[7pntail]

A dog that is used strictly for hunting.
Some use this as a derogatory term to mean a dog with little or no training.
The term, most likely goes back to the market hunters days, when a dog was one of his most valuable assests. A dog that would consistently bring back the meat.
A true "Meat Dog" is not a untrained dog, but a trained dog that does not play dog games.

I like that definition. Agree that most basic training/ob methods work just fine. There are many out there.
You need a foundation in your dawg regardless of your purpose.

Also agree that the term has been corrupted and connotes a possible non desirable dog among the folks in the retriever game world, and some of that has boiled over to the average Joe looking for a hunting companion. A Schism of sorts, not quite sure why: though, admittedly there is a generally a higher standard and level of training in the retriever games. But, the training isn't always in real life hunting scenarios.

I am a meat dog guy, and I am proud of my dogs. They take blinds out to the edge of a rice field, but more importantly they know how to "hunt dead"; that is, use their nose in the thickest and nastiest of cover. My experience tells me the single most important thing you can instill, is to let-em hunt if your purpose is to eat Mallard poppers on the bbq. And, the more time in the field, the more savy they will get.

And for my meat dogs, there will be no rocks (another possible condescending depiction).


Good luck with your pup!

 

[roseberry]

Well said. I've got one of those and he's as valueble as my gun.

mine too, my 870 express is worth about a buck and a quarter!!!!!!!!!!!;-)

 

[duk4me]

mine too, my 870 express is worth about a buck and a quarter!!!!!!!!!!!;-)

Keep your dog but I'll give you a buck and a quarter for the 870,

 

[BlaineT]

A dog that is used strictly for hunting.
Some use this as a derogatory term to mean a dog with little or no training.
The term, most likely goes back to the market hunters days, when a dog was one of his most valuable assests. A dog that would consistently bring back the meat.
A true "Meat Dog" is not a untrained dog, but a trained dog that does not play dog games.

thats a good definition of it from a positive stand point for sure....

unfortunately most of the times we hear it from the following standpoint: guys shows up at a training day, his dog doesn't do what he wants it to do, or can't do a particular set up, guy will ask for advice on how to correct the problem/problems, and after going through a good explanation and trying to help him- you get the, "well all i want is a meat dog anyway...i aint really worried about it" so generally around here its someone's cop out to get out of the work involved in training.

 

[Seabass77]

Interesting comments on the meat dog term. I can see how it's negative in training circles but I meant it with the best intentions. I'm just interested in a decent to solid hunting dog but have no aspirations for anything else. But, like one poster said, who knows where the training will take me. I do wish there was a training club close by but it seems the closest is about 50 miles away. Makes it tough for me to do evening work and that's when most clubs seem to get together. I'm just west of Minneapolis.

 

[Lonnie Spann]

Seabass77,

There has been some great advice offered to you on this thread, from some very knowlegable people (one of which I am not). I do claim ownership of THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE MEAT DOG!

Lonnie Spann

 

[BigEarl]

Meat Retrievers are awsome!!........... Consider myself an avid waterfowler too(Avid=Addicted?). I used to think there was no need for all that "high brow" training but the info above is all dead on. Whichever program you find, or parts of many training programs, they will all benefit you and make your dog more succesfull in the marsh/field. More succesfull = more fun. You don't have have to train to to win some big test. I happened on some HRC club folks in town after having my dog for a few seasons and discovered their knowledge/friendship was very helpfull in helping me teach my dog ways to hunt/handle better. I use what they do to train for my expeiriences hunting(ex: remote sit, retrieving blinds, down, sneaking, steadiness in the face of attacking waterfowl, ect..) Good luck and have fun, hunting will never be the same once you start using your dog, it'll be even better!

 

[roseberry]

And for my meat dogs, there will be no rocks

Good luck with your pup!

ok john,

never say never. next time you are out in those calfornia "toooo-lees" and the water is knee deep, no rocks anywhere and the dog just won't get in the tooo-leees.......remember one guy told you there is no shame in having one good limestone rock in your blind bag for insurance purposes!;-) (don't let pride goeth before a lost banded pintail. remember the one earlier this season you had to pick up the next day? a rock woulda brought him home fresh!!!!)

 

[fishduck]

I was not intentionally being condescending with the rock comment. It does work. I used the technique this year with my young pup. Next year she will be handling.

I am in a dog poor duck club where I have the opportunity to hunt with QAA, GRHRCH, MNH, all the way down to my rock trained puppy. IMHO every one of them is a meat dog! They bring back the ducks so I don't have to make that slogging walk in the delta mud. What is needed out of these meat dogs. Poison bird blinds are common with ducks dead as a hammer in the decoys with a cripple swimming away. Tons of marks and blinds in the 2-300 yard range & occasionally 400+. Remote sits, bulldogs, honoring, line manners are all important.

When I look at all that is required, I cannot think of any aspect of a training program that I would skip. Nowadays I find the training as gratifying as the hunting. Long live the meat dog!!! Without that magnificent animal none of the retriever games would even exist!

 

[Dustin D]

If you have Hillmann Pup, pick up Hillmann Basics.

From there you can figure out where you'll need to go.

 

[Scum Frog]

I've owneda meat dog and currently have a meat pup....proud of it!

 

[7pntail]

John--- actually the bird was recovered at the end of the day when my hunting partner came over and I asked him to walk over and hold his gun up in the 10 foot mass of tooo-lies, so I could get a line on where I thought the bird had fallen. Dawg was not in a position to see the bird fall and I am not a good marker (second bird down on a double). I had the dog looking about 30 yards off.

No handling in this scenario, so limestone would not have helped--tooo-lees way too thick. And, btw it was a banded mallard.

Oh, also--I am not casting stones, for those who, well use stones

 

[Kenneth Niles Bora]

...When I look at all that is required, I cannot think of any aspect of a training program that I would skip. Nowadays I find the training as gratifying as the hunting. Long live the meat dog!!! Without that magnificent animal none of the retriever games would even exist!

over the life of the Hunting Retriever it will have many tasks that will be harder than those at any test or trial. Just because they could not be set up in a testing situation. the tests are just a marker for you, while you make your hunting Dawg!

 

[roseberry]

my memory aint what it used to be........ i was just havin some fun, i don't even know what a tule is. lol

 

[Kenneth Niles Bora]

my memory aint what it used to be........ i was just havin some fun, i don't even know what a tule is. lol

it is something you fix a truck with, like this

 

[Brian Daniels]

You bringin him to the trainin day sat??

Yessir. Blaine has already met him. He has done well despite me, but obviously has a lot of work to do...or should I say I have a lot to learn!

 

[fishduck]

Just to make sure this thread remains completely off track. Is rock chunkin the first purely positive handling technique? Is that +P or -R and can someone post a Mendevellian square so I can understand.

 

[Kenneth Niles Bora]

Is rock chunkin the first purely positive handling technique?.

well, the whistle sit is replaced by nailing Rover in the back of the head with the first rock, so......;-)

 

[Mike Perry]

My advice is to use one of the programs available. Training is training and the dog won't care what it is being trained to do. Option B is to do basics, force fetch and obedience then fill your pockets with rocks before you get to the duck blind.

This last hunting season, we let one of the local guys who keeps a watch on our lodge hunt in the new timber hole blind for a couple days when we were not there. He has a youngish half trained retriever from quaestionable lines. When we went to hunt the next time, there were a dozen rocks from the driveway neatly piled on the shelf where we usually keep the thermos and shells.
Does not take Sherlock Holmes to know what was happening while he was there. Apparently a pocket full of rocks is standard gear for this guy when he is not hunting with me or my partner.
Money to be made with clever marketing. I bet Bass Pro could sell them by the truck load if they would put some duck commander logo on them.
"Just want a meat dog" regards
MP

 

[crackerd]

Hello all,
I have a deposit down on a pup that should be coming home sometime in May. I have been doing research on this site and there is a tremendous amount of information available. The difficulty I am running into is that most information seems geared toward training a dog for competition or trials.

I am looking for just a meat retriever. I hunt 5 -15 times per year, mostly waterfowl, a little upland and the rest of the time is family time.

I have the Hillman’s training a retriever puppy at home, how much further will I need to go from there?

Why doesn't somebody help Joe out with the advice that even if he only hunts a dozen or so times a year, he might find an excuse to get out a lot more often to train if he gets exposed to how retrievers are trained?

Training is (almost) an end in itself to many, and it's not just a meritocracy but also a stage for many of us to supremely embarrass ourselves. Or to have our dogs embarrass us to the point of becoming "unembarrassable." That's when you know you've got your training groove thing on.

Blaine's lament about "meatdogs" and their owners is pretty accurate in my experience -

unfortunately most of the times we hear it from the following standpoint: guys shows up at a training day, his dog doesn't do what he wants it to do, or can't do a particular set up, guy will ask for advice on how to correct the problem/problems, and after going through a good explanation and trying to help him- you get the, "well all i want is a meat dog anyway...i aint really worried about it" so generally around here its someone's cop out to get out of the work involved in training.

but it's also been my experience to have the most experienced trainers try to help by giving the dog a bone - an easier setup, maybe a single, just to give the dog (and handler) some confidence in being new to all this. You want both of them to succeed so they'll come back for more - and more - and more. And soon they've escalated their interest into having a genuine trained working retriever (and maybe a k a "meatdog" but not in any way a disparaging label).

Joe, your handle leads me to believe you're on the east coast - let us know where, and surely somebody here amongst these good people will get you and the pup out for training when the time comes.

MG