Finkie on a Tanuki

 Hunting, Hunting  No Responses »
Oct 262011
 

A footage of a Finnish Spitz working a raccoon dog:

The Soviets introduced the Siberian Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides ussuriensis) between 1928 to 1958 to East Europe in attempt to expand the fur trade. The problem is the raccoon dogs are now viewed as a pest species in much of Europe since the grouse populations were decimated; however scientific researches say otherwise. To combat the invasive species, dogs are effective for culling since the raccoon dogs are too elusive for guns and traps. Of course, some may say that only pint-sized working dogs can do these kind of jobs.

See how in the thickets, the hunter located his dog by following the barks? That is how a bark-pointer is used. I have yet to go on a hunt which employ bark-pointers as bird-dogs, only with pointers and retrievers, but I would love to someday.

Sagacity

 Hunting, Hunting, Laika  1 Response »
Jul 062011
 

Weeks ago, I asked a wildchild of the elkhound tribe, Scottie from retrieverman, what he would look for in a bark-pointer: ranging in, after he did a series of posts on the British definition of sagacity in a dog. This tadbit about what Scandinavians value in their dogs was discovered in Lewis Lloyd’s The Game Birds and Wild Fowl of Sweden and Norway (1867) (pg. 119):

There are dogs in Scandinavia nevertheless whose sagacity teaches them not to give tongue to the Hazel Hen when treed seeing that it will not trycka to them in like manner as the Capercali and the Black Cock and when therefore the bird has flown up into a pine the dog stations himself a few paces from its stem and by merely wagging his tail and whining in the quietest manner possible gives his master to understand where the quarry is to be found Even when the Hazel Hen is treed a practised eye is often required to discover its whereabouts for it frequently sits so shrouded amongst the branches of aa umbrageous pine as not to be readily discernible at least to the casual observer It is so cunning moreover as to regulate its movements by those of the fowler for whilst he is on the look out for the bird on one side of the tree it creeps to the opposite leaving during its progress little more than its head exposed and that solely for the purpose of keeping the enemy in sight

What’s so hard about shooting a grouse? After all, they are related to the ditch-chicken in North America, no? Heavy prosecution of capecaillies and black cocks led to more skittish birds. The difficulty of treeing a hazel-hen is highlighted in the following passage (pg. 118-119):

The Hazel Hen being held in such high estimation Scandinavia various are the devices resorted to effecting its capture Some are shot to the Stand IIund or pointer though the number I take it is inconsiderable from that dog being little available in wooded districts where alone those birds are found But very many fall to the Fogel Hund especially in the early part of the autumn for when treed by the dog the birds trycka or sit close and can with difficulty be induced to leave their perch Not so at a more advanced period of the season for then so soon as the dog begins challenging they commonly take wing and move off elsewhere But even during the winter I have shot many when treed by my bear dogs or when after being scared by the latter they were flying from tree to tree

You can’t teach this stuff to dogs. A dog of certain intelligence is forced to make a judgment call based on the context of the situation and the timing of the seasons.

Reindeer Dogs

 Hunting, Hunting  2 Responses »
May 042011
 

via google.com [Image: "Gamle Norge.": Rambles and scrambles in Norway by Robert Taylor Pritchett, 1879]

In Sporting Life on the Norwegian Fjeds, published in 1878, there are numerous references to “bear-hounds,” “reindeer-hounds,” “deer-hounds” and “elk-hounds” for conventional purposes. The dogs doesn’t seem to be defined by their breed or type, but rather the function they are used for.  In fact, they even mention how dogs are employed to find a “ryper” [trans: "grouse"].

The people in the book did not specify what kind of dogs were used nor were there any hints whether the dogs mentioned are either Elkhounds, Lapphunds, Finnish Spitzes, Norbottenspets, Karelian Bear Dogs, Huskies, English Setters, Finnish Hounds and so on. It is neither clear if the dogs were imported from Britain or Germany. Nevermind the type, what’s important is how the methodology of hunting which still persists today continuing from a hundred and thirty years ago.  The account of hunting in Scandinavia is quite enjoyable read about how the English, Norwegians and Finns use their dogs.

In a particular segment about “reindeer hounds,” Jans Andreas Friis mentioned prick-eared dogs, small in stature, with noses that come to a point; who could also be used to hunt birds. Here is an excerpt on how to use a “bandhund” [trans: "leashed dog"] to trail games:

Reindeer hounds are of course always led by a leash or cord This is better not attached to a common dog collar as the dog in its eagerness to follow up the spoor is apt to nearly choke himself but should be fastened to a kind of harness in such a manner as to leave the throat and head free The smallest specimens of the race are preferred as they are not so strong and can therefore be more easily guided by the cord It is no doubt very pleasant when climbing upwards to be assisted by the dogpulling at the leash but the reverse is the case when going over difficult and dangerous ground such as over loose pieces of stone or when descending precipitous mountain slopes where the assistance of both hands and feet are necessary to proceed in safety A sudden unexpected tug at the line then by a strong eager dog might easily cause the sportsman to lose his footing and his life Accordingly the dogs in general use are small ones with sharp noses and upright pointed ears of the same breed as those used by the Fins to guard their herds of tame reindeer These dogs are also used for hunting bears and elk Usually a dog specially trained as an elkhound can be used for reindeer as they will follow the spoor of one animal as readily as that of the other These dogs could of course be trained to follow at heel until such time as there is a probability of finding reindeer when they could be attached to a leash and told to search for spoor instead of as now tuggingat the leash as soon as the sportsman sets out in a way that renders it difficult to hold them There is no hope of this improvement however so long as the present system of training is in vogue amongst the peasant hunters who are the principal trainers of deerhounds An ordinary sporting dog will readily follow rein spoor when encouraged to do so while young and probably could be trained both to follow reindeer spoor led in a leash and to go at liberty and search for winged gameFrom the text, it sounds like the Finns are referring to the Lapinkoira [trans: "Lappish dogs"] landrace: either the Lapphund (Suomenlapinkoira) or the Lapponian Herders (Lapinporokoira). However given even Norwegian Elkhounds have innate herding abilities, and there were numerous village strains of dogs prior to the standardizations set forward by kennel owners, it is probably wise to be consistent with the original text: classify dogs based on their tasks.

A Hunter and His Dogs

 Dogs  1 Response »
Apr 132011
 

via rnbkennels.com [Image: Unknown]

I am in love with this particular photograph for some reason. Frankly, the conformation of the Norrbottenspets doesn’t do it for me.

Back when I sought out Vallhunds at the Abbotsford Dog Show, Riley’s breeder was showing Norrbottenspets shortly before the Finnish Spitzes had their chances in the ring. Beautiful dogs. However if I had known Tod is more similar to the Nordic landrace than to a Shiba Inu, I would had inquired more about the Norrbottenspets. Such a life, but honestly, Riley is a better dog at this stage in my life.

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