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 Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
    
Location: Minnesota | My husband and I are looking to add another dog to our family. We currently have an almost 3 year old female chocolate lab. My husband uses her for hunting and he wants another hunting dog but I don't want another lab. I want a blue heeler and have for sometime but Ross keeps asking me if he could use a heeler for hunting and I honestly don't know. I know heelers are herding dogs but can they be/are they used for hunting too?
Edited by Ctrygirl14 2014-03-09 9:48 AM
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | That would not be my first choice
What type of hunting? Birds? They would not make a good bird dog IMHO.... |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | barrelracr131 - 2014-03-03 1:12 PM
That would not be my first choice
What type of hunting? Birds? They would not make a good bird dog IMHO....
Yes, bird hunting. He already has our lab as a hunting dog so I'm not sure why he wants two. I'm wanting a heeler for around the farm with me. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | Ctrygirl14 - 2014-03-03 1:16 PM
barrelracr131 - 2014-03-03 1:12 PM
That would not be my first choice
What type of hunting? Birds? They would not make a good bird dog IMHO....
Yes, bird hunting. He already has our lab as a hunting dog so I'm not sure why he wants two. I'm wanting a heeler for around the farm with me.
They are good farm dogs. From what I have seen, they can be one person dogs
I've never had one myself. I would think that would not be a great retrieving dog and might tear up the bird a lot. I don't know if you could find one with a soft enough mouth to retrieve birds.
I could be wrong though LOL. We have a part golden part mutt that is a retrieving machine... his mother (the golden) was an awesome hunt trial, agility, etc dog. |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | barrelracr131 - 2014-03-03 1:20 PM
Ctrygirl14 - 2014-03-03 1:16 PM
barrelracr131 - 2014-03-03 1:12 PM
That would not be my first choice
What type of hunting? Birds? They would not make a good bird dog IMHO....
Yes, bird hunting. He already has our lab as a hunting dog so I'm not sure why he wants two. I'm wanting a heeler for around the farm with me.
They are good farm dogs. From what I have seen, they can be one person dogs
I've never had one myself. I would think that would not be a great retrieving dog and might tear up the bird a lot. I don't know if you could find one with a soft enough mouth to retrieve birds.
I could be wrong though LOL. We have a part golden part mutt that is a retrieving machine... his mother (the golden ) was an awesome hunt trial, agility, etc dog.
That's what I was thinking but Ross kept asking if they are hunting dogs as well and I wasn't sure. I want the dog more for me and around the farm. He is always gone with our lab hunting and that leaves me here with our cat. The cat could care less about me lol. |
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 Thick and Wavy
Posts: 6102
Location: Nebraska | Both of mine have terrible noses. If my red doesn't see exactly where it lands, chances are she'll never find it. Mine are pretty gentle with things but both of them are terrified of guns lol. They'd make REALLY poor bird dogs. |
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 Expert
Posts: 3782
Location: Gainesville, TX | No, not really a good hunting dog. I would think a Golden Retriever or English Pointer, maybe. Though you'll get different ends of the bird hunting with those. |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | oija - 2014-03-03 1:27 PM
No, not really a good hunting dog. I would think a Golden Retriever or English Pointer, maybe. Though you'll get different ends of the bird hunting with those.
My husband's first choice is an English Pointer. I know those are both good bird dogs but he already has our lab who loves to go hunting. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that a heeler could be good for hunting and good around the farm with me. |
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Hungarian Midget Woman
Location: Midwest | If you are looking for a companion.... my corgi is the best companion dog.
He's super lazy and loves to cuddle. LOL |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 920
| maybe part heeler with something but i wouldn't think a pure heeler would bring you back what you wanted. It would be a challenge. |
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  More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | I have a heeler and no I don't think she could ever make a bird dog. She's terrified of guns for starters. Loves to herd and is very protective of our family especially mommy. If you want a companion, I couldn't ask for a better one than my Zoey. If a gun fires though she runs to the house like a scalded cat. |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | Are your heelers good with others dogs? Other farm animals? |
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Thick and Wavy
Posts: 6102
Location: Nebraska | If you train them right, they are. Mine don't bother the horses more than just barking at them. They do LOVE to chase the cats and will run off any other dog that comes onto the property unless they're with a person. |
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More bootie than waist!
Posts: 18425
Location: Riding Crackhead. | Ctrygirl14 - 2014-03-03 1:41 PM Are your heelers good with others dogs? Other farm animals?
Zoey is good with all our animals. Have taken her with me to friends that have sheep and goats and she's cool with them. She was brought up with cats so she won't hurt them but she does like to give chase every once in a while just because she can. We also have 2 Catahoula dogs one male and one female. The female houla and my heeler hate each other with the majority of the fights starting with the Houla but my heeler won't back down even though the other dog is bigger and wins the fights. We'll have to either get rid of the Houla or put her down because I won't get rid of my dog. My dog gets along excellent with any other dog though. |
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 I Chore in Chucks
Posts: 2882
Location: MD | Ctrygirl14 - 2014-03-03 1:31 PM
oija - 2014-03-03 1:27 PM
No, not really a good hunting dog. I would think a Golden Retriever or English Pointer, maybe. Though you'll get different ends of the bird hunting with those.
My husband's first choice is an English Pointer. I know those are both good bird dogs but he already has our lab who loves to go hunting. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that a heeler could be good for hunting and good around the farm with me.
Tell him yea sure a heeler can be a hunting dog, then if(and most likely when) he "turns out" to be a bad hunting dog... it's not like he would take the dog back(hopefully)!
Just kidding. Just tell him YOU want a dog for YOU and when he is off hunting! Heelers are very protective by nature and I think if their energy is channeled well they can be awesome companions! |
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 The Purple Princess
Posts: 2226
Location: Charlestown, IN | I LOVE my heeler.. She is the smartest dog ever and the best companion/protector. Do I think she'd be a good hunting dog, no.. She loves to track cows but I think would tear a bird apart. |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | I'm mainly just wanting a companion, a dog that will go everywhere with me. Our lab loves my husband. They are bonded over the hunting thing and I go hunting too but she loves my husband. She follows him everywhere and will whine and cry when he goes outside without her. I want a dog that will keep me company and it sounds like a heeler would be good for that. Ross doesn't NEED two hunting dogs.
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 Heeler Hoarder
Posts: 2067
| absolutely not ! lol My family has 3 heelers, love them..... BUT they are not for everyone it will require training to get them to be good around your horses as there natural instinct is to "heel" something. Aggressive around other animals really just depends on the dog. Some will want to fight and some wont but they are very protective, one person dogs, that are hard headed. RESEARCH the breed before getting one and know what you are getting into ! Good luck |
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 Cute Little Imp
Posts: 2747
Location: N Texas | Crowned Image - 2014-03-03 1:46 PM Ctrygirl14 - 2014-03-03 1:31 PM oija - 2014-03-03 1:27 PM No, not really a good hunting dog. I would think a Golden Retriever or English Pointer, maybe. Though you'll get different ends of the bird hunting with those. My husband's first choice is an English Pointer. I know those are both good bird dogs but he already has our lab who loves to go hunting. I guess it was wishful thinking on my part that a heeler could be good for hunting and good around the farm with me. Just kidding. Just tell him YOU want a dog for YOU and when he is off hunting! Heelers are very protective by nature and I think if their energy is channeled well they can be awesome companions!
Ha, I like that suggestion! That way you get what you want when the dog happens to flunk at hunting  |
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 Expert
Posts: 1304
| I have a Blue Heeler. He herds our cattle, which came very natural to him of course, but I honestly think you could use them to hunt. They're technically not hunting dogs but mine kills coons and so does his daddy! I guess it depends on what you want to hunt! My boyfriend is big into Plott Hounds and coon hunts all the time, and I think he's been impressed with our baby's hunting skills. Lol. Unfortunately he likes to eat chickens and has brought home many dead animals before, but I think you could definitely hunt one! |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 1094
Location: Idahome | I have a heeler and she was not born with the herding gene. The most worthless cattle dog ever, but I love her to pieces. She is great with our family and my doxie. Never bothers the horses and love to go on rides with us. She just gets worked up into a frenzie around cattle and has since she was a pup. We tried everything, but came to the conclusion she just wasn't a herd dog. She is the best mouser I have ever seen though.
ETA: She is scared of guns as well and I don't think heelers would make good hunting dogs. She is protective of the family as well. If hubby is ever out of town she lays on the end of the bed awake all night and watches the door. My doxie, on the other hand, is burrowed under the covers sawing logs.
Edited by KylaKris 2014-03-03 2:54 PM
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Expert
Posts: 1304
| I also wanted to add about my Blue Heeler's disposition! I've heard people say they're mean and aggressive but for the most part mine is the BIGGEST baby ever! Probably because I used to rock him to sleep. Lol. He's our best buddy. He only gets aggressive if there's another male dog that comes on to our property or if there's someone or something that comes on to our property that's up to no good! He loves going on car and four wheeler rides, loves to swim, loves to sit on your lap, and the list goes on! He's 3 years old this March :) He's the best dog we've ever had and listens very well too! The only bad thing I can say, like I said before, is he likes to eat chickens but we're not around anyone that has chickens right now so that's not a problem. Lol
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 393
| Ours are terrified of guns and the only things they hunt are cats and mice!! I don't think they would make very good hunters!!
Although ours have good noses! He can find a rock in the middle of a bale stack no problem! |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | Thank you everyone for all the infomation. I've been reading about blue heelers as well as a couple other breeds that were suggested to me via PM. I'm not looking to rush into a pup and want to make sure I make a good decision. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 521
Location: Lone Star State | My blue heeler in my avatar is my baby. She is a retrieving machine! Great frisbee dog as well as anything else you want to throw. Excellent mannered, obedient dog. I just love her and is always by my side. My little kids love to play "hide n go seek" with me because my heeler always gives my spot away. Lol. I will never be without a heeler but you have to train them early.
Although mine has the obedience and retrieving skills, mine would not do well at hunting. Scared of gunshots and can not follow a scent trail of an animal. Pretty much what everyone else said. |
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 Undercover Amish Mafia Member
Posts: 9992
Location: Kansas | I'd personally go with a pointer, or a brittany (sp?). Absolutely beautiful dogs, and smarter than a whip! My ex boyfriend had a shorthair pointer that he had since he was a pup that he used for hunting....I think the dog was smarter than my ex |
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 Road Rash Expert
Posts: 5501
Location: Near San Antonio, TX | I have a lab that we hunt with also. For bird hunting, I just dont think there is a better breed than a lab. I also had a blue heeler, and have a red heeler. In my oponion they are great dogs. By-your-side, got-your-back kinda dogs. Not good for "retrieving" but good at tracking and killing rabbits, racoons, etc. I don't think they would have a soft enough mouth for it, the bird would come back tore to pieces!
I have read several other responses that their heelers were gun shy. Mine was the opposite. If she so much as saw the gun come out out, it is "game on!!" time, and she was all kinds of excited! And she did have a nose. She (Smokey, my blue heeler who passed on in November) she once tracked an injured deer (hunter shot and it ran) over a mile and a half to an adjacent ranch. I sure do miss that girl. There will never be another as bad ass as she was.
Great dogs. Great compantion and ranch dogs. Great work ethic. I don't feel they will have a soft enough mouth. |
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 The Famous Hot Wing Chicken Girl
Posts: 2964
| We have a heeler/lab mix puppy who is by far the sweetest thing ever. He has a great attitude and he is not overly hyper. He likes to go with you and do things, but listens when he needs to relax. He is a woman's dog, most definitely. We had a full blooded heeler years ago who was the exact same way. |
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 The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | A heeler COULD work as a hunting dog if you are REALLY lucky!! I had a heeler/Aussie Mix that helped me when I was raising game birds. He would find them when they would escape, and deliver them ALIVE too my hand. (If they were small.) Adult pheasants were too big for him to pick up (gee only weighed 35 lbs so was fairly small.) he would pin them to the ground until I got there and could pick them up. He NEVER so much as injured a bird, not even the babies. This was also a dog that was a varmit killing MACHINE. He would also gladly bite a cow, but he knew his jobs and did them well. That said, a Heeler wouldn't be my first choice if I were wanting a bird dog. |
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The Color Specialist
Posts: 7530
Location: Washington. (The DRY side.) | A far as not having good noses, MANY "typical pet dogs" don't use their noses much as they get used to relying on their eyes WAY too much!! If you start with a puppy, and work with it and reinforce using it's nose, that wouldn't be an issue. |
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Industrial Srength Barrel Racer
Posts: 7268
| Wow - I thought my heeler was the only one terrified of guns! If you shoot at my place, (which we do), she will RUN to the house and go in through the CAT door! LOL |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 836
Location: Southern Pennsylvania | No, I would not recommend a heeler as a bird dog. If you decide on this breed make sure that you have A LOT of time. They need someone to channel their energy. We own three and our oldest heeler is the perfect dog. After her we got two puppies. Honestly we didn't put enough time into them. One isn't too bad. The other one chases everything (cars, horses, chickens, birds, etc.). I've been trying to undo the damage by spending more time with her, but it is going to be a long hard road. Good Luck with whatever you choose.  |
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The Advice Guru
Posts: 6419
| One negative with healers is they are a one person/family dog, some will bite, or nip at visitors |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | Thank you all for the continued input. I told my husband that a heeler would most likely not be the ideal bird dog. He seems surprisingly okay with it! Its encouraging to see that some people's heelers were somewhat okay with birds. My husband puts a lot of time into working with our lab and she is a great bird dog. I'm thinking if we got a heeler that of he put the same time and energy into them as our lab that maybe it would be doable. Now, I'm mainly wanting a companion dog for me since my husband and I work differentwork schedules and by the sounds of it a heelers is one of the best companion dogs. |
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Member
Posts: 41
| i dont own a heeler myself but our neighbors owned a purebred blue heeler although he was not mine me and him were freinds and his name was jumper partly because he liked jumping on people to greet them but mostly it was always because he used to jump over the fence in his backyard i can remember me going down the road as im riding or riding out on the land he'd always invite himself and id always let him come along somtimes i thought him more of my dog then theirs and that i was lucky to have him, onetime i was outside in my corral brushing down my horse after a long day of trailriding i was tired and ready to relax after getting the horses situated as im brushing down my gelding i hear strange dogs barking then after a few seconds i seen the dogs coming straight after me i meen huge dogs teeth baring like they had rabies which made me think they did so im hoping if i stand my ground they would hopefully go away cause i did not want to leave my horse tied to a gate not able to defend himself then off a distance i see a blur running across the feild and then i see the other dogs tear after the blur i was terrified of what was about to happen as the dogs get closer i seen it was jumper, the dogs right away start fighting i tried everything i could to save his life throwing stones at the other dogs finally the dogs stopped and jumper was on the ground i chased the dogs away with my whip and immedeitaley picked him up and took him to my house my mother put him in the truck i stayed with him the entire ride holding on to him soaked in tears he had lost alot of blood and he died on the way their we had told the neighbors and they took his body from us and after all that had happend i never really gotten close or tryed to get close to another dog again but when my mom bought a austrailian shepard i named him turkey because i had gotten him before thanskgiving as a pup, he has been the light of my life eversince we do just about everything together he comes trailriding with me and comes to playdays with me and hops in the truck every time i go somewhere with my mom i honestly think he was sent to me from god and he's the best dog i ever owned. |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | I've been doing research since I posted this thread and I have decided to get a heeler. My husband is not going to use her for hunting and the pup will be my companion at the barn and basically everywhere I go. I've looked into every breeder and rescue in a five state radious and I have found the perfect breeder in Missouri. I will be getting a pup in September. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 521
Location: Lone Star State | How exciting! They are so smart and just start training it early as a puppy. I promise, mine knows me so well by now and seems like she is one step ahead at times. Always tries to please me. She loves my bed of my truck and I can take her in public and control her without a leash on, she's that attentive to my voice. She meets people with a frisbee in her mouth but I did a lot of socializing her when she was a puppy...but if a strange dog ever gets close to my family, she will attack. I get so many compliments on her and requests for puppies, but she's spayed. My best dog.
I was trail riding a spooky gelding one time in a new area we had never been. Had a Rottweiler come out and aggressively charge my horse. Horse bolted around and kept spinning as I had a tight rein on him...couldn't see anything. Finally got him to a stop to see my heeler had that dog twice her size penned up to the fence. Just love her. And mine learned quickly to not kill chickens.
I've had another heeler but I rescued her from an 8x8' cage and these dogs need lots of room and activity. She was a year old when I got her, so extremely hyper and hard headed at this point due to her upbringing. Probably the worst dog I've ever had. Lol. Hence why I said train early:) |
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Underestimated Underdog
Posts: 3971
Location: Minnesota | River - 2014-03-09 11:44 AM
How exciting! They are so smart and just start training it early as a puppy. I promise, mine knows me so well by now and seems like she is one step ahead at times. Always tries to please me. She loves my bed of my truck and I can take her in public and control her without a leash on, she's that attentive to my voice. She meets people with a frisbee in her mouth but I did a lot of socializing her when she was a puppy...but if a strange dog ever gets close to my family, she will attack. I get so many compliments on her and requests for puppies, but she's spayed. My best dog.
I was trail riding a spooky gelding one time in a new area we had never been. Had a Rottweiler come out and aggressively charge my horse. Horse bolted around and kept spinning as I had a tight rein on him...couldn't see anything. Finally got him to a stop to see my heeler had that dog twice her size penned up to the fence. Just love her. And mine learned quickly to not kill chickens.
I've had another heeler but I rescued her from an 8x8' cage and these dogs need lots of room and activity. She was a year old when I got her, so extremely hyper and hard headed at this point due to her upbringing. Probably the worst dog I've ever had. Lol. Hence why I said train early:)
I'm very excited and I've talked with the breeder for a few hours this morning and she very helpful and has answered all my questions. She is helping me pick the pup and has asked me lots of questions in what I want and what I am using the dog for. The breeder lives on a large ranch where the dogs are used and are also socialized with other animals and they are all family dogs. I know I will find the perfect pup. :) |
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 Angel in a Sorrel Coat
Posts: 16030
Location: In a happy place | I am so sick at the moment I know I shouldn't post so please excuse spellings and stuff. I am hoping someone can remember the post I am talking about. I had one wonderful heeler and that was all. But someone posted a few years back and I still laugh about it. Something about a Saturday afternoon she came in the house to take a shower to get cleaned up so she could go to town. Didn't realize her heeler was lying on her bed shile she was in the bathroom and some man broke in her house and started in the bedroom where her heeler came airborn off the bed and got the man in the arm. Scared him so bad he went out the front door instead of the one he came through where he was met with three of her outside dogs. She called the Sheriff's department and they caught him, thank goodness, But I still laugh about how her heeler took such good care of her. |
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 I Prefer to Live in Fantasy Land
Posts: 64864
Location: In the Hills of Texas | Ours is a squirrel hunting machine. She trees them and once they are shot she picks them up and brings them back to my husband. She tends to leave a few teeth marks so I wouldn't want her to retrieve a bird.. |
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 I Am Always Right
Posts: 4264
Location: stray dump capital of the world | I have a full heeler and a mixed heeler that showed up here together a year and 1/2 ago. They only heel my husband and me. Lol They are terrified of the horses and my goats chase the heelers. My yorkie and chihuahua chase the goats. It's all pretty comical. The full heeler has 12 buckshots throughout her abdomen that showed p on X-ray. We removed 2 bullets from her hip. Both are extremely terrified of gun shots, but both are very loving dogs. I'm very happy they showed up here. |
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