looking to get a GWP german wirehaired pointer

[benbo30]

hi yall i found a gwp and am looking into getting him , he is 2 yrs old, he is black and white, is that a true gwp since the color , ive seen them more of a liver color and brown color

[bobcat]

Those are great dogs, but I'm not familiar with the different color variations. Try this site:

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/germanwirehairedpointer.htm

[Bigshooter]

My parents have a black and white wirehair.  The breeders specifically breed for that color.  I believe it is the most rare color.

Here is the where they got there's.    http://www.yourgundog.com/breeding.htm

[benbo30]

here is a couple pics of what he looks like , the people said he is purebred but not papered

[high country]

does it play fetch? if you slam a book on the ground does it get  scared? take a bird wing and see if it points it.

I have a drahthaar which is a more pure breed, but otherwise the same dog, yes black is a desireable color to some. mine is liver with white guard hairs and blends in so well I have to put a bell on her. if the dog is not gun shy (the book trick) and fetches and points they are tough to match. they do have a lot of desire to hunt so if you have no fence or a small yard you might have you hands full. mine is a very mellow house dog, but it sounds like mine is more the exception. many of them have a hard time getting along with cats, and some with kids......as with many other breeds. as far as a hunting dog goes they are good at everything and seem to have few if any comprimises.

[benbo30]

does it play fetch? if you slam a book on the ground does it get  scared? take a bird wing and see if it points it.

I have a drahthaar which is a more pure breed, but otherwise the same dog, yes black is a desireable color to some. mine is liver with white guard hairs and blends in so well I have to put a bell on her. if the dog is not gun shy (the book trick) and fetches and points they are tough to match. they do have a lot of desire to hunt so if you have no fence or a small yard you might have you hands full. mine is a very mellow house dog, but it sounds like mine is more the exception. many of them have a hard time getting along with cats, and some with kids......as with many other breeds. as far as a hunting dog goes they are good at everything and seem to have few if any comprimises.

the lady im trying to get it from said he is very mellow compared to other gwp and gsp , lives on a farm but stays inside so he is used to big yards  , he is house trained , loves cats she said, good with kids, she also said when he goes out in the woods with her husband he smells things and chases after them that might be a good sign , as far as the gun part im not sure i havent met him yet im planning so tomorrow

[high country]

as for the gun shyness, check with the book slamming on the floor.

[Bigshooter]

I have a drahthaar which is a more pure breed, but otherwise the same dog,

Are German Wirehaired Pointers and Deutsch Drahthaars the same breed? This is an honest question asked by the novice dog buyer seeking to learn more about his next hunting breed. The answer is unquestionably – YES. In fact, the word “Deutsch” means “German” and “Draht” means “Wire”; and “haar” means “hair”. Thus, Deutsch Drahthaar is German Wirehair. Nevertheless, an American VDD representative, proclaiming to be an expert, created this mythology about two distinct breeds. It is difficult for some individuals to accept the fact that there is only one breed. Belonging to a particular organization, is not a guarantee that you own a better or a worse dog. VDD dogs tested by NAVHDA have achieved no better or worse scores than their American counterparts. The DNA that flows through their bodies is one in the same. The dogs do not differ in DNA; they are not different breeds. Are there differences between individual dogs? The answer is yes. True difference are usually between breeders and not which organization that you register your dog with. This is where the ‘Strain” or “Line” plays a significant role when selecting a pup. Eventually, a kennel's reputation is reflective of it’s particular traits.

[high country]

I can't agree on saying they are the same. the benefit of a draht is you KNOW the parents were hunters. you can have a wirehair from a long line of non hunters, but not the other way around. same blood, yes, but it would be like walking into an orphanage and picking a random kid based on looks and what the parents "claim"....vs, adopting a child from a pair of olympic athletes. both are human, and have the same basic traits, but the likelyhood of an athlete coming from an athlete is better. I chose a draht because of research. as it turns out my dog is not a perfect draht, and is not elidgable for breeding. if she was a wire there would be no stopping me as she is papered and looks normal, just not up to the draht standards. she does not know it, nor do I care.....but there is a reason people go so far as to travel every weekend to hunt tests just to be able to breed. either dog, if it is a hunter and worked with it will make you happy as a game bag full of chukar

[Bigshooter]

You said it standards are the only difference.  Same dog same blood.  Higher field standards to be a Drahthaars.  The above post I made is from a Drahthaar breeder.     http://www.drahthaars.net/index.htm

[Ossahatchee]

Actually the above is an AKC kennel not a VDD kennel. You can find a list of all VDD registered Breeders at www.vdd-gna.org   There is one simple way to tell if a dog is a Deutsch Drahthaar. The right ear will have a 6 digit tattoo. This is their registration # number given to them when they are inspected by a Breed Wardens representative at 8 weeks prior to being released to their new owner.

Deutsch Drahthaars are tested and bred for versatile hunting in the field, water and forest and are expected to have the natural abilities to develop into an equally competent dog in all aspects. It is quite common both here and in Germany to hunt ducks in the morning, upland hunt in the afternoon and Blood track a wounded deer or hunt pigs all in the same day with the same DD. Here is a link to a video of the same DD doing multiple tasks. www.drahthaar-trulyversatile.com/video


GWP's have "primarily" been given the task of upland hunting only in this country. So the choice is for the individual hunter.  Addicted has just gotten his Jagdschein (German Hunting License) I am certain he has or will see the role a hunting dog plays in Germany.

[Bigshooter]

From the web site listed from above:

For those of you confused by the term German Wirehaired Pointer or GWP and its relationship to the Deutsch Drahthaar it is simply this: The German Wirehair Pointer (GWP) is the result of Deutsch Drahthaar being imported to the U.S. (Particularly after WWII) by individuals who eventually sought registration within the AKC. Once recognized by the AKC the trend was towards making the German Wirehair into a specialist hence the addition of the word "Pointer." Over time the German Wirehaired Pointer was rarely used as a versatile hunter nor tested for those traits.

Again the difference is Drahthaars are field tested.  And wirehairs are not.  Also wirehairs are AKC registered.  But they are still the same breed.

[Rowdy]

The dog seems to be "Tri-Colored", never seen a german wirehair or shorthair "tri-colored" before.

Jake

[benbo30]

The dog seems to be "Tri-Colored", never seen a german wirehair or shorthair "tri-colored" before.

Jake

i asked her about that ccause i thought so too, but she said he is black and white only , other than the beard i kinda gave up on him my wife wants me to a get pup and i like the brown color better

[high country]

good luck in finding a breeder. I got one of lee roots pups. he may or may not have any available. as for others there was the flintlock kennels her in spokane, but they are out of the game now. I have seen a great gwp from dakota wirehairs. I would not be afraid to buy a dog from lee, he is local and hunts a lot.

[Lee Root]

Benbo30,

Black Roan Drahthaars are not common, but common enough in German registered DD's in this country.  For the last seven or eight years the production of that color phase has been about 20% of all German Registered dogs born in the USA.  The average # of pups born in this country has increased somewhat from when I  got my first DD in 2001.  Then there were 400 some pups born here.  Now it averages about 600 some pups a year.  (I would bet that many labs are born in the Seattle Metro area alone in a year.)  There are actually three other color phases, the most common being the brown or liver roan, then even rarer than the black roan, the braun or brown with a white spot on its chest, and even rarer the solid brown.  The looks of the dog you pictured may have some thinking it is tri-colored, but it is common for a black roan dog to have reddish hair in his beard, more than likely that hair is dead and would come out with a good tight comb.

High country alluded to the fact that all of the dogs in a DD's pedigree are hunters and are tested.  This is true.  They all go through at least two test where their natural ability is tested, as well as some trained aspects (mostly retrieves, upland, waterfowl, and rabbits or hares.) Only then after having their coat and conformation judged can they be certified to breed.  Hips are to be clear, and an extra tooth or incorrect bite will take a dog out of the breeding pool.  Even the dogs disposition can eliminate them from breeding. Once a breeder takes a dog through these tests, he is then free to breed as he or she see fit, with other dogs that have also passed the same tests.  So each dog on the 30 dog pedigree that is given to the new owner of a pup has passed these tests: the VJP and the HZP.  AKC just requires that you have two dogs who are registered with them to breed. 

There are probably more internet arguments on dog sites regarding the difference in a DD and an AKC wirehair.  It is ironic that some alway choose the breeder whose site was mentioned above, as he used to be a DD breeder a long time ago and went against the grain of the above requirements and was, (and I want to state this politely as I don't know him from Adam) booted out.  I started with an AKC wire hair, and she was a great dog; but she HATED the water.  When I got my first DD, I knew that every one of his relatives had to demonstrate a love of the water.  That is another way a dog can get pulled from the breeding pool, all they have to do is refuse a water retrieve at a test and they are marked forbidden to breed. 

 The test of tests for a DD is the VGP, which is a two day test where the dog is tested in at least 26 different aspects of hunting.  For instance they have to follow a 3-5 hour aged 400 meter blood track, retrieve a dragged fox, (again dragged 400 meters), show that they will independently search a swamp for a duck, be steady to wing and shot, etc. This is a test that many of these dogs pass before they are three years old, and some even pass it at 18 months old.

These dogs are tremendously versatile. As such they make an ideal companion for someone who likes to hunt a variety of game.  I spend a lot of time going out for chukars, but I also use them for rabbits, and ducks.  All of mine have been trained to track blood trails, but I have never used one to recover a lost deer, as it is not legal in this state to do so. (Which doesn't make sense, as recovering game should be held high above everything else, and if you could use a leashed dog (30 meter lead) to recover a lost animal nothing is lost!) 

Just a little information about a great breed of dog, obviously I am enamored of the breed.  Lee

[Rowdy]

Lee,
Great info, love learning about the german dogs.  The color phase stuff, very interesting.

Thanks,
Jake

[Lee Root]

Jake, 
Here is a picture of a black roan drahthaar.  Lee

[Rowdy]

Lee, 
That is a good lookin dog.  I love the Germans Short, Long, Wire, all of em.

Jake

[high country]

gotta love a dog that wants to play in 3' of snow at 5 below zero.