Most Versatile Hunting Dog

[wildweeds]

I saw a litter of wirehair pups yesterday actually,about 10 weeks old,cute little buggars.A couple of wooly ones in there some slicker coated ones with little beards and a couple that are very slick.Wire pups are  pretty high on the cute meter,the little beards crack me up.

[Houndhunter]

A well bred and a well trained dog of just about any hunting breed is the best versatile dog.

 , not a bird dog guy but I agree with that statement

[Tman]

As far as personality, GWP anyday. Way more laid back than any lab ive had. Huntability; to be determined, she is a little over a year and has more than 3 months with quicksilver but she is still young and improving weekly.

[Camo]

NW-GSP
I'm confused or not understanding... your link says "the breeds are genetically indistinguishable". Is the link suggesting that because of the testing required for eligible breeding, that this makes them different? If so, then I assume the same testing continues currently for all true Drahthaars?

This statement is what is throwing me for a loop..."In the 1920's the Drahthaar breed was first introduced to the US. There it received a new name - German Wirehaired Pointer."

Just looking for clarification because I don't know much about either of them.

[CoryTDF]

Okay! GWP and Drahthaar are not short hair dogs. My FIL has a Drahthaar and he is a beast. The only thing i dont like is his face is always wet and he gets me all slobbery. He is a good dog otherwise.

Do what you want, get what you want, just take time to train. Training is what will make your dog either a good all around dog or lack of training makes it a pice o crap. IMHO

Hypothermia is a much more common occerence in dogs than people think. Shot hair dogs like GSH, Brittney, springer, Weimaraner, ar not built for cold water. Will they go into it? Sure! I could force just about any dog into water. The question is more about is it safe to do so.


Here is a link to a story of just how easy it is to have problems with hypothermia. And this is with a lab!!!
http://www.retrievertraining.net/forums/showthread.php?20888-10-minutes-from-retrieving-to-quot-should-be-dead-quot

[runamuk]

NW-GSP
I'm confused or not understanding... your link says "the breeds are genetically indistinguishable". Is the link suggesting that because of the testing required for eligible breeding, that this makes them different? If so, then I assume the same testing continues currently for all true Drahthaars?

This statement is what is throwing me for a loop..."In the 1920's the Drahthaar breed was first introduced to the US. There it received a new name - German Wirehaired Pointer."

Just looking for clarification because I don't know much about either of them.

Its the kennel club affiliation and how the breed is managed by the registering authority.  There are dog breeds in AKC that have become more about conformation and appearance than about working ability, although I dont buy into the whol kennel club breed registry bias.  Basically from a genetic standpoint they are the same breed, from a breeding standpoint they are different because the Drathars are bred to work and AKC gwp's are assumed to be bred to show.  another breed that will have this same situation is Brittany and French Brittany same breed genetically but not the same registry.  The other thing is the American Kennel Club versions often have size and color restrictions that have nothing to do with function, and the FCI breeds often have not had those restrictions imposed so the genepool may be a little broader.

this is like which is better chevy or ford, or which caliber is best, or......lol saw the title and was like yeehaw here comes another fight

[Tyler_C]

is a GWP have an off switch in the house?  I kind of want a dog who knows when to tone it down a bit in the house.

[JLS]

is a GWP have an off switch in the house?  I kind of want a dog who knows when to tone it down a bit in the house.

Aside from his puppy moments mine is very good to have in the house. 

Edit:  Choosing a good breeder is every bit as important as choosing the breed IMHO.  Find a breeder that selects for traits that are important to you.  The breeder I bought from places a lot of emphasis on good family dogs that are chukar hunting machines, but will still get the job done in the duck blind.

[Tyler_C]

good to know.  I just don't want a german hunting machine that doesn't know how to turn it off indoors.

[Sportfury]

is a GWP have an off switch in the house?  I kind of want a dog who knows when to tone it down a bit in the house.

Yes my GWP is great in the house. My son's GSP is all over the place. My other GSP that I had was the same way. Not wild, but would walk around all the time. Sneak into the bathrooms and eat all the tissue that was in the waste baskets and no matter how hard you came down on him he would still do it. My GWP is more of a pleaser. She only gets in trouble once and never does it again. If we tell her out of the kitchen she will move out and lay at the invisible line, but will not cross into it. My son's GSP always tests that boundary.

For what you are looking for (pointing type all around dog) I would say that you need to look at GWP, GSP, Weim, Vizsla, Munsterlander, etc. My experience has only been with the first two and all the labs that my dad had when I was a kid. I would take a GWP any day. She hunts from the time we leave to the time we get back. She does great in the house and with kids and other people. She does okay with other dogs as long as they don't push her personal space which includes me (I had another dog try and grab a sandwich out of my hand when we were taking a break. Sofie knows that food is only accepted if given and that dog broke the rules and she let him have it.) She would not let him come near me after that. What I really love is that she works for me and wants to please me. My GSP was more aloof and all about himself.

When is comes to GWP/Drathaar and GSP/Kurzhaar I think that you are talking semantics. They are the same, but one is bred per the German guidelines. If you want the German traits then get the Drathaar/Kurzhaar. Only dogs that have passed the required testing can be bred. Most of that testing is geared toward fur and game, so you know that you would be getting a true hunter. In Germany they use a ton of Drathaars when they do their hunts. There was a member on this site that was stationed over there that used to post up the hunts he went on. Pretty cool to see these dogs work.

[Lee Root]

Most dog handlers never utilize the full versatility of a versatile dog. That is fine, because they will excel at what you use them for the most.  If you do your research into the German registered  Deutsch Drahthaar or  Deutsch Kurzhaar and see what is entailed in training them to the level that it takes to pass a VGP, you will realize that few dogs are ever used to that degree. 

I am kind of partial to the DD. 

[pilebuck]

CHAWAWA 

[C-Money]

I have had very good luck with my Chesapeake Bay retrievers. probably never own another breed. upland, or waterfowl, they work hard. Be prepared to have a family possessive best friend if you get one. first two years they are kinda dorky, but once they figure things out....game on!

[Camo]

Runamuk,
Thanks for the clarification. I have a 6mo GWP (my first) and really couldn't find any determination between the two. I've always been a lab guy myself so its all new to me.

Definitely not trying to start anything and tried to wordsmith as such, but its easy to come across wrong on a keyboard.

[SkookumHntr]

My lab could flush pheasants one day then sit still in the duck blind the next! Labs all the way!