Page 1
Page 1
Started By
Message
locked post

Opinion on a boykin spaniel as a hunting dog and pet?

Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:04 am
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6840 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:04 am
The Mrs. Last Coco and I are looking into getting a dog. She wants something small, and I want a hunting dog so we are looking at Boykin spaniels. Does anyone have experience with this breed as either a pet in general or a hunting dog?
Posted by Vol Fan in the Bayou
Member since Nov 2009
4158 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:06 am to
Never owned one before, but have had friends that did. They are great dogs. The three that I am familiar with were great pets. Only two of them hunted and I was VERY impressed with them!!!!!!
Posted by taurusjwf
Member since Oct 2008
904 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:13 am to
Similar situatuion here. We got ours 2 months ago from a breeder in Ashdown, AR. The kids love her. We are just getting ready to do some training with her.

Everything that I hear from others have been great. The dog knows when to hunt and knows when to be the family pet. Time will tell.

Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6840 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:27 am to
This is encouraging. How did you settle on a breeder? There is one close to where I live (Shreveport) but I don't know anything about them and they are extremely new (2 years).
Posted by coloradoBengal
Member since Sep 2007
32608 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:32 am to
I've never hunted with a Boykin, but I know a guy that hunts with a Springer Spaniel. Great little dog. About same size as a Boykin.
Posted by Mahootney
Lovin' My German Footprint
Member since Sep 2008
11872 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:37 am to
A friend of mine has one. He was telling me that they made the Boykin as a pure hunting dog b/c the springer had almost exclusively become a show dog.

Great hunting dogs, very loving pets. You probably can't go wrong if you find a good breeder.
This post was edited on 10/18/11 at 11:37 am
Posted by coloradoBengal
Member since Sep 2007
32608 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 11:38 am to
quote:

A friend of mine has one. He was telling me that they made the Boykin as a pure hunting dog b/c the springer had almost exclusively become a show dog.



I live in South Carolina and didn't know these were the state dog. Interesting breed.

And I stand corrected, they are a good deal smaller than Springers based on average numbers I found.
This post was edited on 10/18/11 at 12:14 pm
Posted by 34venture
Buffer Zone
Member since Mar 2010
11369 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 12:10 pm to
quote:

Opinion on a boykin spaniel as a hunting dog and pet


Take it FWWIW, but I have a friend who has one and he is completely off the wall. Very friendly dog, and good with kids, but he is CRAZY.
Posted by Slickback
Deer Stand
Member since Mar 2008
27678 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 12:44 pm to
Are you looking for a specific type of hunting dog? (retriever, squirrel dog, rabbit dog, etc).

If you're looking for a retriever, I have heard of people using Boykin Spaniels with great results.

They also have some breeders who specialize in breeding small labs. Not sure if they are much for hunting or just pets, but it may be worth looking in to.

I've also heard of people using German Shorthaired and English Pointers as duck dogs. With them and the boykins, it seems like the short coat wouldn't keep them very warm on very cold days.

My next dog will either be a blue tick coon hound for coons or a mountain feist as a squirrel dog.
Posted by taurusjwf
Member since Oct 2008
904 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 1:03 pm to
There is one listed in Morringsport, but we could never get a reply. I talked to a breeder in Hallsville, TX and was put on a "long" waiting list. Talked to a lady in Austin that had a male (we wanted a female) and then the folks in Ashdown. Sent a deposit and had to wait for the next litter...just a few months.

So far the only issue we had is her skin getting irritated (known trait of dry skin). Other than that your typical puppy that you have to train.....

She is almost 4 months old and weighs 18 pounds. She will average 30 pounds.

Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6840 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 1:32 pm to
I'm not looking for a specific hunting dog, just an all-around hunting dog. I would probably train to retrieve and blood trail. They are more than adequate for both according to the reviews I read online. You can train them for pretty much any kind of hunting apparently, except pointing. They flush, they don't point.

We wanted something on the smaller side, and a female. I have read to use a neoprene vest for extra cold days, but unless it is icy it shouldn't be a big problem. AND, it had to be "cute" or the wife wouldn't have it. Apparently spaniels qualify.
Posted by The Last Coco
On the water
Member since Mar 2009
6840 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 1:34 pm to
I contacted the one on Old Mooringsport Rd. in Shreveport. They just inseminated the bitch and expect to have a litter in 2 months. They only have one litter every two years. Males are $650, females $600. Is that about right?
Posted by Vol Fan in the Bayou
Member since Nov 2009
4158 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 1:37 pm to
quote:

Males are $650, females $600. Is that about right?


A lot cheaper than labs with good/great blood lines.
Posted by taurusjwf
Member since Oct 2008
904 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 2:05 pm to
I paid 800.
Posted by DownshiftAndFloorIt
Here
Member since Jan 2011
66763 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 2:14 pm to
quote:

an all-around hunting dog


Blue lacy hands down. Smart enough to be taught anything.

Pointers have a reputation for being very difficult to train as retrievers. With that said, I have a half GSP/English pointer that retrieves her arse off with no training whatsoever.

Boykins are great dogs from what I know about them. I have no first hand experience with them.
Posted by xenon16
Metry Brah
Member since Sep 2008
3528 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 3:03 pm to
I would say that they are very capable dogs for retrieving and make a great house dog. A good friend has one. They are good for any kind of duck but a goose would be too big. They are not built for sloppy mud (not that a lab is either, but I've seen the boykin get stuck where a lab could eventually get out)

Here are some pics:
Posted by CasinoIke
Madisonville
Member since Aug 2010
96 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 3:31 pm to
Awesome dogs... Had one in high school and college and hunted doves and ducks with him. Can't go wrong with one.
Posted by BottomlandBrew
Member since Aug 2010
27062 posts
Posted on 10/18/11 at 4:42 pm to
quote:

Can't go wrong with one.


I wouldn't go that far. We had one growing up and it was the laziest dog I have ever known. She was lovable and great as a family pet, but absolutely useless for hunting. My dad couldn't get her to do anything. The only thing she was good at was killing moles.

Having said that, every other Boykin I've met has been awesome. I think we got a dud - a mentally handicapped dud.

ETA: If you're ever around Boykin, South Carolina, they have a pretty decent restaurant out there.
This post was edited on 10/18/11 at 4:44 pm
first pageprev pagePage 1 of 1Next pagelast page
refresh

Back to top
logoFollow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to get the latest updates on LSU Football and Recruiting.

FacebookTwitterInstagram