Hunt Talk Radio - Look for it on your favorite Podcast platform

Can you talk me out of getting a GSP

Better read the US Drhathaar club's website. According to them killing game before retreiving is a requisite trait for breeding in Germany. And the Germans are pretty strict about selectively breeding for specific traits to differentiate from GWP breed. But maybe I'm reading it wrong?
I’m a member of the US club, the VDD-GNA. I’m quite familiar with the breeding and testing standards. I have far better things to do than to continue to argue with you.
 
I've actually been having the same predicament lately and do similar hunting, about 75/25 waterfowl/upland. My lady decided she wants a GSP and I want a lab for ducks so we'll each prob buy one on our own over time but could get pricey. I've been reminded here on HT when choosing a breed keep in mind your lifestyle outside of hunting as well (if there is such thing ;)). Given our lifestyle being runners, running 40-50 miles a week, the GSP fits in great for our runs but having a lab in for duck hunting every weekend during duck season is something of importance for myself.
Two dogs are always better than just one. Better for them and for you.
 
Whatever you do, please don't name the dog after game birds. For example, a good friend of mine has a GSP named Rooster. The name never really sunk in until a few weekends ago. Now normally it's quail around here so the name never was a problem, fast forward to present weekend.

We decided to head a little west on some new ground and ran into pheasant. We were on either side of a thick tree row in stubble. Pheasant were running and finally got a few to flush in range on his side. I can't see him and he screams Rooooooster, multiple times. I'm frantically doing circles in this field looking for flying birds. It wasn't in the cards, he was screaming at his dog who was chasing the birds several hundred yards away. His dog named Rooster. He's now under constant grief for naming a bird dog Rooster.
 
Snapshot into the life of a GSP .......

WCtv2JA.jpg

J0tnWvQ.jpg

IWp4kBd.jpg

CPXmvCe.jpg

GdmT3Dn.jpg
 
Some good thoughts I have decided to go with a lab.
Dogs make life soo much fuller, especially, if you choose to hunt with one as well.

My main concern with labs, and it goes with being one of the most popular breeds in America for quite some time, and being an AKC breed......is the higher likelihood of genetic disorders. With that being said "caveat emptor".

Many will want to run out and attack this statement and defend the AKC breeding standards (leave it for another thread). It will merely devolve into a discussion of how many angels can dance on the head of a pin.

Operating on the premise "less is more" I direct you back to the bold type.

Best wishes in your search for a new family member and hunting partner.
 
Better read the US Drhathaar club's website. According to them killing game before retreiving is a requisite trait for breeding in Germany. And the Germans are pretty strict about selectively breeding for specific traits to differentiate from GWP breed. But maybe I'm reading it wrong?
I like the look of Draths and I have petted one a couple times when he let me. The problem is he won't tell you no until you already have your hand on him and he decides today is a bad day to be petted and he is going to take your hand off this time. I have seen many of them in the Michigan but I have not seen one that I would call friendly or stable.
 
I like the look of Draths and I have petted one a couple times when he let me. The problem is he won't tell you no until you already have your hand on him and he decides today is a bad day to be petted and he is going to take your hand off this time. I have seen many of them in the Michigan but I have not seen one that I would call friendly or stable.
The wirehair and Drahthaar that I’ve been around are just as friendly as labs.
 
I just keep my hands to my self when I see them now. Could be a local breeding issue.
I only ever hunted over one. Had to keep my dogs in the vehicle. It had killed its owner's other dog. NOT friendly. A difficult dog to read. Made me nervous. And not a particularly good hunter. We never got a shot. Never went on point. Seemed to have no interest in birds. It got into a porky and that was the end of the day. No chance that dog would let either of us touch him. Owner tried and got bit. Off to the vet. The next day we went back to same property. The owner left his dog in its crate and we hunted my dogs. I shot a limit and he got one.
 
I only ever hunted over one. Had to keep my dogs in the vehicle. It had killed its owner's other dog. NOT friendly. A difficult dog to read. Made me nervous. And not a particularly good hunter. We never got a shot. Never went on point. Seemed to have no interest in birds. It got into a porky and that was the end of the day. No chance that dog would let either of us touch him. Owner tried and got bit. Off to the vet. The next day we went back to same property. The owner left his dog in its crate and we hunted my dogs. I shot a limit and he got one.
Wow ,this sounds like a owners problem to me. I can never fault a dog that was not brought up right.
 
Many folks don’t realize there is a difference between drahts and and wire hairs. Per VDD standards, a dog that is observed by a judge to show aggression towards another dog or any person is immediately marked ineligible for a breeding number.

A dog that chews up game during the drags and retrieves fails the test.
 
Back
Top