German Wire Haired lab pointer or pointing lab?

[yorketransport]

If I were you I would take your wife to the pound. Let her pick out a house dog. Whatever she wants.

Than you get a hunting dog of your choice.

This is pretty good advice. I got my dog and then we picked up a Maltese mix rescue dog for my wife. The two get along great so it worked out pretty well.

[westsidehntr]

I have owned / raised; wirehair (current), Short hair (current), Lab (never again).  Hands down the Wirehair is the tamest, calmest and smartest of the bunch.  My shorthair is 15 years old and still as dumb as when I got him as a puppy.  He is lucky mom loved him and he has become a great house dog.  I will never buy another shorthair.  My lab of past was hands down the most energetic spastic dog I have ever owned.   It was also the most destructive dog I have ever owned.  Labs are very high energy until they get old. 

Now I know and have seen very good labs, but to think they are not high maintenance / energy would be a gross underestimate of the breed.  The above is just my personal experience, if and when I buy another it will be another wirehair or wirehair griffon.   

To your original question....I love mixed breed dogs.  My first dog and hands down favorite was a cross between a pure bread wirehair and pure bread border collie.  Looked like a border collie with short coarse hair.  She was amazingly smart and very obedient.   

That's hands down one of the best comments on this thread

[jetjockey]

I let my wife pick out our brit.  Best decision I ever made.  It gave her ownership when the pup acted up.  Now my wife hunts with me and has no problem putting up with rowdy puppies.

[RadSav]

Thoughts on crossing labs and German Wirehaired pointers? Significant other wants a block-head lab, I want a GWP. She wants a lazy-ier, not high-strung house dog, I want a dog to grouse/pheasant/quail/shed hunt with. Is it possible to have the best of both worlds in one dog?  Let's hear your thoughts!!

Not all labs are spazzes 

Yep, sooner or later they get too old to continue their Spazzy ways

I agree that in most cases trying to create a better breed is not a great idea.  The dominate breed/personality usually trumps the hope of a perfect combo.  Even though I did have a lab/black&tan duck dog that didn't bark much and could smell a duck ten feet under water

Of those mentioned I do think for upland hunting the wirehair should give you what you want.  Although, so would a springer.  For me anything with a lab gene is a water dog and not an upland dog.  I've hunted upland with a few good labs, but most are too loud and bull rush to keep a hun or rooster laying tight.  However, if you are wanting to hunt roosters in the baddest of bad arse blackberry briars a bull rush lab isn't the worst thing to have.

If the wife wants a pet and you want a hunting dog I do think there are two other breeds you might want to consider.  Springer or Golden Retriever.  Both require ten times the hair cleanup around the house compared to the wirehair, but they are fantastic family dogs and very universal bird dogs.  I'd give the edge to the springer as far as smarts go, but both seem almost brain dead compared to any wirehair I've ever met.

[johnr060]

I have a GWP and a German short hair. Both of them are awesome dogs and they kick butt on both waterfowl and upland birds. Lots of energy and they like to be at their owners side! Its really important to keep them busy and active, otherwise they will make themselves busy in a bad way..... My dogs are both older now and they mellow out alot with age. But icouldnt be happier with either of them. Now i just need to recruit a new pup for them to teach before they are too old.

[Happy Gilmore]

I think I've seen probably 98% of the Spinones in the State and they are not designed for a serious bird hunter.

[Ruger]

We have had labs for the past 17 years and now have a pointing lab and my answer to your original post is yes...  I can do everything you just said you wanted to do with the dog and when we get home he just hangs out and is not all hyper.... 

Message me if want more info...

[Dhoey07]

Thoughts on crossing labs and German Wirehaired pointers? Significant other wants a block-head lab, I want a GWP. She wants a lazy-ier, not high-strung house dog, I want a dog to grouse/pheasant/quail/shed hunt with. Is it possible to have the best of both worlds in one dog?  Let's hear your thoughts!!

Not all labs are spazzes 

Yep, sooner or later they get too old to continue their Spazzy ways

Me and my buddy have come up with lots of ideas to slow my 2 year old down, such as tying his back to legs together