Opinions on German Wirehaired Pointers

[Hem]

I had to put our Chesapeake down last week.He made it eleven years before things quickly gave out.For a variety of reasons we have decided to get another dog sooner than later.I have always appreciated dogs which maybe are not mainstream and the German Wirehaired is a very cool looking dog with qualities that seem to fit out tastes.Curious to hear from Hunttalkers with experience with these dogs, especially any Montana folks,since we are considering a pup from a breeder in Kalispell.We are hoping for a dog that will be a new member of the family, a bud to my seven yr.old daughter, but also and obviously a hunting partner.I am not a rabid bird hunter,but do hunt both upland and waterfowl.Honestly we are not interested in having a working dog only,so the notion of the perfectly trained hunting dog is not a priority but that is not to say I won't do my best to train for the basics.So any feedback from folks in the know would be appreciated,please include pictures if you can.Thanks.

 

[Big Fin]

Sorry to hear that, Nate. I am not far behind, with an eleven year old lab who is in bout two with cancer.

I have no input on the breed, but hope you find a great replacement to become another fine member of your family.

 

[dainer]

Sorry to hear about the loss of your Chessy. That's always rough. My Uncle had to put his 13 year old GWP down 3 weeks ago. This was his 3rd. My sister also has a male and a female GWP. My ratings would be as follows-

Family dog - A++ Very loveable, affectionate dogs. Coat is going to be similar in maintenance to Chesapeake. I am not sure how your Chesapeake was around other people, but my family has had 3 of them, and I was always scared they were going to get someone. Very loyal around the family, not so much with strangers. My experience with GWP's has been they love everyone.

Upland B+ --- Good nose, mid ranging, above average endurance. My shorthair will go a lot longer than the GWP's I have been around. Everyone's training is different, so it's not apples to apples.

Waterfowl C--- I'm not sure what this will entail, but if it's the nasty freezing river waterfowl hunting I am imagining, and you have been hunting with a Chesapeake, the GWP will not compare.

I would consider a GWP a GREAT companion, and a more than capable working dog, especially with the proper training. If I didn't love petting my silky smooth GSP so much, I might have one.

 

[Devil Diver Down]

Sorry about the loss of your dog. I don't know much about GWPs but my family has always had labs and I loved them but we bought our first German Shorthair Pointer 11 years ago and I'll probably never own another breed. This one still acts like a pup and may outlive the whole family. I blew it with training him so days afield are few and largely frustrating, but they're great companions, even though hyper is an understatement. Best of luck choosing your new family member.

 

[Hem]

Thanks for the replies.Fin- Yeah,our dog had some chronic joint problems throughout his life, mostly due to him running under my Dodge 3/4 ton as a young dog.Amazing I didn't squash him.He was psychotic either riding in vehicles(destroyed the head rest of my wife's car one day while she was driving),or when there was lightning and thunder(spent his life trying to catch bolts).So the writing was on the wall with joint failure,aging, but then he developed diabetes.Everybody asks how our daughter is taking it,but mom and dad struggle the most without the screwball.As for hunting, well Mr.Belligerent took the notion at an early age to eat every bird I shot,....never did see how many he could eat before he was full. So you can see I could be easily satisfied with a hunting dog with average capabilities.

 

[pointingdogsrule]

Hem: Sorry for the loss. I had to put down my two Wirehaired Pointing Griffons over the last two years and know the feeling. Life long friends.

As a DVM and bird hunter I have seen lots of dogs. GWP... good nose, water ability, and retrieve.

Things that I would consider. NUMBER #1: Temperment. I have seen lots of really nice GWP's, however, I have also seen two that were "very protective", Not sure if it was how they were raised or some other reason. I knew when around those dogs that they had their own "territory and people". Check out the mom and dad. Can you go right up to the mom and dad and "hug and pet them"? Are the parents "standoffish"? This will tell you a lot about the dog (for that matter any dog).

Second: Hair coat. Make sure the haircoat is very rough. The under coat should be shorter. A fine hair coat will collect cockleburs whereas a rough coat will not.

The rest is up to you. Good luck in your search and hope that you find a lifelong friend.

good luck to all
the dog

 

[huntRme]

GWP is a great hunter, but frequently stand-off-ish when it comes to people. You may want to consider a Wire-haired Pointing Griffon for a family dog. Same great hunters, run all day (great if you hunt chukars), love to hunt, go everywhere with you (including to bed), always ready for a game.

There is a lot of irresponsible breeding out there so you gotta do your research before buying. Some people breed show dogs and pass them off as a hunting line. Show dogs tend to be large with soft coats, hunters are smaller with hard/wire coats.

 

[MThuntr]

Last year I got a pup from Spruce Creek Griffons out of Laurel. He was so smart and eager to please even at 8 weeks. He LOVED kids! Unfortunately being single and having to travel for work so much in his formative days I decided is was best to give him back. One thing I learned in my brief 3 weeks of ownership is Griffons want/need/have to be with their human and they will ultimately end up in bed whether you like it or not.

Spruce Creek just had pups (5 girls and 1 boy) on April 15th. I don't know if they have any pups left but John is an exceptional guy and loyal to his dogs.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

I bought a GWP pup last year from Bone Point Kennels In Baker City, OR. These are some pictures of him during his first year. He is almost 11 months old right now. My previous hunting dog, now retired, is a black lab. My thoughts on the breed:

Smarter than hell, and this can make them a challenge to train relative to a lab. Labs are obedience fools because they aren't all that bright. These dogs take a little more creativity sometimes, and can learn very quickly. This can be both good and bad.

They are very affectionate and like people. Mine would like to be with me 24/7. They are hilarious around the house, but can also be a handful at times. Henry does a really good job of just chilling out most of the time, but when he's wound up it's better to just get the tennis ball and play with him.

Very good with kids. I took Henry to school for my 2nd grader and 5th grader to show their classes. He absolutely loves kids. He has been a little nippy at times, but I have to be fair and say that nearly all of the problems with him being nippy have originated from my kids. You need to be really consistent with these dogs, and if they don't know for certain that humans are the dominant pack member, they can be challenging.

I love to hunt with Henry. It will take some getting used to a pointing dog from a Chessy. When you are hunting the uplands, you need to trust your dog to range and point. I don't worry about him being close. I figure he'll hold the birds or he won't. Don't ever shoot a bird that he intentionally flushes, you'll have a 400 yard flusher after that.
During his first year Henry wasn't consistently holding birds, but he held multiple points for several minutes while I was catching up to him. Trust the dog, it's what they are bred to do.

They can be good waterfowl dogs. The breeder I bought from hunted Henry's mom in the Columbia at Hermiston OR through December. He said she retrieved about 100 ducks that year. I chose a GWP because I felt they were the best combination of upland waterfowl, with the emphasis on upland. If I was more of a waterfowler, I would have gone with another lab.

For pheasants, huns, and sharpies, I think a GWP would be a phenomenal choice. They can handle the cold well, and Henry is an absolute freak when it comes to busting the brush. I have been amazed at his drive. My lab would really work cattails hard, but I think Henry might work them harder.

Their endurance is amazing. We have had 20 mile days on the chukar slopes. If you keep your dog lean and in shape, you can hunt them much harder day after day than any lab or chessy. It's no knock on the retrievers, it's just breeding. Just like you can't expect a quarter horse to perform like an Arabian in an endurance race.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

GWP is a great hunter, but frequently stand-off-ish when it comes to people. You may want to consider a Wire-haired Pointing Griffon for a family dog. Same great hunters, run all day (great if you hunt chukars), love to hunt, go everywhere with you (including to bed), always ready for a game.

There is a lot of irresponsible breeding out there so you gotta do your research before buying. Some people breed show dogs and pass them off as a hunting line. Show dogs tend to be large with soft coats, hunters are smaller with hard/wire coats.

I've not found this to be true. My GWP is as friendly as my lab.

I agree on the coats. My pup has a very flat, harsh coat. I chose a breeder based on the hunting dogs he's put in the field. I want to see lots of field photos with dead birds and beat up shotguns.

 

[fowladdict]

Some really good comments above on the GWP breed. I agree with JLS that the GWP is not standoffish. Just my opinion based on my dog. Mine is quite a loveable loony that will let me do anything to him or with him. My favorite thing about him is how ridiculous he looks when he is wet.

 

[kansasdad]

JLS: I think Henry looks happier hunting upland! (Echoing fowladdict1's comment about a wet dog).

 

[Hem]

Thanks a bunch for all comments,I knew I could get some worthy feedback/advice.It is good to get advice from other owners.Would anybody have any knowledge about Silver Buckle Kennels located in Kalispell,Mt.? Also great to see another member of Red Sox Nation.My daughter would be a fourth generation fan.

 

[JoseCuervo]

I got nothing to add, other than these pics are great and need to be repeated...

I am pretty sure I am getting a slight bout of "Puppy-itis".....

 

[300stw]

i have had most pointing breeds in the last 30 years, when i was in idaho, i ran english pointers and some leggy shorthairs,,i would harvest over 200 chukars and over a 100 huns a year over there points,,,solid all around dogs, when i moved to eastern montana, after the first hunting season, i seen i needed a dog with more coat more water retreiving, my english pointers were always shivering during late season hunting,

i sold all my dogs, started researching wirehairs, i now have wirehairs from bone point as well as from norton kennels, i really like the breeding from these dogs, COSMO is a stud dog from norton kennels, i really like, although i have a solid brown male and a black grizzly female, i wouldnt trade them for anything,,,

i have found that it seems the pups mature a little later than the english pointers i breed, these dogs are my familys best friends from small child to grandma,
my male has the legs and endurance of any shorthair i have ever had and will range with many of the english pointers i have had,
both dogs retreive out of the river or lake until the water freezes over, with there shorter coarser coats, no buurs, and i think they stay warmer than other dogs, intense point, track a wounded deer, ride onthe tractor, decoy dog for coyote hunting, come in the house and sleep at the fireplace all night

i am pretty sold on a wirehair, but i like em short coat shorter furnishings, and some leg on em,,,,

my boy and i shot many limits of phesant, sharptails, sage grouse and waterfowl, also quite a few huns,,the last 3 years, i have not wanted "more" in a dog, sometimes "less" would be beneficial for the porcupine population,,,,,

i have a 8mo old female getting ready to take to a NAVHDA test for natural ability next month will be breed to my male toward the end of the year ,
dontthink you can go wrong with the right wirehair,, spend some time with the parents of the potential pup, look for personality that suits you and yours, and have fun,,,,,

 

[Deleted member 20812]

JLS: I think Henry looks happier hunting upland! (Echoing fowladdict1's comment about a wet dog).

Kansas,

Reference the look on Henry's face. Henry had eaten some unidentified object, and was going on day #2 of a self imposed fast. That also corresponded with day #2 of a hunting trip.

He wasn't feeling all that great. When we got home he crapped out the object (which happened to be a couple of big hair scrunchies) and felt much better.

 

[idnative1948]

@Hem
That sucks! Bud of mine in the office just picked up a GWP. If I didn't live in the city. it would be my go-to dog. His is a pill! In the crate 2 hrs max and then out for a walk at work. He just cannot leave him home in a kennel during the day. As an engineer it is good for him to get out of his *cave* several times a day. I talked to my old vet today and he said to get him a knuckle bone to chew on. Is this something to suggest? Haven't had a dog for 30 odd years myself.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

@Hem
That sucks! Bud of mine in the office just picked up a GWP. If I didn't live in the city. it would be my go-to dog. His is a pill! In the crate 2 hrs max and then out for a walk at work. He just cannot leave him home in a kennel during the day. As an engineer it is good for him to get out of his *cave* several times a day. I talked to my old vet today and he said to get him a knuckle bone to chew on. Is this something to suggest? Haven't had a dog for 30 odd years myself.

Interesting. Henry spends 5-7 hours in his crate on weekdays during the day. No problems at all.

 

[drahthaar]

Last Monday I buried my 14.5 year old drahthaar, right next to his mother. Been half a wreck about it too. Still have one more though.

He was never in pain, just got deaf and slow. Sunday night, he all but told me he was done.

 

[Hem]

Sorry for your loss Draht. Taking your pet to the Vets for the last time is rotten,even when you know in your heart it is time.