Can you talk me out of getting a GSP

[cwitherow]

I was actually looking for a Small Munsterlander when I got roped into my Lab Ellie. They are beautiful dogs, a nice size, "versatile" hunter, and great disposition. Relatively new to North America so hard to find breeders. But they sure sound interesting. I think we will be hearing more about them.

They are popping up more and more on the upland scene. Same with WPG. The more people know about them, the more people want them, and the more “breeders” pop up. Popularity isn’t always a good thing.

 

[TWC]

I was actually looking for a Small Munsterlander when I got roped into my Lab Ellie. They are beautiful dogs, a nice size, "versatile" hunter, and great disposition. Relatively new to North America so hard to find breeders. But they sure sound interesting. I think we will be hearing more about them.

A friend of mine in the UK has these and he uses them for pointing, picking up with duck flighting and tracking big game. They are more highly strung than a lab but I agree, less so than a GSP.

 

[Elmacho]

I’m from Gallatin county as well.
We snagged a GSP from Best Gun Dogs (Utah) last September. Very birdy but won’t retrieve for a damn though. She gets cold fairly easily. She would be an ice cube if we did an entire day of waterfowl. We’re in the processing of finding a trainer to force fetch her.



My wife has recently given me the green light on selecting a second dog. After countless hours of research, I decided that a Draht was best suited for us. Still in the process of finding a breeder.

Utah has a bunch of good ones

 

[Don Fischer]

I am a huge fan of GSP have had a number of them and one of my all time favorite's was a GSP. Living in Oregon when I got y first one and hadn't hunted duck's in years but did shot for my Hannah and she did a fine job retrieving it. f course that was in Vale, Oregon in pheasant season. Stationed in Lakseide, Montana 1970-1973 and hunted lot's of ducks. Used a lab and a Springer Spaniel. Whole different deal there. Hunted grouse with the Springer till it got really cold then went for ducks and used my Lab. I see the OP is from Boseman. Cold there during duck season. No way would I ask a Shorthair to go in the water at 0* and below! I might suggest the wirehair also. Denser coat and much better under coat than a GSP. I had my Springer out on Flathead Lake one year. Lot's of snow and -5* out there. He held up pretty well but limped out due to all the snow wadded up in his foot hair. Now if you were some where where the winter just didn't get that severeI'd say a GSP in a ht sec!

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

What do you guys and gals think about a GSP for a guy like me? I hunt pheasants three or four times a year and duck and goose hunt up to forty days a year but mosly in fields and also we get done early a lot with plenty of day light left for chasing upland birds. I guess I'm curious how a gsp would do in the blind and how it would do retrieving waterfowl.

If you want a pointer over a flusher I would say go for the GSP. The end result of any dog is how much effort is put into the training. A hunting dog will never be better than the expectations you place on the dog.

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

I am a huge fan of GSP have had a number of them and one of my all time favorite's was a GSP. Living in Oregon when I got y first one and hadn't hunted duck's in years but did shot for my Hannah and she did a fine job retrieving it. f course that was in Vale, Oregon in pheasant season. Stationed in Lakseide, Montana 1970-1973 and hunted lot's of ducks. Used a lab and a Springer Spaniel. Whole different deal there. Hunted grouse with the Springer till it got really cold then went for ducks and used my Lab. I see the OP is from Boseman. Cold there during duck season. No way would I ask a Shorthair to go in the water at 0* and below! I might suggest the wirehair also. Denser coat and much better under coat than a GSP. I had my Springer out on Flathead Lake one year. Lot's of snow and -5* out there. He held up pretty well but limped out due to all the snow wadded up in his foot hair. Now if you were some where where the winter just didn't get that severeI'd say a GSP in a ht sec!

Brandy says cold what you talking about?

 

[Don Fischer]

Nice looking dog!

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

My Lab is a crybaby when the gun comes out of the safe. Drives me nuts too. And when unloaded to go hunting she always has to run around the vehicle twice barking. Always just twice. Very annoying! Then we're off and it's down to business. Sometimes one has to not sweat the little things and look at the big picture. As a perfectionist I have never been good at that. Seems Ellie has been a good teacher. She's not perfect but what she does right is exceptional. Grab onto the exceptional and forget the trivial annoyances.

I should add that, relatively speaking, Ellie is a quiet dog around the house. She lets me know if someone is at the door but won't even bark to come in if it's thirty below.

Doing HRC with my Springers I have seen a lot of labs with very little desire. Better to have to much than not enough.

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

Lots of good reasons to have a GSP, but not the ones you seem to have listed. You seem to be needing a lab and I don't know why you don't think they are good for upland. Our English labs go toe to toe with GSPs every fall in SD pheasant hunting. As long as the temps are below 55 they hunt just as well and retrieved better. If you do a lot of hunting with temps in the 60s/70s they run hot - so that's a concern for me. About half of English labs have a natural point. Some breeders breed to that tait specifically and get closer to 90% pointers. World class house dogs (even as puppies), world class waterfowl over water and field, happy in a blind, happy in the field, good at grouse in woods, very good in field for pheasants, outstanding in cold weather and cold water. Lot's of great breeds - labs are one of the top choices for a reason.

I have a buddy that runs his lab with my springers all the time. Great dog runs the field all day. Its an American field bred lab.

 

[Cheesehead]

Four pages in four days. I love the strong opinions of dog folks

To OP: I’m with the consensus in that the 80/20 rule here tells me a golden or lab would be a better fit for you (I also think Chessies and WPGs are underrated). That said, I love the looks of a GSP more than anything so ‘you do you’...as long as you can give the dog what it needs and love daily 10k runs.
@OntarioHunter —just my take, but I grew up in a Lab family. Chocolate, Black, Yellow. My experience was that they all shed the same, but you notice the yellow lab hair 10x more readily, as it always ‘pops’ when you wear dark clothing, or looking at dark flooring/furniture. Lint roller came out way more often.

Labs are just wonderful. Now I just need to convince the old battle axe that we need one...but that’s my cross to bear.

Shoot straight

 

[LoveBirdDogs]

Four pages in four days. I love the strong opinions of dog folks

To OP: I’m with the consensus in that the 80/20 rule here tells me a golden or lab would be a better fit for you (I also think Chessies and WPGs are underrated). That said, I love the looks of a GSP more than anything so ‘you do you’...as long as you can give the dog what it needs and love daily 10k runs.
@OntarioHunter —just my take, but I grew up in a Lab family. Chocolate, Black, Yellow. My experience was that they all shed the same, but you notice the yellow lab hair 10x more readily, as it always ‘pops’ when you wear dark clothing, or looking at dark flooring/furniture. Lint roller came out way more often.

Labs are just wonderful. Now I just need to convince the old battle axe that we need one...but that’s my cross to bear.

Shoot straight

Well what about a flat coated retriever?

 

[Cheesehead]

Well what about a flat coated retriever?

I’m sure they’re lovely, but life is too short and I’ve no experience with them. Input always appreciated, though

 

[Mule man]

The end result of any dog is how much effort is put into the training. A hunting dog will never be better than the expectations you place on the dog.

Well said

 

[golfer]

Labs are just wonderful. Now I just need to convince the old battle axe that we need one...but that’s my cross to bear.

Does the battle axe get referred to as that in person?

 

[OntarioHunter]

Well what about a flat coated retriever?

For disposition they seem like a long haired Lab. Very good noses. I have seen a few at work. They are getting hard to find. Beautiful dogs.

 

[Cheesehead]

Does the battle axe get referred to as that in person?

Oh yes

 

[Russp17]

I have had labs and GSPs and pointing labs. I currently have a GSP because I upland hunt more than anything. IF you want a dog that covers country and may be 200-400 yards away and holding on birds get a pointing dog. For people saying that a flusher will kill as many birds this may be true for birds like pheasants, but if you want to hunt quail, ptarmigan, chukar, prairie grouse that isn't the case. You need a dog that can range. Think about it this way how much more likely are you to find a bird on a 60 yard swathe vs a 600 yard swathe.

My GSP wasn't much a retriever at first but after force fetch he can do 100 yard blind retrieves so I think it all boils down to if you want a flusher or pointer. If you want a flusher I would get a lab. Great dogs. If you want a pointing dog get a pointing bred dog. A GWP, a draht, a GSP, or a pointing griffon would all be great dogs.

 

[schmalts]

I have had labs and GSPs and pointing labs. I currently have a GSP because I upland hunt more than anything. IF you want a dog that covers country and may be 200-400 yards away and holding on birds get a pointing dog. For people saying that a flusher will kill as many birds this may be true for birds like pheasants, but if you want to hunt quail, ptarmigan, chukar, prairie grouse that isn't the case. You need a dog that can range. Think about it this way how much more likely are you to find a bird on a 60 yard swathe vs a 600 yard swathe.

My GSP wasn't much a retriever at first but after force fetch he can do 100 yard blind retrieves so I think it all boils down to if you want a flusher or pointer. If you want a flusher I would get a lab. Great dogs. If you want a pointing dog get a pointing bred dog. A GWP, a draht, a GSP, or a pointing griffon would all be great dogs.

There is truth to that for some dogs and birds, but a GSP that ranges real far will pass up a lot of birds that are close to you. I have seen it first hand while running a lab and GSP together. Without the lab being there you would never have known how many birds the GSP missed by running around at mach 1 while the slow plundering lab was more thorough in his search in the shooting range. You have to hunt differently with both dogs. To me the biggest benefit of the GSP for example is woodcock hunting in the midwest. With a GSP you do not have to be in the thick crap that is a bitch to walk and shoot in and can stay on the logging trails and just dive in when the dog is on point. With a lab you damn well better be in there with them when you get to a spot that looks good or see his tail signal he is birdy.

 

[Russp17]

There is truth to that for some dogs and birds, but a GSP that ranges real far will pass up a lot of birds that are close to you. I have seen it first hand while running a lab and GSP together. Without the lab being there you would never have known how many birds the GSP missed by running around at mach 1 while the slow plundering lab was more thorough in his search in the shooting range. You have to hunt differently with both dogs. To me the biggest benefit of the GSP for example is woodcock hunting in the midwest. With a GSP you do not have to be in the thick crap that is a bitch to walk and shoot in and can stay on the logging trails and just dive in when the dog is on point. With a lab you damn well better be in there with them when you get to a spot that looks good or see his tail signal he is birdy.

Agreed like I said for some birds a far ranging dog will find a lot more. I think prairie birds and mtn birds like chukar and ptarmigan that is especially true.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Agreed like I said for some birds a far ranging dog will find a lot more. I think prairie birds and mtn birds like chukar and ptarmigan that is especially true.

In my experience after the first week of season a "far ranging" bird dog is just about useless for sharptails. The birds won't hold and after flushed once you can pretty well forget about the dog getting anywhere close to them again, even when they're sitting in a tree. Best tactic is hunt them on a very windy day using a good pair of binoculars and a close working retreiver. Or no dog at all. Spot and stalk the sharpie flocks from downwind. When they spook out of range some will invariably get blown by for a passing shot. Sharpies don't handle the wind well and, unlike pheasants that are bunched up late in the season, they tend to trickle off when they flush. The main part of the flock may slip around you out of range but you can count on stragglers taking off late. They will try to catch up to the flock that looped around you by taking a shortcut ... right over the top for an easy shot. A pointing dog will work for singles well enough. They usually hold very well. But unlike pheasants, finding a single sharpie is uncommon.