# Do spayed/neutered dogs make good hunting dogs?



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I'm just wondering if they would after being fixed? A few years ago a stray wired hair terrior started homesteading with us. I'd always wanted one as I remembered Grandpa's w.h.t. that he had when I was a little fellar. He used it for hunting squirrels. So I kept her around. She seemed to be making a good squirrel dog and just hated and killed cats whenever she found one. When I got the money saved up, I took her to the vet to have her fixed. Took me about 3 or 4 months but I finally got her fixed. But after that, she became a totally different dog it seemed. She got to where she would take off and then someone several miles away would call and tell me they have a dog with my name on the coller. I'd go get her and she would stay for about another 3 or 4 days and then she'd disappear once again. Till finally she disappeared and never seen her again. 

So I've been thinking of adopting terriors from a dog pound at a nearby town whenever they get one and train them to tree squirrels. But I have to pay to have them fixed before I can bring them home. But I'm afraid that might hurt thier hunting abilities and will not try to hunt. 

Has anyone out there used a spayed/neutered dogs for hunting?


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## Pops2 (Jan 27, 2003)

makes males more focused & may be less wizzing on every bush. may not help, but can never hurt. i have had good dogs that were cut.


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## braggscowboy (Jan 6, 2004)

Sure the would be OK, they would not have anything else to do or anything on their mind. Just start them out with good hunters and away they will go. Make good squirrel dogs.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

As long as you don't cut off their nose they do fine


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

All of my hunting dogs have been spayed and they hunted like it was the most important thing in the world to them when we were in the woods. I trained my dogs to stay focused on me by changing directions a lot. That forces them to keep a close eye on me.


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## whiskeylivewire (May 27, 2009)

We have one and he's probably our best hunter. I wish he wasn't cut though, would have loved pups out of him!


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Many years ago I went phsent hunting with a fellow who had two pure breed german short hair pointers both males. first off I felt they were a hard headed bunch of worthless dogs to hunt behind. They kept runnin across the fields to another feild across the way. fellow and his son hunting that property had a female cocker spainal that was in heat.
Spayed and nutered would have fixed that problem.

My brother got a Springer Spanail from the pound and there fore needed to be fixed.
Now she was a hunting dog thru and thru. She didn't care what you hunted she helped. she retrieved rabbits, squirrels, partridge, phesants and even woodcocks.

 Al


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## big rockpile (Feb 24, 2003)

Had a Hound get His Jewells ripped out by a ****  Nothing but revenge on His mind after that :runforhills:

big rockpile


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

big rockpile said:


> Had a Hound get His Jewells ripped out by a ****  Nothing but revenge on His mind after that :runforhills:
> 
> big rockpile


I guess! Either revenge or suicide!


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## Chief Cook (Apr 24, 2011)

Big Rockpile: OUCH! Don't blame that dog one bit. We had a GSP that I had spayed when I got her. "D" was a fabulous dog. It seemed to calm her down a little after it was done and she was more focused on what we were doing. I sure do miss her and don't think I could bear to have another. I will look for a dog of another breed I guess.


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