Akbash for Hunting?

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Originally Posted by psilokan

Hi there. I'm currently fostering an Akbash who is undergoing treatment for heart worm. Once he is all healed up I am hoping to keep him however ultimately I was hoping to get a hunting dog and I'm just not sure this guy will fit the bill. I'm told he may have some golden retriever in him (his face certainly looks like a golden) so I'm hoping that part of him will be more dominant. But I haven't been able to find anything about people using Akbash for hunting, just as sheep dogs. I'm mainly looking for a dog that will retrieve ducks or doves, not protecting live stock.

If anyone has any experience or information about them I'd love to hear it.

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Good for you for fostering. I've thought of doing that . but would get too attached I think.
I think the underlined part is what you really want. The Albash would be happier in a farm situation, although I know little about an Akbash.
The decision is whether to go with your heart or your head. :)

There is an excellent breeder of hunting field setters near you. I would suggest you visit there before making your decision. PM sent

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Originally Posted by Sharon

Good for you for fostering. I've thought of doing that . but would get too attached I think.
I think the underlined part is what you really want. The Albash would be happier in a farm situation, although I know little about an Akbash.
The decision is whether to go with your heart or your head. :)

There is an excellent breeder of hunting field setters near you. I would suggest you visit there before making your decision. PM sent

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He also provides game farm hunts. Strongly suggest you try one.

Want to know about "Akbash" dogs , go to this link;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akbash_dog

There are a few guys who say they trained herding dogs for hunting and that they were satisfied with the results. I have neither seen one of these dogs hunting nor have I dealt with an Akbash ever. Besides, nearly all the dogs of herding heritage, I had something to do with, were NOT successful working dogs...
On the other hand, I don't want to discourage you either, because with enough training you might get to usable results - the question is just if you need to quit your job to have sufficient time for that! Not many seem to have dealt with this breed at all. Some breeds focused on specific tasks and others on trainability. You certainly won't have the pleasure of training a natural retriever/pointer/hound etc. Therefore, the part I would be most concerned about is how much training this breed and also this individual will accept and up to what age.
You should be able to find that out by yourself based on how easy it is to teach him (stupid) tricks or basic obedience. If he's doing well, you know at least that with little bit of effort he will be usable for something.
Then, if he's healthy you can start introducing him to birds (you might need to do that more than once) or whatever you plan on using him for. Even if it all works out, it will be a long way - certainly a more rewarding experience than buying a started/finished dog as long as you are able to finish what you are about to get into.