Hunting Dogs?

Question

Why is it that people who hunt with their dogs are critisized so much?

I was just in a conversation with some of my coworkers. There was a heated discussion about how hunting will make your dog blood thirsty. I couldn't believe how many people felt that way. (Not to mention the age old argument of killing wildlife, which in my opinion is not quite the issue that people make it out to be.)

We had German Short-Haired Pointers in our family when I was growing up. They were hunting dogs for my Dad and Grandpa. I never saw happier dogs! They weren't blood thirsty by any means! Everyone talks about how "remember what that type of dog was bred for..." but when it has to do with hunting, opinions change because some birds die.

Is it me or do people twist things around to make whatever it is they do in their life the right thing?

(I hope this makes sense. I had a hard time putting my thoughts into words.)

Answer 1

Very few people understand that dogs aren't just those cuddly, cute balls of fluff you let on your couch. "True" dogs were bred for a purpose. All of these goody two shoes that are against animal hunting don't even think where food came from before the SuperFresh sells it. Their steak from the market came from animals being raised and slaughtered. I guess they believe some Plastic wrap fairy just waves a magic wand and there is meat? Long before mass production of food, people hunted for the foods they couldn't grow. Dogs were and in some cases still are a big part of that. No dog is happier than while on the hunt with their owner. I too was raised around these types of dogs. They certainly had better dispositions than those snappy little lap rats so many consider a dog today. These animals had a scenes of purpose. Knew what their job was and when to turn it off and just be a dog.

Answer 2

I agree people take things to extremes. Most dog breeds are for hunting an animal of some sort. There are less dogs that are bred for companionship and working put together than hunting dogs. Hunting was the main reason for domesticating dog in the first place. If anything hunting will bring the dog to its natural instincts. Thats just silly thinking it would make them blood thirsty, that an old wives tale.

Answer 3

People are very uneducated is te problem.

I grew up with hunting dogs, both rabbit hunters and bird hunters.
They were the most loving and tolerant dogs. When I was 5 I could ride around on our britney and he wouldn't get upset at all.

I don't know why people associate hunting, or feeding live prey (like with ferrets) as something that will make an animal blood thirsty. It just dosent add up. There is nothing in letting an animal do natural things that will make it wild and viscious.

Answer 4

Hunting is under attack from the animal rights groups all the time. I think everyone would be better off if they would just MYOB. If you don't like hunting, then just don't do it.

Bloodthirsty.....how ridiculous! My type of dog was under attack earlier this year in California. Those 'bloodthirsty' Greyhounds! And some of the stupid ARlite GH rescue groups distanced themselves by saying 'those dogs' were 'specially trained'. LOL! As if you can train prey drive! The GH rescues sold their own breed down the river, so much for loving GHs.

'Those' dogs were killing those "poor little Jackrabbits", never mind they are considered a pest and farmers poison them!

Many people have gotten totally out of touch with animal husbandry, they have no idea how to manage them and are completely sold on some unrealistic Walt Disney version of animals.

Answer 5

I was going to ask a similar question myself but like you say it's difficult to put into words.

For what it's worth I agree with all the posts above with the exception of ArkiBoi. I can't understand how hunters using only a gun are in any way superior to those who use dogs.

The arguments I've heard against it are that "it's cruel". The animal is terrified and goes through great stress as it is being chased. Also, whilst the aim of hunting is always that there is a "clean kill", this is not always the case, so the animal suffers in death.

In addition, the dogs risk injury when chasing their prey. (Yep, and my pet dog risks injury every time I allow him to run and play off lead - life is about risk).

The argument about it making the dogs "bloodthirsty" I've got to be honest I'm not too familiar with.

Fair enough.

So let's look at the alternatives. Humans are the dominant species on this planet and a large part of that is that we can control and manage other species. That means sometimes killing them.

So how do we do that? Farming is probably the most obvious, and that is done with varying degrees of animal welfare. Farm animals are often kept in conditions that don't allow the animal to perform some of its most basic instincts (battery/factory farming the most well known of these). Yes, they are killed quickly, but the life many of them lead beforehand is dreadful.

Pest Control: Put down poison or traps. Animals killed in this way suffer an agonising death. There's also the possibility of non-target animals being caught in traps.

Granted, not all farming methods are cruel - there are humane ways to keep livestock, and an increasing number of farmers do at least appear to be looking into them, but the majority of animals whose products you'll find on the supermarket shelf have come from factory farms.

I don't hunt because I don't want to see an animal suffer, but I'm prepared to eat meat and dairy produce. That I admit makes me to some extent a hypocrite.

The biggest problem as far as I can see comes from the fact that you can't have an open and honest debate without a lot of people allowing sentiment to blind them from balanced judgement. As such, hunting with dogs is banned in the UK because sentiment got in the way of honesty.

Answer 6

Some people are just ignorant. They hear your dog hunts and they picture him ripping an animal to shreds. There's no logic to their thinking. What good would a dog be if it destroyed what you were hunting? Duh.

Some of the most popular breeds in the US are soft-mouthed retrievers bred for hunting. Do these people think a LAB is going to start eating neighborhood children after he spends a weekend carrying ducks?

You are absolutely right about people twisting things. Folks get a political opinion about hunting in their heads and their imaginations and mouths just take off in support of their opinion. Knowledge is apparently NOT a prerequisite for voicing an opinion about hunting

PS The folks who get upset about killing birds---are they all vegetarians? Do they think the chickens in the grocery store died of old age?

Answer 7

I agree with you, some people can twist anything to meet their own means. There are several hunting dogs (Labs, Hounds, etc.) that were bred and taught this behavior for the purpose of taking them hunting to help retrieve game. Some hunting dogs have webbed feet for the purpose of retreiving foul that lands in water, such as Labs and Goldens. This dogs teeth are also different thn other dogs if you look at the shape and position. They are made to carry the animal without causing damage and without the teeth piercing the skin. It doesn't make them blood thristy, they love it because it's what is bred into them to do. Even in your own backyard, they will still do this behavior. I'm not into hunting by any means but my Lab puppy has already brought me a bird she retreived. The bird was fully alive and flew off the moment she let it go, but she did it to please me because it's in her nature.

Answer 8

Hunting dogs were bred to be hunting dogs years ago. They make good non hunting dogs as well. People hear the stupidest stuff about dogs and spread it. People need to get the facts straight first. Tell them about your old dogs and then tell them to find proof of what they say about it.

Answer 9

We have a beagle and a lab and both were used for hunting. The lab is gun shy now so he doesn't go out and hunt but the beagle is used for deer hunting. Abbey is certainly not blood thirsty. You couldn't ask for friendlier dogs around people and animals. The beagle is actually afraid of one of our cats. I guess people don't approve of hunting. We see it as exercise. Abbey has never chased out a deer that has been shot but she sure has fun running through the woods.

Answer 10

Why???
Same as for every OTHER dimwitted thing folks come up with!!
NO BRAIN-ERS!!!

Bird-dawgs are TAUGHT to be SOFT-MOUTHED & 99% of time,only contact DEAD birds.HOW can that POSSIBLY be concidered"blood-thirsty"?

*I* have the pleasure of dealing w/morons who are APALLED & horrified that I work my beasts on FORMIDABLE quarry-FACE to FACE,"up close & personal"....Because THOSE folks haven't a CLUE what's really involved.

We've taken *20 lb*.COON,16 lb possum,a DOZEN possum in under15 minutes,*4* coon & a possum in less than an hour & a half...w/dogs that are 10 -13 lbs! NEVER-in all these DECADES-have I had to vet ONE of my dogs!

NONE "eat children" or are dog-agressive or"BLOOD THRISTY"-whatever THAT AR/humaniac/peta-NUTZ word means.

People now-days are far removed from REALITY & so deluded by FANTASY,they have no idea that the "DISNEY-WORLD" view is as un-real as....any other fairy-tale.