# Deutsch Drahthaar as duck dog



## LSUnoe (Nov 1, 2016)

I've been seriously considering getting a Deutsch Drahthaar to use primarily as a duck dog. I'm looking to see if anyone has experiences with them and what they think.


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## Tobias (Aug 31, 2015)

Had a friend who had DD's ... she did use them for waterfowl, but when we discussed them for avid waterfowl hunting she said they would not be ideal, that their coat is too light for very cold weather type duck hunting - probably do all right in early season or warmer climate situations. They are phenomenal upland dogs and very intelligent.


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## jefish1 (Dec 11, 2012)

My Neighbor when I was in High school owned several and they were hardy enough to hunt ducks and pheasants. Hunted a few times with them. I didnt really care for their attitudes though. Some even were a little ornery or sometimes mean. It might have been the owners fault as he was a pretty stern man. Excellent pheasant dogs


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## TODD SCHMADL (Sep 14, 2016)

Maybe it's me but just don't get posts like this. If I am hunting rabbits can my labs do it?? maybe but wasn't the Beagle developed for this? If I am hunting open plains Sharp-tails in the Dakotas can my labs do it? Perhaps but wasn't the pointers developed for this and can do the job much, much better?? If am am **** hunting can my labs do it??? Maybe my male killed a **** this year in the cattails once. But the **** Hound breeds certainly would be a better choice here. But honestly the retriever breeds were developed and line bred specifically for the job of waterfowl hunting, so why look for other breeds? Just to have an odd ball, I don't get it. JMHO


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## Charles C. (Nov 5, 2004)

Some friends of mine have a well bred Drahthaar. He doesn't have much retrieving desire and is on the sensitive side. Pointing OK now, but I couldn't imagine getting one for the purpose of retrieving ducks in the water.


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## Bryan Parks (Aug 19, 2015)

TODD SCHMADL said:


> Maybe it's me but just don't get posts like this. If I am hunting rabbits can my labs do it?? maybe but wasn't the Beagle developed for this? If I am hunting open plains Sharp-tails in the Dakotas can my labs do it? Perhaps but wasn't the pointers developed for this and can do the job much, much better?? If am am **** hunting can my labs do it??? Maybe my male killed a **** this year in the cattails once. But the **** Hound breeds certainly would be a better choice here. But honestly the retriever breeds were developed and line bred specifically for the job of waterfowl hunting, so why look for other breeds? Just to have an odd ball, I don't get it. JMHO



My thoughts as well. These posts come up a lot on another hunting forum. People don't want to hear it that they need lab when they are looking for a "dove and duck dog". Why try and fit a square peg in a round hole. 

I get it if you are a big upland hunter that might go on a duck hunt or two year but for anyone looking for a dog to RETRIEVE birds I suggest getting some type of RETRIEVER because they are good at RETRIEVING things. JMO


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## labsforme (Oct 31, 2003)

If someone wanted an all purpose dog and hunted both upland and waterfowl equally then a Continental sporting breed such as a Drahthaar and GWP, GSP, Vizsla, Brittany, Griffon, etc would do well as that was what they were bred for. A well bred dog will have love for both water and land.I will say however that because I started primarily hunting waterfowl is why I went from GSP to labs. When I duck hunted my GSP they had great noses and would trail cripples across water and into tules. They had prey drive up the wazoo.


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## Peter Balzer (Mar 15, 2014)

There's a club member in OK that has a Drat with an HRCH with a pretty decent pass rate. He'll fetch your ducks all day, but I agree with the lighter coat and not being the "best" for a hardcore waterfowler.


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## O.clarki (Feb 7, 2012)

My buddy has one straight from Germany - "finished versatile dog". Good tracker and retrieves well but watch out working around other dogs. He will go after any and all sooner or later.


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## Tobias (Aug 31, 2015)

My friend's DD'S were never problematic with other dogs. Maybe less a breed thing than individual thing?


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## Hunt'EmUp (Sep 30, 2010)

I'd Drahthaar have a Lab, Chessie, Golden or any other retriever who has a coat that was built for water work in cold weather .


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## barbless (Aug 9, 2015)

The DD's I have experience with have a variation in coat quality from heavy to medium. Their desire to retrieve in water is in direct relationship with their coat quality. The one female I know with a heavy coat is great in cold water and retrieves hundreds of mallards.


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## crackerd (Feb 21, 2003)

Hunt'EmUp said:


> I'd Drahthaar have a Lab, Chessie, Golden or any other retriever who has a coat that was built for water work in cold weather .


Ha, but your "druthers" would be _rather _unfounded matched up against a well-bred Draht - or any of the wirehaired breeds that have a tight coat. Like this one, 











And for those with the temerity (or naivete;-)) to ask why not have a Lab "or any other retriever" instead of such a dog, be advised that these breeds are known as Hunter-Pointer-Retrievers (HPRs) in the British Empire and "versatile" breeds elsewhere. Nothing else need be said on their behalf, since in many cases their work afield and on the water speaks for itself.

MG


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## Bryan Parks (Aug 19, 2015)

I ask why not just get a lab because the OP said he wanted a dog for primarily duck hunting. If he said he wanted a versatile dog to hunt ducks and upland game then I'd say go for it. I just dont get why you wouldn't get a retriever if you want a dog to retrieve


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

labsforme said:


> If someone wanted an all purpose dog and hunted both upland and waterfowl equally then a Continental sporting breed such as a Drahthaar and GWP, GSP, Vizsla, Brittany, Griffon, etc would do well as that was what they were bred for. A well bred dog will have love for both water and land.I will say however that because I started primarily hunting waterfowl is why I went from GSP to labs. When I duck hunted my GSP they had great noses and would trail cripples across water and into tules. They had prey drive up the wazoo.


This pretty much sums it up, IMO. If you want a DD as primarily a duck dog, you can give it a whirl, but be advised that you may wash a few out before you find your duck dog, so maybe a retriever is better. If you want to go out and chase a mixed bag--perhaps kick up a covey or two of quail, jump shoot a couple of ducks on the pond, be ready in case you flush a bunny along the hedgerows and perhaps have some grouse in the woods, then a continental or versatile dog is perfect. If I had to survive from hunting, I would definitely have one--the ultimate meat dog. Get a Spinone, though, not a DD. They are way more better.


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## crackerd (Feb 21, 2003)

DoubleHaul said:


> If you want to go out and chase a mixed bag--perhaps kick up a covey or two of quail, jump shoot a couple of ducks on the pond, be ready in case you flush a bunny along the hedgerows and perhaps have some grouse in the woods, then a continental or versatile dog is perfect. If I had to survive from hunting, I would definitely have one--the ultimate meat dog. *Get a Spinone, though, not a DD. They are way more better*.


Excellent, DH - especially spins at *pointing* rabbits with their left hind leg cocked in a Heisman pose to distinguish the quarry as bunny or...anything else furred that's seeking refuge from the spinone onslaught.

The ultimate *venison* dog, too - taking 'em down on the hoof whether woods or water











MG


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## AAA Gundogs (Mar 17, 2016)

Tobias said:


> Had a friend who had DD's ... she did use them for waterfowl, but when we discussed them for avid waterfowl hunting she said they would not be ideal, that their coat is too light for very cold weather type duck hunting - probably do all right in early season or warmer climate situations. They are phenomenal upland dogs and very intelligent.


I've owned Drahthaars, Kurzhaars, FT shorthairs, FT setters, FT Brittanies, FT Labs, and Chessies.

First point, I could find water that neither a lab or golden are suited for and only a Chessie could hunt it with regularity.

With that in mind, I'd say that a Drahthaar can eagerly handle 95% of the conditions in the blind.

Now in terms of technical retriever work, the lab will clearly outshine the Drahthaars but they are very capable retrievers in their own right. They're good at marking and casting. They're easy learners and, if trained in the European manner, they're exceptional meat dogs. The hunt behind duck test and other retrieving drills are very field effective in getting fowl to hand.

I think if retrieving was tackled early in the training process, which it isn't in the JGHV system, you could have an even more capable retriever.

Lastly, I've had plenty of game sharp Drahthaars because it's the way they're breed. Dispatching small game is a test. I've yet to have one that was dog or human sharp.

The problem with Drahthaars is that I've never run into a larger group of people that I don't want to spend time with, in the dog world, than the VDD.


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## swliszka (Apr 17, 2011)

AAA Gundog what kind of water could a Chessie hunt regularly that a FT lab could not?


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## AAA Gundogs (Mar 17, 2016)

In the winter, up the north coast, I've seen labs refuse to get out of the boat for the rest of the day after retrieving a single seaduck.


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## Migillicutty (Jan 11, 2014)

swliszka said:


> AAA Gundog what kind of water could a Chessie hunt regularly that a FT lab could not?


Do you really expect an honest answer?


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## BJGatley (Dec 31, 2011)

Hunt'EmUp said:


> I'd Drahthaar have a Lab, Chessie, Golden or any other retriever who has a coat that was built for water work in cold weather .


They have and much more provided we know them as what they can do with us....Know them.....


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## TODD SCHMADL (Sep 14, 2016)

AAA Gundog.....Perhaps you should look closer at the breedings of labs you choose. I hunt ND and trust me it gets as cold or colder than your north coast, my FT bred Ranger dogs have no issue breaking ice but we also get so cold here that the water actually freezes solid several feet thick, I bet this is where the Chessy beats the labs.


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## MunsterBraccoLab (Apr 20, 2014)

A Spinone is a better water fowling dog than a DD. They swim better, are more relaxed, more cold tolerant, have much better temperaments and are easier to train. They have excellent retrieving instincts and very soft mouths. They swim extremely well and are large sturdy dogs. The downside is that they swim slowly. The other nice thing is that are pretty heat tolerant, much better than a Lab or Chessie.

They are also extremely docile and social dogs. They are fine around cats and farm animals.


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## brian breuer (Jul 12, 2003)

MunsterBraccoLab said:


> A Spinone is a better water fowling dog than a DD. They swim better, are more relaxed, more cold tolerant, have much better temperaments and are easier to train. They have excellent retrieving instincts and very soft mouths. They swim extremely well and are large sturdy dogs. The downside is that they swim slowly. The other nice thing is that are pretty heat tolerant, much better than a Lab or Chessie.
> 
> They are also extremely docile and social dogs. They are fine around cats and farm animals.


I looked pretty hard at DD's. I went to a couple breed tests put on by the DD club. I'd recommend that for anyone looking at a pup. Find some dogs you like how they work and talk to the owners. People love to talk about their dogs. The duck search is quite impressive. 
http://www.vdd-gna.org/

Now, I've only seen 1 spinone in action and I'll say it was a very sweet dog. But just due to numbers it will be much easier to find a well bred DD.


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## DoubleHaul (Jul 22, 2008)

brian breuer said:


> Find some dogs you like how they work and talk to the owners. People love to talk about their dogs. .


Great advice for any breed


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## crackerd (Feb 21, 2003)

brian breuer said:


> Find some dogs you like how they work and talk to the owners. People love to talk about their dogs.





DoubleHaul said:


> Great advice for any breed


Alas, with AAA Gundogs' qualifier about VDD folks in mind, great advice for _*almost every *_breed.



MunsterBraccoLab said:


> A Spinone is a better water fowling dog than a DD. They swim better, are more relaxed, more cold tolerant, have much better temperaments and are easier to train. They have excellent retrieving instincts and very soft mouths. They swim extremely well and are large sturdy dogs. The downside is that they swim slowly. T*he other nice thing is that are pretty heat tolerant, much better than a Lab or Chessie. *


Not so sure about that, unless it's 'cause they move a little more slowly - but hey, they don't swim slowy a'tall, at least mine didn't when she was picking up three "birds" in a hunt test, or when she was frothing the water in catching up to a wounded deer 500 yards out from shore. 



MunsterBraccoLab said:


> They are also extremely docile and social dogs. *They are fine around cats and farm animals*.


Let's reconstruct: Not necessarily docile or "fine" around felines and other farm-*intruding* animals. With people, the apposite phrase is "smotheringly loving" - I've fallen for Labs only because my older bitch has succeeded in convincing me that she's my spinone reincarnated, temperament-wise and desire to get after game (or non-game) animals. 



brian breuer said:


> Now, I've only seen 1 spinone in action and I'll say it was a very sweet dog. But just due to numbers it will be much easier to find a well bred DD.


But then you've got the breed baggage - VDD - that comes with. So it's probably a wash with DDs v. spins as preference for a waterfowl dog. Really depends on your level of tolerance for your peers and an enthusiasm for training them with a sequential program albeit without a lot of pressure as a retriever. Duck search notwithstanding.

MG


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## jgsanders (Jul 9, 2015)

AAA Gundogs said:


> I've owned Drahthaars, Kurzhaars, FT shorthairs, FT setters, FT Brittanies, FT Labs, and Chessies.
> 
> First point, I could find water that neither a lab or golden are suited for and only a Chessie could hunt it with regularity.
> 
> ...


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## swliszka (Apr 17, 2011)

Breed boosters show up everywhere even on RTF. Make your choice , pay your money and live with it. Hunting under adverse conditions is as varied as the geographic locations. I have hunted northern MN and ND extensively. Breaking ice, blinds on pass shooting over big water was common (Mississippi River, Lake Winnebigosh , Leech Lake, Lake Superior, tons of big lakes..). I stopped doing "cowboy" retrieves without a boat or "shooting" when it was too cold. I realized my dogs (AWS - Labs) would "go" but the cold could cause a cramp and they could drown/die. So pride goeth before the fall, I matured.


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## b.asire (Sep 28, 2015)

Heck yeah, get you one.


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## AAA Gundogs (Mar 17, 2016)

swliszka said:


> Breed boosters show up everywhere even on RTF. Make your choice , pay your money and live with it. Hunting under adverse conditions is as varied as the geographic locations. I have hunted northern MN and ND extensively. Breaking ice, blinds on pass shooting over big water was common (Mississippi River, Lake Winnebigosh , Leech Lake, Lake Superior, tons of big lakes..). I stopped doing "cowboy" retrieves without a boat or "shooting" when it was too cold. I realized my dogs (AWS - Labs) would "go" but the cold could cause a cramp and they could drown/die. So pride goeth before the fall, I matured.


Look, I get it. I know the cold of the Detroit Lakes and the surrounding areas. However, the most consistently brutal conditions that I've hunted has been sea ducks in northern Maine up to Newfoundland. A typical January hunt on Fogo is a high of 10F, with an average of a 30 mph wind, and seawater that is at warmest 29F.


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## HUNT 24/7 (Feb 12, 2013)

Ive had good luck with my DD as a primary waterfowl dog, I also hunt some upland with him & he's trained for tracking blood as well.
Here are a few pics from 2016.


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## ZEKESMAN (Mar 22, 2008)

look up Chasse Canard Eider on youtube.



 Labs seem OK in the NE. Vic


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