Benefits Of Using A Fox Red Lab As A Hunting Dog
If you're an avid hunter and have decided that you want to buy and train a dog to accompany you on your hunting outings, one of the biggest decisions that you'll need to make is what breed of dog to buy. You'll need to evaluate a dog's ability to assist with hunting with its ability to be a good family pet, as you'll probably want a dog that can deliver in both categories. For many outdoors enthusiasts, fox red labs — which are arguably less known than black and yellow labs — are a good choice. Here are some benefits of buying a fox red labrador to use as a hunting dog.
Intelligence
Fox red labs possess a high degree of intelligence, which is critical to them becoming a good choice as a hunting dog. Regardless of the type of prey that you'll be hunting with your canine, you need it to respond to your commands. A hunting dog that gets the scent of your prey and acts in an uncontrollable manner is of little value to you, and may actually increase your risk of getting hurt if there are predators in the area. Many dog owners use fox red labs to hunt because of this breed's aptitude in this discipline.
Comfort In Water
Depending on what you're hunting and where you're hunting, you may encounter water. You don't want to choose a hunting dog that is resistant to getting wet, as this can make you more focused on dealing with the dog than watching for your prey. Fox red labs are highly comfortable in the water, and won't hesitate to dive in and swim to retrieve a downed duck or goose, for example. For example, if you shoot a duck from a blind and it lands across a body of water or even in the water, you need a dog that can swim to the prey and retrieve it quickly.
Easy To Differentiate
It's possible that you may hunt with a group of other outdoor enthusiasts, and that several of them will use hunting dogs. Black and yellow labs are common choices of hunting dogs and should get along well with your fox red lab. From afar, you'll have the benefit of being able to quickly and easily differentiate your dog from the rest of the pack, given that fox red labs are more rare. If you were to have a black lab, you may initially struggle to identify whether it's in the group of dogs — and not realize that it may have wandered off. With a fox red lab, this won't be a concern.