RARE DOG! Anybody own or breed a Picardy spaniel?

[Muffin14143]

Just another thought. I would LOVE a Picardy spaniel, but seeing how few there are, and how hard they are to obtain. I was also considering giving an old hunting dog a "retirement home". There are a lot of old gundogs in need of a warm bed by the fire and a loving family. I am just wondering, do former hunting dogs mellow down a bit after about age eight? I don't want a crazy 2 year old that needs intense hours of running and hunting. I just want a lovable, sweet dog who will enjoy walks in the woods and fetch in the yard. I was thinking English setter, but anything in the sporting group will do. I really liked Picardies because, despite their looks, they are a pretty relaxed breed that doesn't have the energy of most gundogs.

 

[dutchhollow]

Most well bred gun dog breeds are fine in the house. I typically have three gs's laying on the couch. The best sporting dogs know when to use it and when not to. If they are bouncing off the walls all day, not going to have a lot left to give while hunting.
There are many rescues out there for all of the breeds, I know a lot of active gs rescue. I would think a google search can get you to one in your area. A friend had to rehome to 5 year old es's last year, they belonged to her uncle that had passed away.

 

[wyoDreamer]

You really do need a hobby with energy usage for a hunting breed that doesn't hunt, especially for gun dogs. Their breeding is such that they have the energy to run the fields all day during a hunt. As my DH says - he runs a mile so I don't have to!
We have a pack we used for our Irish Setter, it was the only way to wear him out. We put bottles of water in the pack to give it some weight and then would give him drinks out of the bottles when we stopped for a break. He could walk forever and not get tired, he really need to run adn stretch his long legs. I always wanted to get a harness set-up for the bike to take him out for a good run, but I never did find.


I pulled this image off the Doctors Foster and Smith website.

 

[Muffin14143]

Thanks for the input! So, I know a young gundog might have a lot of energy, but what about say, an eight to twelve year old dog? I love these beautiful dogs and their personalities, but I can't commit to all that energy just yet.

 

[dainerra]

I have a walky dog and I LOVE it!

 

[KrisH]

Good news! After months of scanning the web, l finally found some puppies. Bad news is they are nearly a thousand dollars each and are in France (which will add on quite a bit of money). It really isn't that much though, considering how rare they are. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I am really going to try to get a puppy. Thank you for helping. I would love to help this breed increase in popularity in the U.S.

alot of times it is cheaper for you to fly to the country and bring the puppy back as carry on. so take a crate with you that will fit under the seat. you need to get the pup before it is to big to fly in cabin.

 

[Muffin14143]

Good idea. A puppy would be small enough to bring carry-on. I don't like the idea of a puppy being under a plane for 8+ hours.

 

[Muffin14143]

I have a walky dog and I LOVE it!

Is it only for large breeds? Picardies aren't very big.

 

[dainerra]

I've seen picture of them used on smaller dogs. You would just need an extender to make the "leash" part longer. I'm sure they make them.

As I said, there is also always the treadmill. This is what I saw when I woke up from my nap on Sunday:

Then of course, he double-checked that it still wasn't moving:

Then he started barking to try to get someone to turn it on.

 

[Muffin14143]

I've seen picture of them used on smaller dogs. You would just need an extender to make the "leash" part longer. I'm sure they make them.

As I said, there is also always the treadmill. This is what I saw when I woke up from my nap on Sunday:



Then of course, he double-checked that it still wasn't moving:


Then he started barking to try to get someone to turn it on.

That's the cutest thing I have seen all day!