[John Robinson]

Meat dog is a term that is used by people who dont want to spend the time or money to train a dog to be an efficient retriever. Sometimes called a rock dog or a shell dog because you better have a pocket of either to get the dog to the bird. You hear it all the time, I dont want a dog trained to do hand signals, I just want a meat dog. And they only want to pay $200 for it. I just need a meat dog.

I think of it as much more than that. To me an AKC senior Hunter or NAHRA Working Retriever is a meat dog. That is a valuable working retriever in a duck blind or upland field. This is a dog that could do most retrieves and simple blinds across the pond, is steady, birds and tractable. I would hunt over that dog any day of the week, as a matter of fact, I usually start hunting my pups right after transition.

To me the rock dog is useless as a hunting dog. I think the next step up is QAA or MH.

 

[John Robinson]

To be honest!

I kinda miss those days..
I now spend more time training,,and very little time hunting..

Gooser

Goosed, do what I do, give your dog a break and just hunt for the next 3-4 months. Set your standard wherever you like, and enjoy hunting season. Isn't that why we all got into this crazy sport, to hunt over a well trained retriever?

 

[John Robinson]

dang fellows lighten up, I didnt say there was anything wrong with your "meat dog". Thats just what the term means to me because thats the way I hear guys around here use it. Have fun, train your dog to the level that suits your needs.

Most of the terms we use here won't be found in Webster's Dictionary, so their meaning isn't 100% defined. From this thread "meat dog" has different meanings to different folks, I just reacted because I have used it on some post and it never occurred to me that I might be insulting somebody. Like I said to me, and I thought everyone else, "meat dog" was just a good, reliable hunting dog, a dog to be proud of. Heck my highly trained all age dogs are just meat dogs four months out of the year, really- really good meat dogs.

 

[John Robinson]

My favorite dog book.