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Written by Admin
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Thursday, 24 November 2005 |
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Page 5 of 5
Many people compete with their dogs in a variety of dog sports, including
agility, flyball, and many others. This often strengthens the bond between human
and dog, since they must trust one another in a variety of environments and must
learn how the other works and thinks.
Setters in particular have a long history as upland gun dogs. They have a native
ability to discover and "hold" upland game birds; to freeze them momentarily on
the ground with their silent, elongated pointing stance. Once the hunter
approaches, at his command they will flush the birds to fly and for the hunter
to shoot at.
As water dogs, the retrievers are unsurpassed. They can spend long hours in a
duck blind and, after the hunter has fired at multiple ducks or geese, they can
visually spot and remember the location of downed birds. At command, they dive
into the icy water, swim out and retrieve the birds one by one. They can follow
hand, verbal, and whistle commands at great distance as the hunter directs them
to the downed bird. They typically have large, gentle muzzles to mitigate any
potential damage to the game.
When trained, beagles are particularly adept at chasing through thick briars and
brush to chase rabbits. Many hound breeds are excellent at treeing raccoons
during hunting season.
Hunters with dogs report the satisfaction that the dogs seem to exhibit.
Excitement is evident as they see the hunters load weapons, take to the field,
and begin the hunt.
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