my cat died and i told our boys that the next animal we could get a dog. i never ever hear of hunting grouse with a dog. most just shoot them from the road on a chance encounter, but i like to seek the little guys out in the creek bed or a nice choked forest. we would like a smallish 15-25lbs maybe. any ideas on a pionter???

How much you willing to spend?

I have a perfect grouse dog for you...one of my litter of Llewellin setter pups. They are just about ready to go off to good hunting homes, and the price is REAL Right!

Gramma...Ms. Scarlet loves ruffed grouse about as much as premium goodies.





...and she loves quail, too.




...and chuckar...

OOOPPPSSS....

Mine will be far too big, as you want a 15-25 pound dog, and these are easily twice that size. Sorry for the mistake.

I'll give you a heads up. You normally can't buy a Grouse dog. Unless the stars lineup and you buy one already finished at the game, and those often are not for sale.

You make a Grouse dog and it takes a special dog along with time and birds.

There is no one breed. I've seen great English Pointers, English Setters, an English Springer, German Shorthairs, along with a small-almost tiny-Black Lab that you could put down in a Grouse woods that would hold his own for finding against the best, and would beat all but the mentioned Springer when it came to retrieving. That Springer if he kept going after the flush and shot, you might as well sit down and wait for him to comeback with a bird you didn't realize you hit. He was scary good, but he was born at the right time in the right place.

There are hunting Dogs then there are Grouse Dogs. The two are worlds apart.

I had a half lab/half American Water Spaniel that weighed around 35 lbs and was a fantastic grouse, pheasant and duck dog. I got her for free in Arlington, Washington in about 1981 and was told that both parents were hunting dogs. Boy howdy! With very little work (obedience and retrieving) she became a good hunting dog by her second season. I never taught her how to point, but after her third season if a bird didn't run, she would point it. After her third season she was a great hunting dog. I really wish I could have her back. She was a fantastic family pet as well. Now I live in the northeast and am thinking about looking at an American Water Spaniel again.

The mentioned Springer aka "Duffy" at around the age of 10 started to point-and hold for you to walk up-Grouse if he thought he was out of range for you to shoot. Inside 30yards he would ram them up with a mad rush that bordered on violent. He had the Bird, Dog, Gun circle figured out. Hardly ever wasted time with ground scent, and hunted with his head up much like a good pointer. I will never again own his equal.

Addition: He was good, but birds made him great. It was nothing to put up 30 plus Ruffed Grouse in a day of hunting or training. Birds have gone down in my immediate area and it takes birds to make a Grouse dog.

"Potential" should be used in looking for a bird dog.

Plain and simple, all dogs don't hunt.

Some hunt better than others.

However if you buy from a Professional Breeder you will have the greatest Potential of getting a good dog.

After that training and putting the dog on as many wild birds as possible will create a great dog.

I can't stress putting a dog on as many wild birds as possible. Dogs that are hunted every season for weeks at a time, months on end will hunt, find and point any bird in the county. Getting out a few days durning the season just won't hack it.

thanks muchly for the advice guys though im still not too sure on what to find as we like a lap dog too and it looks like most breeds are just a bit larger than we would like. i think when we finaly do find the "rite" dog, all hell is gonna break loose with the boys and ill be needing a few more shotguns

This one is a VERY good grouse dog, but doesn't cast as far as some retrievers do.
My son's GSP is a super dog as well, and will not bump a bird, he tends to cast short as well, not like the big rnanging dogs of the trialer types.
Ruffy dogs, IMO are better made from pointers and setters, especially in my country where cover tends to be tight.
Cat

I don't think you can get any better than that for a great looking ( and hunting ) dog!!
Cat

Thanks Cat.

Ms. Scarlet is a once-in-a-lifetime dog...more than a dog, a companion.

I'm 64 now and have had bird dogs in my life for 61 of those years. I don't know what I ever did without her; I don't know what I'll do without her.

http://members3.boardhost.com/coverdog/index.htm

That web site is where the Grouse and Woodcock field trialers will be found. Much info to be had.

For us it is Eng. Setters, we ran hoursback Pointers for 10 years but since 2003 we have gone with Setters. Our Grouse dog Ch.is small, 31# but she blows up nicely on birds.

As far as a lap dog you bet. She was with her trainer about 9 months out of the year for almost 4 years. 4 months in the spring and about 5 months in the fall. When she came home she didn't miss a beat. A perfect house dog after spending all that time in a kennel.

Was she the exception to the rule, don't know. But for us it's Eng. Setters from Field Trial grouse breeding. She feels at home either in the northern Wisconsin woods or on the N.E. Montana Praire.

I have a year old Brittany that shows huge promise as a great hunter. However, his behavior in the house has shown to be less than "dignified". He's a nice dog who longs to please...but he is just rough to have in the house because of his super high energy. As I look into the future, I am curious how the Llewellens are as a member of the family as well as a hunting companion. Any thoughts?

A female Brittany should fit the bill. A small 25 - 30 Lb pointing dog that should work well on Grouse. Mine does. They do have a lot of energy when young but with enough exercise they do fine in the house

My male Brittany at one year (and is fixed) still wants to chew up ANYTHING he can get hold of. That said, you are right about the exercise. On days when Rocket hunts or is run/trained...he's great. On days that he doesn't get out...Rocket would make the dog whisperer want to hang it up. My daughter's dolls quiver with fear on those days when the old boy starts pacing about the house...we have already had one Cabbage Patch Kid meet a terrible, tragic end at the hands (or teeth and paws if you will) of Rocketman. That said...when he calms down and when work lets up a bit and he/I can run more...the dolls and the other occupants of our home will breathe easier. Brits are great dogs, just wondering about the Llewellens. I have a VERY old Norweigian Elk Hound that is the Brittany's companion...I think he will always do better with another dog around, and I am thinking about the future when the old dog goes to the Happy Hunting Grounds.
Look forward to any feedback.

One key feature Llewellin wanted in his setters was a strong affinity in them with humans. They make wonderful family dogs and settle down well indoors. Outside they like to stretch their legs. My 7 y/o grandson and his big 2 y/o male, Cash, are connected at the hip. Cash and most Llewellins I've seen are not aggressive toward strangers. They are a lot like golden retrievers with a bit more spark. They get pretty serious in bird country and have pretty good noses on average.

Ms. Scarlet is a one man dog. She isn't aggressive, but she tends to get jealous easily.

Either a setter or a brittany will do a good job in the grouse woods. Britt is just a lot smaller.

Brittany does need exercise and lots of their own chew toys. The exercise needs to be daily and free running. Sometimes when they are young they need to go in a crate to calm down.

Very photos above.

I shot my first and only grouse over a Brittany.

Here is a picture of my female Maggie pointing a grouse. She is the best dog I have ever owned. The second picture is he litter mate that just won the Grand national invitational grouse championship a couple weeks ago. I agree with the comments above about grouse dogs, they are hard to find good ones.

Big Smiles

I love your photos.