german shorthair/black lab mix

[BIGINNER]

anyone have experience with german shorthair/black lab mix?  do they usually point or not?  i saw a couple pups on craigslist and was thinking about getting one or two for my father-in-law.

[Happy Gilmore]

anyone have experience with german shorthair/black lab mix?  do they usually point or not?  i saw a couple pups on craigslist and was thinking about getting one or two for my father-in-law.

labs are taught to point. If they point naturally, it just means they're scared of birds.  

[thinkingman]

anyone have experience with german shorthair/black lab mix?  do they usually point or not?  i saw a couple pups on craigslist and was thinking about getting one or two for my father-in-law.

labs are taught to point. If they point naturally, it just means they're scared of birds.  

[SnowDog]

labs are taught to point. If they point naturally, it just means they're scared of birds.  

  My lab is so scared or birds when he points, he won't move a muscle till I shoot them! 

On the original topic, I would personally avoid the lab / pointer mix. You never know which genetics will be passed on and it is a crap shoot. I'm sure they could turn out to be good gun dogs, but there are just too many risks for my taste. Might end up with a dog that does not point or retrieve.

Cheers!
SD

[mjbskwim]

I have a GSP lab mix.She was ruined before I got her and is gun shy.But she is as hard a hunting dog as I have ever seen. Very intent on finding every sent and what made it.And running it down when I let her.
Smart as a GSP, fast,but she didn't get any lab coat but the color.She doesn't like cold water. Oh yeah,she's 45 #s and her feet are bigger than my 85# dog's

Both dogs are retrievers so that shouldn't be a problem and the pointer should work just fine. May need a little help there

Had I got her as a pup instead of at a year old,I think she would be a great all around dog.The lab half slows the GSP down a little,so she can stop moving for a little bit.

If you want it for a water dog,I guess you would check the coat to see if it looked more lab than GSP (wavy and thick instead of short and smooth?)
If for a field dog it wouldn't much matter

Any dog can be a crap shoot and no matter what the breeders and elitist say,a lot of cross bred dogs are great hunting dogs.

My 85# Rot/lab is a great duck hunting dog for instance.Gets plenty of second looks at the hunting areas too.

Good luck

[halflife65]

Well, I had a lab/GSP mix growing up and he was a great pointer.  On the other hand, my dad has a Wirehair/lab mix now and it doesn't point.  Maybe a question of training or it might be something that isn't very predictable.

My dad kind of rescued both dogs.  His best dogs have been straight GSPs.

[bonneylakebowman]

I have a shorthair lab mix right now and she is awesome.  She points pretty good without any formal pointing training and she hunts hard.  I got her for cheap and didn't expect much from her and I am impressed with what I got.  It seams like she has more pointer in her then lab because she has the pointer build.  She loves the water too.  I think it is a good mix personally she hunts hard but has the lab personality.  Rowdy has seen her work a few times so he could tell you what he thinks of the mix too.

Nate