GSP or English Setter?

D

duckn66

Well-known member
I've had English Pointers, I have a Vizsla now that lives in the house and has been an awsome hunting companion but his age is showing and he can only hunt a couple of hours a day now.

For my next upland dog I'm going to buy 2 out of the same litter. I really like this Vizsla but I am one that likes to try different breeds (as far as pointing dogs). All of my hunting consists of pheasants and quail.

These dogs will be outside dogs (indoor/outdoor kennel heated in winter).

I've narrowed it down to either GSP's or English Setters. I like the Setters because I think they are very stylish on point. But, how do these two breeds do when they have to get into the cover and really hunt and root around? My Vizsla is a tireless hunter and really gets in a roots around and thats what I really like in a dog.

What are some of the pro's and cons of these breeds?
 
:confused:I'm shocked nobody wanted to dive on this grenade! :confused: I'll give ya my 2 cents!:thumbsup:

IMO, long hair sucks. The dog in my Avatar is a golden retriever. Compared to most goldens you see, he has very short hair but not short enough... His hair grabs every cockleburr he passes and then he redeposits them into the backseat of my truck. At the end of the day, the remaining ones have to be brushed/cut out each night. Sometimes they get packed so tightly into his tail that it triples in size and becomes a lethal weapon. Then there's the feathering on the legs, ears, and the rest of his hair is just long enough to wrap up a cockleburr nicely.

In order to prevent the brushing/picking/cutting, some seasons I give him a haircut, removing all of his feathering and shortening his coat overall. I've had LOTS of people ask me where I got such a beautiful red labrador... This also takes a long time and makes a heluva mess. Oh yeah, also I have to shave the hair between his pads regardless of whether or not I decide to trim the rest of his coat...

2 years ago I got a GWP with a VERY short coat. She is just as sweet and loving as my golden and is also an excellent hunter. Her coat needs zero maintenance. She doesn't fill up the backseat of my truck with cockleburrs. I don't have to shave between her toes.

Before I got the GWP, I looked long and hard at English Setters for the same reason I got the golden. They are a capable as well as beautiful hunting dog. I passed on getting one because I couldn't stand the idea of having to brush out/shave another dog. I have changed my idea about beauty. To me, at this point in my life, a zero maintenance coat looks pretty dang wonderful. Just my .02.:thumbsup:

As far as hunting abilities are concerned... I'll let somebody else jump on that grenade.;)
 
Advantages of the GSP include: maintenance free coat, better at tracking cripples, better on running birds and better retriever-especially in water.

Advantages of the Setter are visibility of the coat and â??styleâ?�. Only you can put a value on style.

One thing Iâ??d strongly urge you to reconsider though is your idea of getting 2 pups from the same litter. It is much better to get one pup at a time, give it your attention so that he bonds w/ you and then when heâ??s well started, get another one. Iâ??ve made this mistake before.
 
I agree with Nimrod to a certain extent.

Most of the Continental breeds of which the GSP is one, are more often than not bred for superior ground scenting, thus tracking. That is not to say a Setter won't find cripples, just that Shorthairs, Wirehairs, Brittany's etc..may have the edge here.

Retrieving shouldn't be an issue. I would recommend Force Fetching regardless of breed. But again, I have friends with Setters and some of those dogs retrieve naturally and some don't.

Coat maintenance is a no-brainer here. Nuff said about that.

Scenting ability is normally an individual trait, some have better noses than others. Setters seem to be able to scent from longer distances on average as they scent mostly with their head up.

In each breed there are lines that run bigger and some that work closer. Finding the right breeder will be the key. Same goes for color, Dark or light.

It really boils down to personal preference in the end though. Oh and I know you said this will be an outside dog, but IMO both breeds will do much better if they can live with their family, even if it means bringing them in at night.

Good luck with the decision.
 
Last edited:
Style is all in the eyes of the beholder.

Willi13.jpg

Octobertrainingsession034.jpg
 
EXACTLY!

No matter how many logical reasons there are in favor of one dog over another, the right choice is the one that you like to look at and spend time with.
 
I agree with Nimrod. Don't get two from the same litter, or even two at the same time from different litters. Puppies require a lot of time and attention. Get one and get it started good before buying another. I'd wait 2-3 years between pups. That way they both won't be getting old at the same time.

How about a Brittany? Excellent breed for the type of hunting you are doing. And if you watch the breeding you can find one with a short coat. My one year old Britt came from a breeder that breeds for a shorter coat. She has a wonderful coat that is short and flat with just a little feathering behind her rear legs. Burrs are not problem.
 
GSP vote here as well; it's what I have and my son trains and sells them so I am exposed to them the most. However, I am beginning to like the looks of the small Munsterlanders. I don't know anything about them but as far as looks, they are cool.
 
I'll vote GSP as well. I only hunted behind one setter and it wasn't a good one. I am sure there are many fine setters but as other have said long hair is a hassle on hunting dogs. I also agree with only getting one puppy and devoting your time its training. Good luck with your decision.
 
I'm with George on this one. I vote for the Brittany. I have them for about 45 years now and I have never had one that was not a excellent hunter and companion for me and the family. I also agree that the dog you love the best is the one you get. They are all great and all do about the same things.......Bob
 
:thumbsup:
Nimrod said:
Advantages of the GSP include: maintenance free coat, better at tracking cripples, better on running birds and better retriever-especially in water.

Advantages of the Setter are visibility of the coat and â??styleâ?�. Only you can put a value on style.

One thing Iâ??d strongly urge you to reconsider though is your idea of getting 2 pups from the same litter. It is much better to get one pup at a time, give it your attention so that he bonds w/ you and then when heâ??s well started, get another one. Iâ??ve made this mistake before.
Click to expand...

I guess this is kinda a live grenade question isn't it? But ya'll have given some valuable input.:thumbsup:

Good point about two pups at the same time. I always give that advice but for some reason I had two dogs in my mind.

Never really thought about a long coat being a problem since I've never had a long coated dog. Always labs and a chessies.

GSP's outa the two seem to be a little more plentiful around me.
 
Duckn, I've had setters since 1985 and have been breeding pups since 1995 here in Kansas. What ever traits you want in a dog you can find is setter lines. Both breeds can make phenomenal hunting partners. I've hunted with both, but love the style and personality of the setter. I trim my dogs the week before the season opens and have minimal problems with burs unless I choose to hunt a field that is solid with them. If you do the trim right, you can grab a bur with the comb and pull it out with little effort. Many burs will be scraped off by the CRP grass, not a big deal. Yes, if you leave the hair long, the burs wrap up. I put my fingers in the coat and cut off anything longer than the thickness of my fingers. I can do my 13 setters in an hour and a half, so doing one would be just minutes. As for tracking and retrieving, you get what you train for. My first setter got my full attention and in his first 5 years in NW Kansas I lost only 3 roosters when I was shooting over 50 per year. As said above, you have to pick what you love, otherwise you won't put in the time to make them what they can truely be. There are plenty of breeders of both breeds here in Kansas, if you need advice on setters, give me a PM.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top