German Wire Haired lab pointer or pointing lab?

[dromero]

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!!

[yorketransport]

I just envision a long, wire haired lab.

I really wanted a German Wirehaired but couldn't get over the high energy of the breed as a house pet. I ended up with a Wirehaired Griffon and I couldn't be happier. Shes incredibly well behaved in the house and I think that she does great in the field as well considering her complete lack of real training.

Andrew

[wildweeds]

NOOOOOOOOO! Don't fall into the trap of thinking of a better mousetrap(Or dog in this case)Wirehairs for the most part are not high strung wingnuts.I've seen the pointerxlab crosses it doesn't work as one thinks it would.Make sure to do your homework on the wirehairs,they can be surly and cantankerous with other dogs,typically the females are more owly than the males.I have a friend who has bred them for 25+ years,they are not a breed that lends itself well to kennelblindness,selection of breedstock temperment is paramount.If you can swing 2 dogs get the Mrs her dog and you get one of your own,Make a deal and get the wire first(trust me on this one) and then get the lab.If you do it the other way around the wire will most likely always be trying to buck up and alpha over the Lab,If the lab won't stand for it you'll have trouble,you'll also have trouble trying to raise 2 pups at once unless they are segregated the majority of the time.If you Could have 2 (And I can't believe I'm going to say this) A brittiany and a Lab would be a perfect get along pair,you'd have an upland dog and a waterdog.The britt wouldn't eat much and are typically small dogs and labs are happy go lucky,just make sure that if you go the two dog route you get a male of one,female of the other and spay the female before your offering up "Designer" bucket pups.

[jackson7]

wirehair, griffon, spinone

[AspenBud]

If I were you I'd buy a griffon or spinone.

You'll get a better dog with more predictable results than you will from mixing two breeds together. Otherwise find a reputable pointing lab breeder.

[Special T]

I have a buddy with 2 German Wire hairs. Awesome dogs to hunt behind! I would say that they are high energy, and like most dogs with high drive if you don't  give them a job they will find one that you dont like! He hunts them about 3 times a week and i hunted with him about 1-2 time during the released pheasant season. I would think that you would have to work them hard for them to be happy, I dont think that thier demeanor lines up with most retrievers IMO.

Better upland dog than my chessie for sure, he uses them for hunting ducks and geese also on the Skagit, but they dont sit very still.

[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 

[jrebel]

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.   

[Shannon]

To the guys that recommended a spinone, have you ever hunted behind one? I've watched quite a few at test and I would never feed one. Big and clumsy looking with a real slow hunt with very little to no intensity. I'd rather walk up birds by myself.

[John B]

Have you considered a pudelpointer? I have a Lab/GSP mix, he is the first dog I've owned. He's a pretty good bird dog, but you never know which qualities you'll get from a mix breed. That can make training difficult and you might end up with a long ranging flusher. I got lucky with mine, he hunts like a lab, but locks up on point every once in a while. I never whoa trained him or worked on pointing, he just started doing it on his own this year (he's 3)

[John B]

To the guys that recommended a spinone, have you ever hunted behind one? I've watched quite a few at test and I would never feed one. Big and clumsy looking with a real slow hunt with very little to no intensity. I'd rather walk up birds by myself.

My buddy has one, she's gets pretty intense as soon as she picks up a scent. They do have a strange gait though, look like a cartoon character, but I like that

[Vader8]

I want a German wired hair pup where can I get one?

[AspenBud]

To the guys that recommended a spinone, have you ever hunted behind one? I've watched quite a few at test and I would never feed one. Big and clumsy looking with a real slow hunt with very little to no intensity. I'd rather walk up birds by myself.

I know someone who breeds them and I have hunted behind a couple of them. They are not the most thrilling dog to watch but they can get the job done and if the OP's wife wants a mellow dog they are definitely that, or at least the ones out of the line I've seen. I'm assuming the OP wants a dog that can do ducks too and they can handle that job.

If we were talking a strictly upland dog I would have some different suggestions.

[Sportfury]

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!!

I grew up with labs and now have a GWP and I would not go back. My GWP might not be as fast in the water as a lab, but she gets everything done that a lab will do in the water and is great on grouse, quail, pheasants, chukar, etc. I'm sure I could easily teach her to shed hunt. In the house she is almost a pest and not in the high strung way. She wants to be petted and is on the floor at my feet or where ever I am sitting (see Jrebels comments). Also you won't have to deal with the knock every thing off the coffee table wagger and the black hair that gets everywhere. You do have to get them out to run to burn some of the energy off, but a GWP would be my pick. Check out "I love my German Wirehaired Pointer!" and "DD Deutsch Drahthaar" on facebook. Lots of great photos.

Have you considered a pudelpointer? I have a Lab/GSP mix, he is the first dog I've owned. He's a pretty good bird dog, but you never know which qualities you'll get from a mix breed. That can make training difficult and you might end up with a long ranging flusher.

So true on the qualities. When I was young and couldn't afford a dog I got a "Safeway Special" lab/springer mix. The dog would not swim, hunted to the far reaches of the earth (and would flush the birds for you just within sight, but out of range).  Sometimes he would point, sometimes not.

[ghosthunter]

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.

[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