# Golden Retriever/English Setter mix????



## jhielscher (May 22, 2011)

Friend of a friend of a friend has Golden Retriever/Engish Setter mix puppies for sale (200.00) This would be my first dog for hunting and would like to know if this a good mut to do the trick and is it worth the price. ANy info would be nice


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## michgundog (Feb 22, 2008)

Probably be a good dog, but $200 seems a little steep. 


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## northwinsetter (Aug 1, 2011)

"$200 seems a little steep."

Now there's an understatement.... imo


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

That's too much money.


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## Brown duck (Dec 16, 2005)

Price is up to you - are the parents good dogs? What are purebred goldens/setters going for in your area (could be 6-8 times that)? Obviously, you don't plan to show it, so I say fairness of price is what you think it is.


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## NATTY BUMPO (May 12, 2001)

A mixed breed puppy has little to no real market value. Its a mutt.

I would think a good price would be "Free to a Good Home".

YMMV.


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

If you are happy with the background of the parents and have decided that this is a pup that could make you a good companion and have a good chance at being an excellent hunting partner then $200 is not much of an investement. If you are a responsible dog owner you will spend many times more than that in the near future. If you had "adopted" a dog recently from one of the many groups out there you would have found that in may cases it cost a good deal more than that by the time you are done. It's also nice to have a little vested intrest so as not to get "over it " to easily.

Jim


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

NATTY BUMPO said:


> A mixed breed puppy has little to no real market value. Its a mutt.
> 
> I would think a good price would be "Free to a Good Home".
> 
> YMMV.




My first bird dog was a GSP/Brit cross. Not a terrible dog but not a great one either. 

On top of being a mutt (there plenty of fine hunting mutts out there) yours is a pointer/flusher mutt. You have no idea what you're going to get out of this dog. You could get a flusher that wants to range to 100 yards. You might get a pointer that wants to break after 3 seconds. 

As a new hunter, I think you'd want to eliminate as many potential headaches as possible up front. This cross seems like a huge potential headache trying to figure out HOW to hunt the dog, and WHAT to expect from it.

Bottom line is it's not a $200 dog. I'd be willing to bet if you wait a couple months your buddy will be giving them away. If you're just going to play around in the woods every once in a while, it might be an ok dog. If you're going to be a serious upland hunter, I'd suggest a serious bird dog.

FWIW, my mutt was free.


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## Freestone (May 15, 2003)

k9wernet said:


> My first bird dog was a GSP/Brit cross. Not a terrible dog but not a great one either.
> 
> On top of being a mutt (there are plenty of fine hunting mutts out there) it's a pointer/flusher mutt. You have no idea what you're going to get out of this dog. You could get a flusher that wants to range to 100 yards.
> 
> If you're just going to play around in the woods every once in a while, it might be an ok dog. If you're going to be a serious upland hunter, I'd suggest a serious bird dog.


True


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

NATTY BUMPO said:


> A mixed breed puppy has little to no real market value. Its a mutt.
> 
> I would think a good price would be "Free to a Good Home".
> 
> YMMV.


Agreed 100%



Jim58 said:


> If you are happy with the background of the parents and have decided that this is a pup that could make you a good companion and have a good chance at being an excellent hunting partner then $200 is not much of an investment. *If you are a responsible dog owner you will spend many times more than that in the near future*. If you had "adopted" a dog recently from one of the many groups out there you would have found that in may cases it cost a good deal more than that by the time you are done. It's also nice to have a little vested interest so as not to get "over it " to easily.
> 
> Jim


You can purchase a very well bred, field bred, English Setter all day long, every day of the month from $400 to $600. (you can also pay more.) The initial cost is a rounding error to the lifetime cost of dog ownership.

If you want a bird dog, research and buy a dog bred specifically for bird doggin'. If you just want a deal on a puppy go to a shelter. 

Good luck


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

Bobby said:


> Agreed 100%
> 
> 
> You can purchase a very well bred, field bred, English Setter all day long, every day of the month from $400 to $600. (you can also pay more.) The initial cost is a rounding error to the lifetime cost of dog ownership.
> ...


You've not got a dog from a shelter lately have you.


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## mi duckdown (Jul 1, 2006)

I would not pay a dime for that Dog. (that sounds harsh) BUT it may be the Good hunting Dog. Ihave seen mixed breeds that where excelent. A True friend, would give it to you for Free


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

Jim58 said:


> You've not got a dog from a shelter lately have you.


I've never brought home a shelter puppy. I wasn't stating that he should get a bird dog from a shelter, only a companion animal. If one wants a bird dog then do the home work and get a bird dog from a bird dog breeder with a history of producing bird dogs. The purchase price of a well bred bird dog from a respected breeder is not much more initial cost than the $200 puppy that is referred in the original post. The total cost of any dog over the life of that dog dwarfs the initial purchase price.


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Bobby said:


> I've never brought home a shelter puppy. I wasn't stating that he should get a bird dog from a shelter, only a companion animal. If one wants a bird dog then do the home work and get a bird dog from a bird dog breeder with a history of producing bird dogs. The purchase price of a well bred bird dog from a respected breeder is not much more initial cost than the $200 puppy that is referred in the original post. The total cost of any dog over the life of that dog dwarfs the initial purchase price.


I was offered a pointer pup last spring for $200. I didn't know much about the breeding, and wasn't sure I wanted to take on a puppy at the same time we had a <6 month old baby at home. From what I hear, that litter is doing some very nice things.

I think Jim was implying that shelter dogs might be more expensive than you realize. I know of breed-specific shelters that charge more than the asking price for this mix. You're going to pay a $50+ dollar adoption fee, plus the dog's first year of vetting, plus a spay/neuter fee up front just to get out the door.

Point remains: owning a dog isn't cheap. Over the long term you're going to invest several thousand dollars. The up front cost should be the least of your concerns. If it was me, I'd want a little more assurance about what to expect from my hunting dog.


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

I looked it up. Here's the pricing at the Lansing Humane Society:

*Companion Animal Adoption Fees:*
Puppies 4 months and under: $250.00
Dogs 5 months and over: $150.00
Dogs 7 years and over: $100.00

Kittens 4 months and under: $125.00
Cats 5 months and over: $50
Cats 7 years and over: $25
**Cats and Kittens are always adopt one, get one free**


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## smokinbritts (Apr 17, 2011)

NATTY BUMPO said:


> A mixed breed puppy has little to no real market value. Its a mutt.
> 
> I would think a good price would be "Free to a Good Home".
> 
> YMMV.


Not sure about this havent seen the price of a mutt breed(goldendoodle) have ya 850 is going rate


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

Although I agree with those who are saying $200 is too much for a mixed breed dog, I can understand the owner (would hesitate to call him a breeder, as reputable breeders just don't do mixed breedings, period) wanting to be reimbursed for the puppy's cost of raising...so I'd offer maybe $50, no more, particularly if there are numerous puppies. 

I would never take on ANY dog without knowing as much as humanly possible about it's background, as well as that of the breeder. Particularly medical histories of parents and grandparents. 

It's unfortunate what shelters are being forced to charge people for adoption these days, and probably one of the reasons why most shelters are still euthanizing animals. 

I would also caution you about this mix-if you are looking for a good companion dog/pet, ok...but hunting breeds need to be hunted, it's instinctive and I believe unfair not to allow them to follow their instinct to some extent. 

If you are looking for a hunting dog, spend a couple of hundred more and get a dog of pure hunting blood. Talk to breeders that are planning litters a year or two from now, which would allow you time to save the extra money. 

Although there are many hunting Goldens out there that are wonderful retrievers and hunters, most GRs today have been inbred so much that the hunt has been bred right out of them. They may show interest in birds, but the test comes when training them to the gun, and often GRs don't make the grade.


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## Bobby (Dec 21, 2002)

k9wernet said:


> I looked it up. Here's the pricing at the Lansing Humane Society:
> 
> *Companion Animal Adoption Fees:*
> Puppies 4 months and under: $250.00
> ...


Wow, thanks for doing the homework.


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## Jim58 (Jan 16, 2010)

K9 is right Bobby I was just trying to point out how much shelter dogs can cost. On top of what K9 posted there is quite often mandatory spay or neuter cost. You are probably right about kicking in a little more and finding a purebred hunting line. I tend to be soft on dogs that may end up in a shelter. My sister has been an animal control officer for many years and between her Wexford county years and where she is now she has had to put down literally hundreds of dogs and it takes a toll on both her and the dogs.

No ill will intended, sorry if it came off that way.

Jim


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## gundogguy (Oct 5, 2008)

smokinbritts said:


> Not sure about this havent seen the price of a mutt breed(goldendoodle) have ya 850 is going rate


a hybrid, with many being quite suitable for homes where allergy's persist.
That being said they donot claimed to be a sporting dog so value's of the "Doodles" is going to be considerable higher than a 'mutt"

http://www.goldendoodles.com/home.htm


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## smokinbritts (Apr 17, 2011)

Sorry not nocking the breed i just saved one a lady wasnt caring for great dog just making a point about the price


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## SwampSitter (Oct 11, 2008)

Although there are many hunting Goldens out there that are wonderful retrievers and hunters, most GRs today have been inbred so much that the hunt has been bred right out of them. They may show interest in birds, but the test comes when training them to the gun, and often GRs don't make the grade. 
__________________
...I agree, I researched for over a year to find a Golden with solid background. I also had a lot of help training from Colonial Farms, this was my first dog and Bill was a huge help including Gun breaking. I happen to love the breed and I also waterfowl along with upland hunting. I try not to take me or the dog too seriously and I've had a great time with this dog-plus I have nothing to compare it to. If anything he's a great addition to our family and so good with my kids. A lot has to do with what you put into the dog as far as time and training . I learned quite a bit reading posts from very experienced gun dog folk on this site! Thanks


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## Socks (Jan 8, 2007)

Linda G. said:


> Although there are many hunting Goldens out there that are wonderful retrievers and hunters, most GRs today have been inbred so much that the hunt has been bred right out of them. They may show interest in birds, but the test comes when training them to the gun, and often GRs don't make the grade.


I kind of disagree with the above. Maybe it's changing in recent years, but in the past 2 to 3 years I've seen a golden at almost every hunt test. One of them was a nice little female that has it's HRCH and MH by a local MI guy and is hunted big time on ducks. I wish I could remember his name. I do think you'd have to look and be smart. There are also field trial breedings out for goldens.


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