Small Retriever Breeds Dogs –

This dog is a regular hunter and in fact receives its name because it is usually used in partridge hunting. It is a perfect animal for  training , since in addition to being affectionate and very sociable, it likes to learn and is constant, which is why it usually learns more quickly than other dogs.

It is usually used in hunting because it is a good explorer and does not stop searching until it finds what it wants, but at the same time, it can also be kept at home as a pet due to its protective and patient nature.

If you decide to have one of these retrievers, you should know that they need 1,550 kcal of feed for males and 1,300 kcal for females. These amounts are recommended during the hunting season, although if you are not going to perform this task, the dose can be slightly reduced.

Retriever Breeds

Within the retriever breed, we can find different varieties. Each and every one of them share the similarities described above, and the greatest differences are usually found in the physique. Thus, there are some larger retrievers and others smaller, differing in the type of hair and its color.

Curly Haired Retriever:

It can be found in brown or black and is one of the most used for hunting, since it is very strong and agile (ideal if you want to hunt waterfowl), plus it resists the cold very well. He is also characterized by intensely defending his master, making him a good guardian of the house.

Smooth Coated retriever:

it also has a black or dark brown color and is more useful than the previous one for living with the family. Despite being a dog suitable for hunting, since it easily learns any training you want to give it, it is a better companion for children than the previous one, due to its affection and patience.

Burgos Perdiguero:

it is one of the largest and its color is brown with short, thick hair that protects it well from the cold. It is one of the preferred varieties, since they are affable and calm. They require large doses of daily exercise and wide open spaces in which to run, so it is advisable not to have them in urban environments.

Portuguese Retriever:

it is one of the most submissive and obedient, in addition to being a great lover of children. They are ideal if you live in the city because they also do not usually seek confrontation with other dogs or people.

Drenthe Retriever:

Its coat is a mix of white on the body and brown on the head. It is the ideal hunting dog for various types of terrain, especially when using a shotgun. If he finds his prey, he usually waits for his master to follow him. For these types of reasons it is the best for hunting, although it is also valid if you are a hiker.

Skills

To perform the functions of a hunting retriever dog, a retriever must be trained to perform the following tasks:

• Stay under control . Retrievers are typically used for hunting waterfowl. Since most waterfowl hunting employs the use of small boats in winter conditions, retrievers are trained to remain under control, sitting calmly and silently, until sent out for retrieval. This is often known as “stability.” Which helps prevent an accidental rollover that alters the hunter’s aim or the possible accidental discharge of a firearm that could cause serious injury or death to other people in the hunting party, or to the dog itself. A stable and calm dog is also capable of “marking” downed prey.

• Mark of the downed dam . Tagging is the process of watching a bird, or several birds, fall or be shot down. When the “mark” command is given the dog must look up for incoming birds and remember where each bird landed. Well-trained retrievers are taught to follow the direction of the barrel of the gun being pointed to mark the fall of birds. Once the prey falls, the controller will send the dog to retrieve it. The dog’s ability to remember various “marks” is very important and trainers use various techniques to improve a dog’s marking ability and memory.

• Perform a blind recovery . During waterfowl hunting a dog’s main job is to retrieve downed birds. There are times when a dog does not see where the prey falls. In this case the retrievers are trained to obey hand, or voice, commands given by the handler to direct the dog to where the prey has been brought down for retrieval. This is called a “blind recovery.” Precision between dog and handler is extremely useful and desired in order to minimize recovery time and limit disturbance to the surrounding area. Most blind retrieves in the field are performed between 27 to 75 meters from the gun shot, however, a good retriever/handler team can perform accurate blind retrieves out to more than 92 meters.

• Recover in hand . Although some hunters prefer to have the downed bird at their feet, most handlers require the dog to hand over the game. Meaning that once the dog has completed the retrieve it will be gentle, but will firmly hold the bird until commanded to release it into the handler’s hand. Hand delivery reduces the risk of a bird escaping, as the bird remains in the dog’s mouth until the handler takes possession of it.

• Distinction . During the hunt, several dogs are used, a retriever must remain under control and wait his turn, while other working dogs carry out their task. This is important as having several retrievers retrieving prey at the same time can cause confusion. This is one reason why many handlers use the dog’s name to give the retrieve command.

• Shake to order . After retrieving prey, a well-trained dog does not shake excess water from its skin until after the bird is completely surrendered. A dog shaking water out of its fur in a small boat, at worst, risks capsizing the ship in winter conditions, and at best, hunters and the crew will most likely hunting get wet. Also a dog that shakes, while holding the prey in its mouth, could damage the bird to the point of making it unfit to consume. To avoid these mishaps, trainers use a different command to indicate to the dog that it can shake off excess water from its coat.

• Quadrant . Retrievers are often used in supporting roles to make birds fly. The dogs must work in front of hunters who search for game birds in their hiding places. The dog must be taught to stay within the shooting range or quadrant to avoid knocking a bird out of shooting range.

• He remains calm when faced with birds in flight . When hunting waterfowl, the dog should be calm while the birds take flight or are shot in flight. In order to mark the fall and avoid scaring other birds by unnecessarily chasing a lost bird.

Although most individual retrievers have the raw ability to be trained as a hunting dog, a great deal of thought and effort is given to breeding the specific traits desired into field dogs, which greatly improves the training process. When breeding retrievers for field work, the following is taken into account:

• Obedient . Producing a well-trained dog capable of performing the tasks described above requires a significant amount of time and effort, and a dog that is intelligent, controllable, and open to learning—docile—is of utmost importance.

• Desire and drive . This characteristic(s) covers a wide range of behaviors exhibited by a “good dog.” Most notably, he will demonstrate the desire to recover almost to the point of manic behavior and will face significant obstacles to making a recovery. They will also demonstrate an exceptional interest in birds, bird feathers, and bird scent.

• Marking and memory . Vision and depth perception are vitally important in the dog’s ability to mark downed prey. Remembering each fallen bird is also essential. Although there are special techniques that retriever trainers use to help a dog mark and remember downed prey, a good retriever must have natural aptitudes.

• Nose . Dogs are guided primarily by their nose. A good retriever will use its nose to find well-hidden prey in thick forests or will use its nose to find out where it has landed in a field or lake.

• Soft mouth . A soft-mouthed dog is needed to ensure that the retrieved prey is fit to eat. A dog with a soft mouth will be gentle when picking up and holding the bird. Dogs that unnecessarily drop birds, crush, chew, or eat the bird before handing it to the handler are considered “tough in the mouth” or described as having “mouth problems.” While training can help overcome most “mouth problems” a dog with an inherent soft mouth is desirable when beginning the training process.

• Strength . Waterfowl hunting is a cold-weather sport conducted across a wide variety of locations and conditions, from the forests in the southern U.S., to ice-covered ponds in the Midwest, to frigid Frozen seas along the New England coast. A good retriever will willingly re-enter the water and make multiple retrieves under these and other extreme conditions.