Grouse Dogs By Richard Weaver

Chapter 6 The Making of a Grouse Dog

Of such is the great grouse dog, a rare individu
al, that can be properly placed without hesita
tion on the pinnacle of bird dog development. William Harnden Foster said it best in New England Grouse Shooting many years ago. Few who have been there and have hunted these birds day after day, season after season, throughout the course of a lifetime would disagree. Great grouse dogs are special individuals from unique bloodlines, dogs who are given the opportunity over and over again to point and retrieve grouse for their two-legged companions.

To this grouse hunter, they are also gentle, loving companions who are as at home on the couch as they are in the grouse woods. The companion grouse dog is a compromise of intensity in the woods; the intelligence to know how to use it; and the common sense to know when to turn it on and off. There are old bloodlines, bred and hunted by men who were there and who did it-men like William Harnden Foster, George Ryman, Burton Spiller, and George Bird Evans, to name a few. These men were grouse hunters who bred grouse dogs, and they knew what a real grouse dog should be. They may have differed on some of the particulars, but they all wanted dogs that hunted to the gun and retrieved to the gunner. Unfortunately, many of the characteristics valued in those dogs are being lost in modern bloodlines, both through careless breeding and on purpose. While I have trained a thousand-plus dogs of all types and breeds, I am an English-setter man at heart. As a result, some of my observations will be breed specific, but most are just about grouse dogs.

As a grouse hunter, dog trainer, and sometime breeder, I strive for the dog that has enough intensity to get out there and do the required work, yet enough biddability to do it for me, not just itself. Before proceeding, allow me to pass on that I define intensity the way the old-timers did, not the way it is often perceived today. Intensity means my dog is all hunt, every second it is down in grouse cover, hunting at whatever range and pace its genetics and training allow. That leaves range and speed as a matter of personal choice to be dictated by the cover, the quarry, the age and condition of the hunter, and other personal preferences.

A faster dog is not a better dog and vice versa. A grouse dog hunting in the thickest cover at forty yards may have as much intensity as a ground-eating plains quail dog working at a quarter of a mile. They are different creatures with different circumstances to handle and different genetics with which to do it. Yes, there are plodders that do not put enough distance between themselves and the hunter to encounter and point undisturbed grouse. Then, too, there are wild-eyed racehorses who are worthless when their whereabouts are always in question, dogs that cannot be reached in time to get a shot when they do point. When it comes down to it, range and speed are matters of personal preference, and far too often they are the focus of discussions on what a grouse dog should be.

What I prefer may not be what you prefer, and that is as it should be. There are already too many arbitrary standards in too many competitions set by people who often do little, if any, grouse hunting. Certain characteristics are declared superior, and those who dare to take another path are shouted down.

What follows is one grouse hunter’s idea of what a grouse dog should be.

First, I prefer a dog that predominately air-scents. An air-scenting dog that quarters efficiently will locate more birds, more quickly, and at a greater distance than a ground tracker. As a result, such a dog will also be less likely to bust jumpy grouse. This narrows my choice to setters and pointers, with setters being my personal preference.

Second, I prefer a dog that is pensive and very much “within itself.” From Rose’s first season, she has been all business. When I put her down, she relieves herself, then eyes me with that “let’s -go-to work” look. There is no racing around like a fanatic whose drive is overriding its brain. My hunting partners have expressed opinions such as, “That dog doesn’t take a step without thinking” and “She hunts like a cat.”

Third, I like a dog that has a steady, graceful pace that will carry it all day in grouse woods, do so again tomorrow, and so on. To a great extent this is an extension of item number two about dogs with a thoughtful approach to hunting, yet grace of movement and a ground-covering stride. In the ridge-and-valley region of our Appalachians, a dog that is too reckless will not physically survive the rigors of rocks, deadfalls, inclines, greenbriers, red briers, and so on. Rose floats through grouse woods, her feet almost not touching the ground, and the grouse are unaware of her presence until the moment of the point.

Fourth, a grouse dog should lock on point at the first hint of a scent particle in the air. There should be no moving on to confirm scent, no excited racing around to locate the source, no concern for position or style. The dog should hold the posture it is caught in at the moment scent is detected, and there should be no doubt. From that moment forward, the only movement might be a head swivel or eye glance to tell me, “Boss, if you cross the stream and go around that tree you will be in perfect position, the bird is right there.” Gun-dog style is truly in the eyes of the beholder, and my eye prefers the old standard of a straight line from the tip of the tail to the tip of the nose. It always evokes thoughts of generations past and of the great grouse dogs and hunters that went before us.

Fifth, I like a handsome, physically substantial dog, with females weighing from forty-five to sixty pounds and males from fifty-five to seventy pounds. I like dual-type setters, because in addition to hunting ability, I appreciate aesthetics. If I can have both, why settle for less?

Sixth, good grouse dogs know how to handle difficult, running birds. They should point, catwalk, point, and so on in a straight line, head up, keeping the exact same amount of scent in their nostrils. More scent will result in a bumped bird and less scent in an escaped bird. This is another place where a pensive temperament will serve the dog well. Burton Spiller wrote of an invisible string attached from the bird to the dog’s nose, pulling it along at exactly the same distance.

Seven, a grouse dog must have the instinct to retrieve and the disposition to “hunt dead” indefinitely. With these instincts, a competent handler will be able to develop the dog into a determined finder of downed birds. A pup that will pick up and carry objects will retrieve. Teaching a dog to complete retrieves and hunt dead is the job of the handler. The instincts to do so have been lost in many modern, competitive bloodlines. A real grouse dog does what it can to ensure that crippled birds are not lost.

These seven traits do not fully define what I look for in a grouse dog, but they are among the most important. My ideal candidate excels in three general areas: hunting ability, conformation, and temperament. In picking a young pup from a litter at seven weeks or so, I must depend upon the breeding for hunting ability. Conformation can be scrutinized well enough to rule out undesirables and narrow the choice. From the remaining few pups, the deciding factor will be temperament. The pensive temperament that I am looking for can be seen in the pup’s daily interaction with its littermates. When a scuffle is underway, the pup I want is the one that will sit and observe-not afraid-and when it sees some vulnerability will enter the fray to gain advantage-calm, thoughtful, controlled.

How do you find a good grouse-dog? First and foremost, seek people who are breeding real grouse-dog pups out of real grouse dogs, ones that actually hunt and produce birds for the gun. Ask for a demonstration of the sire and/or dam, and an explanation of their owner’s breeding philosophy. Keep looking until you find a situation where the humans involved inspire confidence and trust, and the dogs represent what your idea of a grouse dog is. Then, wait! It is most important to pick the proper breeder and litter. If you have done so, the process of choosing an individual pup will be much more certain. You may be best served by picking to the middle of the litter in size and temperament, ruling out the smallest and largest, as well as, the most timid and most precocious. If you have found a good litter, this technique should serve you well.

Finally, raising a grouse-dog prospect is much like raising a young human athlete. Teach it the fundamentals of its sport, practice fair chase, and let the dog enjoy its time afield. If the talent is there, you and your pup will succeed. Great grouse dogs are the product of good genetics, good handling, and a lot of birds.

Since you can’t tell a book from its cover we offer you seven pages from this book to decide if you want to do buy the book!

Thanks to Countrysport Press we have offered you an excerpt from Grouse Dogs by Richard Weaver

Grouse Dogs by Richard Weaver Reprinted with permission Copyrights Countrysport Press 2005