professional trainer do their work. All I'm saying is there maybe a possibility that this setter could work out but what would you do if it wasn't a hunter?? Life is too short to shoot a gun that doesn't shoot straight and try to hunt behind a dog that don't hunt. Most guys don't know a thing about dogs and I don't want to get their mistakes. I rather get a pup and work with it on my own, so if whatever problems that may arise are my responsibility and not someone elses...

Good luck...