Drahthaar experiences

Robertp said:
I had a wirehair he was the best dog I've owned yet, he lived to be 14. Currently I have 2 Drahts my female that is 8 and a male is 2,
both are also great dogs. I have tested and trained with NAVHDA as well as hunted lots of wild birds. Both my draths are sweet as can be especially my 2 year old male. My wirehair was less tolerant of strangers but still a good citizen. They don't like cats that's for sure, I doubt many bird dog do. My buddys pointer as racked up a substantial number of cat kills in his 5 years. Prey drive is prey drive which translates in hunting birds. Bottom line is you need to have control over your dog. I also didn't socialize them to be around cats at a young age. I like the german breeding program I feel it helps you hedge your bets on getting a good dog and a healthy dog which why I went with Draths over a wirehair. Bird dude is correct they do better living inside and being with their family they also don't respond to a heavy hand There are many great wirehairs and breeders out there as well as drahts and drahthaar breeders
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No dog responds to a heavy hand. Anybody who hits a dog, is a fool, and an idiot.
 
I have 2 Drahts, two different breeders. First one is an older female (11). She is smaller (55 lbs), slick coated and an excellent hunter.
Was always on the hunt until the last couple of years, she has slowed down. Is in good shape, still hunts effectively and has not one sharp or protective bone in her body. Good swimmer, retrieves well and is great on cripples. Second one is 80 lb male. Class clown, but will bark at strangers.
I refer to him as "a fullback with speed". Goes up the middle all day long, cattails, ravines, draws, cold weather, warm weather he runs effortlessly all day. Points, retrieves, and is not dog aggressive. he will defend himself but would rather be playing. A handful in the house, hoping he slows down a little soon. Agree with earlier poster, they do better with humans than without.
 
MnDraht said:
I have 2 Drahts, two different breeders. First one is an older female (11). She is smaller (55 lbs), slick coated and an excellent hunter.
Was always on the hunt until the last couple of years, she has slowed down. Is in good shape, still hunts effectively and has not one sharp or protective bone in her body. Good swimmer, retrieves well and is great on cripples. Second one is 80 lb male. Class clown, but will bark at strangers.
I refer to him as "a fullback with speed". Goes up the middle all day long, cattails, ravines, draws, cold weather, warm weather he runs effortlessly all day. Points, retrieves, and is not dog aggressive. he will defend himself but would rather be playing. A handful in the house, hoping he slows down a little soon. Agree with earlier poster, they do better with humans than without.
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Lost both my dogs this year. Kind of in shock.
I’m older and don’t think I can do the puppy thing again with a Draht. We’ll see…
 
MnDraht said:
Lost both my dogs this year. Kind of in shock.
I’m older and don’t think I can do the puppy thing again with a Draht. We’ll see…
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So sorry to hear that...sounds like you have a lot of good times to remember them by.
Have you considered a rescue? There is a gwp rescue page that might be an option.. An older dog might be just the right fit for you at this stage of life.
Best wishes for whatever you decide
 
birddude said:
Wires and drats are like any other breed. The differences within the breed can be great. I've had wires and drats since the 70's, along with setters and shorthairs. I honestly think that the wires were more standard then than now. For instance, then almost all dogs were liver and ticked. They had heavy bones and were sturdy and strong. I have two now. One is short and slick, Black and white. The other is slim and dainty solid liver. Now you see a lot of black, ticked and solid liver even white. The bad; Owning them is a commitment. Do not get one if you can't exercise them every day. Lack thereof can manifest into something you don't want to see. Their size can also differ greatly. 45-100 lbs. Although in the states the desire for fur has been diminished by most breeders, it is still in a lot of them so don't be surprised if they kill the neighbor's cat. The longer coats are terrible bur collectors, so keep that in mind if your state has a lot. They can be protective and territorial. Some do not like strangers. I had one that only liked myself, my wife and my parents. I would say most do not respond well to a heavy hand. They can be kennel dogs, but I repeat, DO NOT PUT THEM IN A KENNEL AND LEAVE THEM! They must have a lot of human contact and exercise. They really flourish in the house. The good; When they look you in the eye, there is something different in there. After all these years I still can't put my finger on it. They have more facial expression than most breeds. They actually have a sense of humor that can be deviate (don't laugh if they nip you in the butt or they will think you like it). They bond very strongly with a family, but most of all with the person who hunts them. They are very intelligent. They will watch you in the house trying to anticipate your next move. They are bold, aggressive hunters with great durability. They are very good in the water although I would not send some on a great distance retrieve or put them in frigid water for long periods. They are usually close to medium range and easy to handle, adjusting their range according to being able to know where you're at. Almost all the ones I've owned excelled on cripples. In my opinion they are the best truly versatile breeds. I could go on but will only say that I believe their superiority in the field is suffering from their popularity. I hope they don't follow the direction of the Irish setter and the Weim.
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birddude said:
Wires and drats are like any other breed. The differences within the breed can be great. I've had wires and drats since the 70's, along with setters and shorthairs. I honestly think that the wires were more standard then than now. For instance, then almost all dogs were liver and ticked. They had heavy bones and were sturdy and strong. I have two now. One is short and slick, Black and white. The other is slim and dainty solid liver. Now you see a lot of black, ticked and solid liver even white. The bad; Owning them is a commitment. Do not get one if you can't exercise them every day. Lack thereof can manifest into something you don't want to see. Their size can also differ greatly. 45-100 lbs. Although in the states the desire for fur has been diminished by most breeders, it is still in a lot of them so don't be surprised if they kill the neighbor's cat. The longer coats are terrible bur collectors, so keep that in mind if your state has a lot. They can be protective and territorial. Some do not like strangers. I had one that only liked myself, my wife and my parents. I would say most do not respond well to a heavy hand. They can be kennel dogs, but I repeat, DO NOT PUT THEM IN A KENNEL AND LEAVE THEM! They must have a lot of human contact and exercise. They really flourish in the house. The good; When they look you in the eye, there is something different in there. After all these years I still can't put my finger on it. They have more facial expression than most breeds. They actually have a sense of humor that can be deviate (don't laugh if they nip you in the butt or they will think you like it). They bond very strongly with a family, but most of all with the person who hunts them. They are very intelligent. They will watch you in the house trying to anticipate your next move. They are bold, aggressive hunters with great durability. They are very good in the water although I would not send some on a great distance retrieve or put them in frigid water for long periods. They are usually close to medium range and easy to handle, adjusting their range according to being able to know where you're at. Almost all the ones I've owned excelled on cripples. In my opinion they are the best truly versatile breeds. I could go on but will only say that I believe their superiority in the field is suffering from their popularity. I hope they don't follow the direction of the Irish setter and the Weim.
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I could not agree more with bird dudes post. I hunted behind a Draat in the 80’s. It was an incredible hunting dog. However it hunted everything, deer, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, cats etc. additionally it was a ferociously protective of the folks it was familiar with and its “home”. I firmly believe that if someone would have broken into our house that dog would have killed them. Additionally, it was a large large dog. During its prime it weighed 100 pounds. So it wasn’t easy to feed or convenient to travel with.

Drew
 
Drew said:
I could not agree more with bird dudes post. I hunted behind a Draat in the 80’s. It was an incredible hunting dog. However it hunted everything, deer, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, cats etc. additionally it was a ferociously protective of the folks it was familiar with and its “home”. I firmly believe that if someone would have broken into our house that dog would have killed them. Additionally, it was a large large dog. During its prime it weighed 100 pounds. So it wasn’t easy to feed or convenient to travel with.

Drew
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I bet cleanup was like shoveling horse turds.
 
Fireman03 said:
If they are not socialized properly, but that's any dog
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That is true. But anytime dogs are bread for a desired trait there will be occasional dog with more of that trait than desired. Guard dogs are bread to do just that. For example, certain breeds and crosses account for a great deal of the amount of dog bites. That's because unlike Germany, in the states we don't always eliminate those undesirable traits. So that trait enters the bloodline. The VDD dogs are bread to a higher standard and one of the traits in Germany anyway is guarding. So Huede might have a point. My experiences in the 80's anyway, was that there were differences being bread between VVD dogs and GWP dogs. VDD dogs maybe more intense, and aggressive, maybe more fur orientated. That was cool to me then. Not so much nowadays. But I also have noticed that the overall quality if the GWP'S has fallen off. There are still a great deal of excellent breeders. But they are getting very popular, and we all know what when money is the greater goal.
 
Been around 2, one was a pup at a nahvda na test, he was a nice pup that had drive. Wish I could have seen him as an adult.. the other was a finished 5 year old who was a tank100-110 lbs. he retrieved ducks all day for us in a sloppy, cold muddy tank and did a fantastic job, owner did say he’s a decent upland dog who just carries too much mass to go big all day. I’m sure he would be fine in a thick pheasant hole, would struggle on the flats
 
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