Do you hunt with a Drahthaar?

Shorthair Hunters

Shorthair Hunters

Member
I am at that point where a new hunting buddy is being thought of and i have been kicking it over about a Drahthaar or Wirehair to join myself and my GSP. Does anyone hunt with either of them especially the Drahthaar, i would like to talk to you about this breed to help me decide if i want to stray from the GSP line?
 
I have a Drahthaar, He is the most talented dog I have ever hunted with. He has an amazing nose, I have seen him point pheasants at 60 yards. He has a very strong desire to hunt and does an excellent job of retrieving. Mine is rather shorthaired. One thing I want you to know is mine is not a friend of cats, so if that is important give it consideration. This is my last dog and is what I wanted. If you want the name of the breeder I got him from let me know.
 
Sent you a PM.

I've had three GWPs and loved each. Just took in a year-old female this year, she shows promise.

For stories, check the Young Bert posts I made. I think there's about 5 or 6 of them, mostly mis-adventures.

Best wishes on your choice.
 
Made the switch.

Had a springer. Lost him in February to cancer. Picked up a draht Memorial Day weekend.

He's an impressive dog. Extremely calm, much smarter than my springer was, I'm really impressed with the dog at only six months.

Pointed fur and feather right away. Easy to train. I can't find a flaw with owning a draht, maybe hard on cats. We haven't run into one yet but he loves when you make cat sounds.

He has a very short coat overall, not short hair short like a puudle pointer but so much better. I guess all coats come out of litters short hair to as hairy as a griffon. I'd say try it out you'll like them more on ducks maybe because of the coat. I'll let you know how pheasant season goes.
 
I hunt Brittanys and a friend of mine hunts wire hairs , he hunts ducks and geese maybe a little more than upland . His dog got a big dose of waterfowl when he was young and that is his strong suit , plenty capable in uplands . I am thinking if he had more of an emphasis on upland early that would be his strong suit .

Cat and other small fur would be in trouble around most of these dogs like previously mentioned .

Look for dogs with the shorter coat .
 
Thank you to all the replies they have been helpful. We do have cats in the house so this give me something to think about, you know loose a cat the wife might leave not that this is a bad thing, just kiddin. We have always had cats and dogs so maybe if the pup is raised around cats it would be ok like my past dogs, but makes me think i need to do somemore research about this.

Thanks again,
 
Shorthair Hunters said:
Thank you to all the replies they have been helpful. We do have cats in the house so this give me something to think about, you know loose a cat the wife might leave not that this is a bad thing, just kiddin. We have always had cats and dogs so maybe if the pup is raised around cats it would be ok like my past dogs, but makes me think i need to do somemore research about this.

Thanks again,
Click to expand...

Carefull :eek: My wife is a call lover and dog lover as well--

However She did point out to me years ago that--If anything happened to her cat because of one of my dogs---

It would not be the only thing that I would not see or would be missing for a long-long time--:):rolleyes:
 
RE: Cats.

I had an adult cat when I got my first GWP, a female at 8 weeks of age. They coexisted, but never really warmed to each other unless it was Winter and I was in bed and they each found a place to steal heat.

Young Bert was a 2.5 year old male and would occasionally come back from running a rabbit with a feral cat that NEEDED killing. No convincing him, ever.

The current GWP female I have was given up in part because she had predatory intent on the previous owners' cats.

So...

It can be happen, but the circumstances must be right, I think.
 
Kismet, i agree i think if you raise your pup with cats and training them that they are not prey then you should be ok with them living together.

Thanks for the PM, i am reading your other posts that you submitted.
 
Wish it wasn't true but a big wild tom cat put a serious hurtin on my pup when she was younger. Still has a scar on her forehead lol. But she's a vizsla and prob a bit softer than most drahts. She still chases fur but won't touch cats.
 
It can be hit and miss on what a GWP will do vs a Drat. My 3.5yo GWP is as birdy as a dog can be, but ignores fur entirely. That is perfect for me and I have not encouraged her at all to hunt fur. She is not sharp.. at all. She has never killed anything AFAIK.

She wants to play with cats, but has learned they can be a little prickly and keeps her distance.

I imagine that if I shot some squirrels or rabbits she would warm up to the idea of at least pointing and retrieving fur quickly.

Last year, while pheasant hunting, she collided with a big jack rabbit in tall grass and they both went down in a tangle of legs. She blew that off and kept looking for birds.
 
A Draht and a Wirehair are different breeds. Similar but with differing key traits that have been selectively bred into each. I have hunted with both and have been impressed with the wirehairs. However, I have never been behind a dog with more prey drive and determination than a Draht. My Drafts are stubborn, difficult to train, and don't play well with other domestic animals. My big bitch has dispatched multiple cats, but lives along side my cats. As if she knows them.

That being said I would never have a different pointing breed.
 
I have two GWP's and one Draht all three are females, all three are bird finding machines. My DD was harder to train but she is a great all around dog. She will not give up on a wounded running rooster. This passed weekend I watched her trail one for 200 yards and retrieve it back to my hand. She is as good at setting in a dove blind and retrieving downed birds as she is at hunting quail on the ranch. My GWP's are not wired for setting still, they will if you make them. But they sit there and vibrate in place. All three come in the house at night. We used to have a cat and I had to watch the DD when the cat would come in the room. She never chased or bit the cat but you could tell she sure would have liked to.
 
I was reading something yesterday about dogs that have the least health issues and the GWP was the only birddog that showed up and was near the top of the list. Every gun dog I've ever had, I had to put down. That sucks!!! If I ever get another dog, the health issue will be at the top of my list.
 
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