Hunting/Flushing/Retrieving GSD's???

[ladylaw203]

GUN DOG SUPPLY: Hunting Dog Training Collars & Supplies for Retrievers & Bird Dogs. plenty of DVDs for training. I hunt test my goldens and labs. This is where I buy equipment:-)

[Mikelia]

I plan to train my next pup to retrieve birds, I see no reason why they can't learn it, and be better than a lab (my boyfriend has wanted a lab all his life lol). Gsds typically love to retrieve, have amazing scent capabilities, very good watching and taking direction skills, are good swimmers and can handle cold weather. What's more to want in a bird dog? Except the soft mouth, hence why you should start with a pup.
Find some good bird dog training info and tools and go for it

[Caitydid255]

GSDs definitely don't have a soft mouth. You can train them to point and track but its almost impossible to get the bird/squirrel back without it being crunched. I've worked with Freyja hoping that she would learn to retrieve birds since she carries the cats around the house without harming them, but she still has to crunch the game upon retrieval. Good luck.

[JustJim]

Out of curiosity, I tried a bit (I just wasn't going to admit it, because I didn't want folks here to think I'm crazy). I don't know if she'd ever be a better hunting dog than a good lab, but she can outrun--or jump over--most labs trying to be first to a dove.

Z will retrieve. As folks have said, very hard mouthed, but that isn't a constant--she can bring me my cell phone without damaging it, so I suppose with enough work she could learn to be softer-mouthed on birds.

I sent her through some tall grass in hopes of flushing a pheasant. She found one but basically herded it back to me. Then she got mad because I was laughing so hard . . . .

She tracks well enough she could probably follow-up on a wounded animal once she got the idea of what she was looking for.

Definitely get an orange vest for the dog, especially if you've got a sable. Folks aren't used to seeing a GSD in the field, and we wouldn't want to hear of any accidents.

[Kyleigh]

Your last post cracked me up.

Personally, I think you can train your GSD to do pretty much anything. Whether or not it will EXCEL at it is a whole new ball game.

HUNT? Why not? All dogs want to hunt / chase, etc. It's what they do with it when they actually catch it!

Flush out? Again, something that could be taught ... retrieve? In one piece ... well someone on here (I think it was hunterisgreat) posted a pick of the dog holding a raw hamburger in his mouth ... so the dog can be taught to have a soft bite LOL at least for 10 seconds!

Good luck!