Nov/Dec 2009

Designer Breeds
for Bird Hunters
by Larry Brown

e bird hunters seem more than a little hung up on this purebred thing, and stubbornly resistant to changing the breeds we have.  Maybe it’s time to take a look at what’s happening in the wider canine world.  After all, with the rise of the cockapoo and the Labradoodle, why not some designer pointing breeds? 

(For that matter, the retriever people might want to take a serious look at the Labradoodle.  It’s now a mostly forgotten fact, but the standard poodle did start out as a water dog.  But I’m guessing Lab owners would not be in favor of those funny poodle haircuts.)

Speaking of Lab people, they seem bound and determined to move into our part of the world with pointing Labs.  Well, if they’re going to do that, why stop at half-measures?  Sure, you can find Labs that will pause momentarily when they smell a bird, but why not a dog that looks . . . well, a little more pointer-like when it’s pointing, not to mention holding point longer?  The shorthair would be a good candidate, and the mix even results in a catchy name: shortador.

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