The Best Duck Hunting Dogs In The World Today!

One forgotten art of hunting is the duck hunting dog. You may want to research on the topic of the best duck hunting dogs when you decide to go duck hunting. I know from personal experience from duck hunting that having a top notch duck hunting dog will make all the difference in the world.

1 - Labrador Retriever

Best Duck Hunting Dogs Labrador Retriever

You will find that the Labrador retriever is a friendly, intelligent and patient breed which are the primary characteristics for a top duck hunting dog. The breed is a line-bred hunting dog that is the most popular duck hunting dog used in the sport today. The Labrador retriever definitely fits in the category of being one of the best duck hunting dogs. The dog is built like a tank. The breed is stout, stocky and very muscular. I have found that Labradors are hearty duck fetchers who can endure for hours out in the field. They can swim through streams, navigate lakes and run like fire through brush to retrieve the possessed duck prize.

These dogs will flourish in the roughest of hunting conditions. You will find whether your hunting in snow, sleek or very cold temperatures these dogs will perform at optimum caliber the whole day of hunting. The rain will not stop these duck hunting machines either. They can run and dig and chase the hunting game for hours if they need to. These dogs will certainly bring your duck back to the fold.

2 - Golden Retriever

Best Duck Hunting Dogs Golden Retriever

The next breed of best duck hunting dogs are the Golden retrievers. No discussion can be carried on about top duck hunting dogs without discussing the Golden retriever. This breed had its beginning in 1865 when Lord Tweedmouth bred a male yellow dog to a Tweed water Spaniel which resulted in 4 yellow puppies. This began the foundation of the Golden retriever breed.

You may seriously consider investing in a Golden retriever as a duck hunting companion. This breed has a very sharp sense of smell. The dog can pick up the scent of dead ducks that other dogs will miss. I took my Golden Retriever to the field a while back for some duck hunting. She picked up birds other stylish pointers had missed. This breed has about the keenest smell for picking up dead ducks in the field or water. Golden retrievers love to swim and they will handily jump out of a boat to retrieve a duck you have shot out of the air.

3 - Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Best Duck Hunting Dogs Chesapeake Bay Retriever

You will find that Chesapeake Bay retrievers are a stubborn breed of dog. They set their minds to do something and they will zero in on that task until it’s accomplished. They are quick learners and I have found the best time to start training them for duck hunting is when they are very young. You will find their stubborn streak is a great benefit for hunting ducks in the water or marshes. You will find they are a little harder to train than other hunting breeds.

They will learn duck hunting tips quickly. Once they learn to track down the waterfowl and retrieve it they will never forget how to accomplish those tasks. They will stand at obedience when you are actually shooting a duck out of the water or sky. This is a great asset as a frozen dog will not alert the waterfowl that there are humans nearby. The less commotion the dog commits the better chance you have of killing the duck on the first shot. Their stubborn nature drives them to retrieve the duck no matter what the circumstances when you go duck hunting. Another major trait you will find helpful is that the Chesapeake Bay retrievers are specifically bred to hunt ducks.

​4 - German Shorthaired Pointer

Best Duck Hunting Dogs German Shorthaired Pointer

I have found German Shorthaired Pointers are not the best dogs for retrieving. They are the best natural retrievers and in this sense they don’t really have to be trained to retrieve the waterfowl. You will discover that because they don’t have a lot of muscle mass on their bodies they cannot swim in water that is under 40 degrees. They don’t like the cold water and their skin is not very oily causing their skin to dry rather quickly.

You will discover that German shorthaired pointers are very independent when they hunt ducks. They will hunt despite their owners or other humans being present. They really go by instinct and hunt the way they want to hunt. They normally will not obey the commands of their owners in the hunting field or in the water. If you think about it and you decide you want to get a German shorthaired pointer for hunting. Then take it in warmer weather or in the beginning of duck season when they can swim in warmer water. You may kill the dog if you take it hunting in very cold water. These dogs don’t like to swim in cold water.

5 - Weimaraner

Best Duck Hunting Dogs Weimaraner

They have very short hair and get cold quite easily. I have found that they will not retrieve ducks in the cold water. These dogs don’t like to swim in cold water. If you keep them in shallow water like in the marshes they will do alright in retrieving ducks. Another point you might want to consider is the Weimaraner’s are seldom bred for hunting purposes anymore. They are mainly bred for show purposes but there are a few breeders out there who still breed them for hunting.

Weimaraner’s don’t have an undercoat and get colder a lot faster than labs do. This breed of dogs will get really cold when they are sitting in the blind waiting for the “retrieve”. They are already cold when in these waiting situations. I have tried putting an Avery Neoprene jacket on mine but it was real tough to try and fit the coat on my dog this because these jackets are made for labs.

Finally

This topic is important to me because I wanted you to be aware of the different temperaments and retrieving abilities of the best hunting ducks being bred today. I have presented 5 of the top duck hunting dogs considered by experts to be classified as such.

I hope you will be able to make a better decision on which dog to buy for your hunting expeditions after reading this article. If you liked this article share it with your friends. Thank you for reading this article!

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