German Wirehaired Pointers vs other pointing breeds??

M

Mapledog

New member
Hey guys,

Lifetime lab guy thinking about possibly getting into the pointing world. I’m looking for everyone’s opinions on GWP‘S….. How’s the drive, temperament, and are they good family dogs as I have young children that I am sure will want to use them like the monkey bars at a playground. Are they able to hunt all weather like a lab? This is one of the reasons I was looking into them since I enjoy waterfall hunting as well. Is this breed known for any later in life health issues?

For any of you guys that switched from labs to pointers, what are some tips/tricks when it comes to letting the dog roam in the field rather than work close by. My current lab works close and tight which is nice but for Montana prairies it’s nice to have the dog cover most of the ground.

Also, any suggestions of breeders that you would recommend?

Appreciate any feedback!
 
Mapledog said:
Hey guys,

Lifetime lab guy thinking about possibly getting into the pointing world. I’m looking for everyone’s opinions on GWP‘S….. How’s the drive, temperament, and are they good family dogs as I have young children that I am sure will want to use them like the monkey bars at a playground. Are they able to hunt all weather like a lab? This is one of the reasons I was looking into them since I enjoy waterfall hunting as well. Is this breed known for any later in life health issues?

For any of you guys that switched from labs to pointers, what are some tips/tricks when it comes to letting the dog roam in the field rather than work close by. My current lab works close and tight which is nice but for Montana prairies it’s nice to have the dog cover most of the ground.

Also, any suggestions of breeders that you would recommend?

Appreciate any feedback!
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Theres an older thread on here somewhere. Theres several owners on here. Ghost Point is a really good breeder local to me. Has a great youtube channel. Eric Forrester, I think. The best bird dog I've ever owned though was a Treborwolf dog. Be careful. The breed is getting so popular I'm betting there are sum subpar breeders. They're great dogs If you don't mind wading into coon fights once in a while. :)
 
I second Eric forester, he has some nice dogs that are high end examples of the breed, but man he can blow up a good hunting spot😠. Good choice for a do it all dog! Properly socialized they are fine, like dude said they like the fur and quills in the field.
 
birddude said:
Theres an older thread on here somewhere. Theres several owners on here. Ghost Point is a really good breeder local to me. Has a great youtube channel. Eric Forrester, I think. The best bird dog I've ever owned though was a Treborwolf dog. Be careful. The breed is getting so popular I'm betting there are sum subpar breeders. They're great dogs If you don't mind wading into coon fights once in a while. :)
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Thanks for the response! I have watched a few of Ghost Point’s episodes and really enjoy how he works and runs his dogs! I plan to do plenty of research on breeders before purchasing! Thanks for the heads up on that! Maybe I will reach out to Eric and see how long his waiting list is! Thanks again and good luck this year!
 
Quailnerd said:
I second Eric forester, he has some nice dogs that are high end examples of the breed, but man he can blow up a good hunting spot😠. Good choice for a do it all dog! Properly socialized they are fine, like dude said they like the fur and quills in the field.
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Thanks for the response! I’ve watched a few of Eric’s videos and have enjoyed watching his dogs work! I think the hardest change for me coming from the lab world is letting the dog work at range rather than having them close by. My goal is to ensure plenty of socialization for the dog to ensure good temperament! As for the fur and quill issue…. That will also take some time for me to learn!
 
Pudelpointers evidently don’t shed, hence one buddy has one due to wife’s allergies. Drahthar’s appear identical to GWP’s, the former adhere to strict German breeding and testing guidelines, apparently…
 
I have had a GWP who was a very nice dog but an average hunter. I had a Draght that was an amazing dog that would point birds at 60 yards and retrieve birds from anything, cattails or corn fields. If he saw it go down, he found it. He had tremendous prey drive, maybe too much.
 
haymaker said:
haymaker said:
I have had a GWP who was a very nice dog but an average hunter. I had a Draght that was an amazing dog that would point birds at 60 yards and retrieve birds from anything, cattails or corn fields. If he saw it go down, he found it. He had tremendous prey drive, maybe too much.
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I know many have mentioned in other threads that natural instinct plays a huge roll in the pointing breeds… would you agree that most of the dogs talent is from genetics while the rest is what is focused on in training? I have just started watching videos on YouTube about training a pointing dog and it seems alot of it is just exposure and basic commands
 
Mapledog said:
I know many have mentioned in other threads that natural instinct plays a huge roll in the pointing breeds… would you agree that most of the dogs talent is from genetics while the rest is what is focused on in training? I have just started watching videos on YouTube about training a pointing dog and it seems alot of it is just exposure and basic commands
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I may be in left field with a hockey stick, but my take on the basics with hunting dogs is a bit like putting the Farrah Fawcett poster from 50 years ago in front of a 12 year old boy…if it doesn’t stir something within, you’re gonna have a tough time eliciting the desired response! I think it’s instinctive within the dog, or not!, and training is done to make that dog work for you, the way you want to hunt with the dog. I may be wrong…hope I am…but if the dog doesn’t “have it”, it’s a pretty tough slog…so, yes, I think genetics are the key. Now I’m not a pointer guy, I may be all wet here!
 
Absolutely, my Draghts mother was purchased in Belgum, sent to and Germany to get bred and then brought to the U S to give birth. The breeder was an orthodontist that took dogs very seriously. He kept what he wanted and then sold the rest to get some of his money back. I got lucky. The nose that dog had was genetics.
 
They can be really good dogs. They can also be troublesome. In this part of the country Michigan, they are known to hunt porcupine coon, run deer. I’ve hunted with some really good ones and I’ve spent half a day chasing the dog around. Not an expert by any means just my experience. They call them versatile hunting dogs everything’s on the menu
 
Mapledog said:
Hey guys,

Lifetime lab guy thinking about possibly getting into the pointing world. I’m looking for everyone’s opinions on GWP‘S….. How’s the drive, temperament, and are they good family dogs as I have young children that I am sure will want to use them like the monkey bars at a playground. Are they able to hunt all weather like a lab? This is one of the reasons I was looking into them since I enjoy waterfall hunting as well. Is this breed known for any later in life health issues?

For any of you guys that switched from labs to pointers, what are some tips/tricks when it comes to letting the dog roam in the field rather than work close by. My current lab works close and tight which is nice but for Montana prairies it’s nice to have the dog cover most of the ground.

Also, any suggestions of breeders that you would recommend?

Appreciate any feedback!
Click to expand...
This may not go over well with some, but have you looked into Pointing Labs? I will not own any other dog for hunting. Mine is now six and a machine in the pheasant fields.
 
There are really good dogs in every breed. There are average dogs in every breed. There are not so good dogs in every breed. Probably there is more difference within the breeds than between the breeds. Draghts do have some very high standards.
 
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