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Sporting Dogs

If there is a dog who is perfectly satisfied at pleasing their owners, it would be the sporting dog breed which is also reputed to have a very good temperament. When one throws a stick into an open field and commands a sporting dog to retrieve it, the dog will do so willingly to be playful but also because they have been bred to search and have a strong desire to please their owner. Very seldom will a dog turn their nose to a ball or item cast out for retrieval. The same goes for the sporting dog’s ability to find and deliver different sorts of game in the water and out in the field. Sporting dogs are specifically bred for this sort of task and work as efficient determined hunters. Unlike the hounds who are natural ground scent hunters, the Sporting dog hunts by air scent. They are bred to point, flush and retrieve game.

Aptly named the German shorthaired pointer and the German wirehaired pointer, these sporting dogs stance is stiff in front of their prey and direct it toward the hunter. The Irish setter and Gordon setter were originally trained to crouch in front of the quarry making it easier for the hunter to capture the game in its mesh. The golden retriever searches and brings game to the hunter.
Each type of dog within the breed has distinctive attributes. Odd as it might be to imagine a dog with webbed feet, the Chesapeake Bay retriever is fortunate to have this feature to enhance its swimming skills. They are designated to hunt water fowl and are even determined and disciplined enough to break ice to retrieve its game. These sporting dogs are not the choice of animal for a couch potato and pretty confident canines, you can order a Labrador retriever, ask a golden retriever but with a Chesapeake Bay retriever, you must negotiate.

The Clumber spaniel is a great choice for a sporting dog because their plentiful white fur can be well seen in the field. But similar to an unmannerly roommate, they are known to snore, drool, shed and raid cabinets. Not exactly the perfect house mates. They are curious dogs who possess a strong urge to have something with the owners scent on it, in their mouth all the time-such as the owner’s socks.
After a long day of being out in the field or on water hunting game, you can be sure a well trained sporting dog will be like your best employee or colleague, standing by your side as a loyal hardworking companion. Fortunately for many sporting dogs, this translates wonderfully into their home life as well and you are sure to find a friend for life as long as you don’t mind losing a few socks.