Looking for my next bird dog

[petrey10]

Well I lost my english point to cancer and I am now in need of other bird dog. My last EP was the best dog I could ask for and I will never forget him but he did have some negatives that my wife and I would like to address. Yes I know there is never going to be a perfect dog.

First negative was the shedding... his short white dagger like hairs just stick you and if you played/wrestled with him you better just plan on vacuuming it up. One reason it seemed worse than it probably was is because we have almost black laminate floors. So his white hair really stood out. Again I could live with it because I loved the dog but my wife would complain about it. Second negative was the EP had a harder time turning it off to relax in the house. It was imperative he get about 30-60 minutes a day outside to run or he was annoying in the house. Which wasn't a problem most days but when it rained outside he wouldn't want to spend that time and then comes inside and can't relax. Third problem was we didn't have this dog as a pup (got him at 1.5-2 years old) and I believe the previous owners made some mistakes... at least i think it hurt what we wanted Wrigley trained to do. By this I mean he hated his kennel ( i think previous owners used it as punishment) and from then on it was just difficult to keep him content and comfortable in the kennel. Our dog is in the house when we are home but in the kennel when we are gone at work or out to dinner etc etc... if we are gone for a few days the dog goes to my moms house.

Really those are the only negatives I had with our EP... he was a great bird dog... could go all day if I wanted to/could.... great retriever... really didn't range too much but I did work with him to get him hunting a little closer I would say he was no farther than 80 yards most of the time.

Breeds I am interested in at this time....

1) English Pointer... I am comfortable with the breed and think I could resolve some of the issues if I had the dog as a pup instead of a older dog.... only issue is the shedding of white hair which again I can live with but I am going to have to help my wife out a little more

2) Vizsla... love the look of these dogs... I assume the shedding is about the same but I would guess the hair doesn't stand out as much as white on our black floor. Looking for some opinions on this breed please

3) Pudelpointer... supposed to shed significantly less due to the pudel blood. Very hard to find in my area to actually go and see the dogs work. Longer coat to handle the cold weather better... better in the water and doesn't mind cold rainy weather...


Other breeds I considered but haven't really gotten wild about yet.... wirehaired pointing griffon, GWP, wirehaired vizsla, GSP, brittany, pointing lab


I hunt every weekend during pheasant season... I dove hunt and do a goose hunt or two during the year... would waterfowl hunt more if I had a great dog but my EP wasn't a great swimmer. But pheasant hunting is my MAIN FOCUS... gotta be a top notch bird dog! Nothing better than a great working bird dog but nothing ruins a hunt faster than a terrible bird dog.


Needs to be a pointer! No flushers

[Jagerdawg]

If you are comfortable with the EP stay with them a vacuum or broom should take care of the hair. The other breeds you mentioned would most likely be more versatile add to waterfowl hunting. You are going to get a lot of differing opinions weigh them all and go with what you feel works best for you and your goals. Best of luck and post pictures when you can.

[DonF]

Boy you are talking about getting rid of your Corvette for a VW Bug! First thing I'd do is change the floors to while, black shows to much dirt!

[RoostersMom]

I love our EP's - have had several throughout the years - and several that came through rescue and have been rehomed in hunting homes. Mine all swim - but I sure wouldn't ask them to do so during duck season - they don't have enough fat or a coat built for that. They are a well-kept secret as far as being great inside dogs. Any of the dogs you've mentioned will go stir crazy inside if not exercised properly. You want a dog that will hunt for hours running and pointing and retrieving - you just have to live with a dog that needs the exercise every day - rain or shine.

If you weren't set on the 3 breeds, I'd tell you to find a dark GSP. The GSP is pretty versatile (we've had two in the past and have one now). The Vizsla (I have one and will get another in the future) is a great family dog - but doesn't handle the cold for water retrieving or snow goose or canada hunting as well as other breeds. Vizslas absolutely have to be around you all the time - they're called the velcro dog for a reason. Mine sheds significantly - but it's not as noticeable as the pointer hair on the couch for sure. My "V" is o.k. for dove hunting but he really prefers not to sit around and wait for me to shoot - he likes to move.

I don't know much about pudelpointers but Jon Hann at Perfection Kennels says they're a good breed for someone interested in waterfowl hunting. I'd for sure find a test somewhere and look at several of the breeds - NAVHDA usually has a good selection of different breeds at their tests. Nothing like seeing them work firsthand.

[whatsnext]

Bryan camper has some EP and ES pups now i believe, he has a web site swiftrock kennels and he is in Illinois.

[petrey10]

hmmm you guys are really making my decision even harder

[DogNewbie]

I guess pudelpointer and Griffon are going to be the least shedding dogs. GWP is pretty minimal as well. Sounds like you don't want a big ranging dog either so I'd avoid another EP. My GWP is very calm in the house with a couple evening off leash runs every 2 - 3 days. I think your family/hunting situation calls for a PP, WPG or GWP.

[petrey10]

of the PP, WPG, and GWP which is the smallest, athletic dog? By this I mean I like the lean athleticism of the EP... I don't want a fat lazy bum (IMO most labs.... sorry not hating )

When I wanna go hunting I WANNA GO HUNTING!! hahah it may be for a couple hours.... it may be ALL DAY (with breaks)


My wife liked the size of our EP... he was 47-53 pounds... not as ounce of fat on him

[DogNewbie]

of the PP, WPG, and GWP which is the smallest, athletic dog? By this I mean I like the lean athleticism of the EP... I don't want a fat lazy bum (IMO most labs.... sorry not hating )

When I wanna go hunting I WANNA GO HUNTING!! hahah it may be for a couple hours.... it may be ALL DAY (with breaks)


My wife liked the size of our EP... he was 47-53 pounds... not as ounce of fat on him

My 20 month old GWP is about 50lbs and will hunt hard all day long no problem. But you can probably find that in the other breed as well. It may just be easier with GWP since they are more common so you have more bloodlines to choose from.

[petrey10]

whats the shedding like on a GWP.... last time I went with a EP i thought well its a short haired dog and shouldn't be bad but man was I wrong my EP would leave a halo if you scratched/rubbed/petted him which again I was fine with because I am used to it but my wife would always make the comment he is shedding like crazy...

just trying to make the right decision here... I know good dogs can be found in any breed but I am trying to fit the breed to my needs


Also I know all dogs are going to shed... I am just trying to make it as minimal as possible in a good hunting dog

[DogNewbie]

whats the shedding like on a GWP.... last time I went with a EP i thought well its a short haired dog and shouldn't be bad but man was I wrong my EP would leave a halo if you scratched/rubbed/petted him which again I was fine with because I am used to it but my wife would always make the comment he is shedding like crazy...

just trying to make the right decision here... I know good dogs can be found in any breed but I am trying to fit the breed to my needs


Also I know all dogs are going to shed... I am just trying to make it as minimal as possible in a good hunting dog

Way less than what you're describing. If I don't sweep my floors once a week it'll start to get noticeable though. I've heard PP and Griffons shed even less than GWP.

[Gertie]

I didn't see setters on your list of prospective pups and was wondering if that was an oversight or are you just not interested? Not a big deal either way, to each his own. I will say that a setter from good hunting lines should have no problem hunting all day and have the kind of endurance you're after. The hair is longer but it is softer and seems to be easier to vaccum up than the "pointy" hairs of the short-haired breeds (but I wouldn't let that stop me if I wanted a short-haired dog). Also, and every dog is different, but my English setter is much more mellow in the house than any dog I've ever had and has been since she was a pup. Just some food for thought. Good luck with the choice, it's a fun one to make

[Grange]

My english setter is calm in the house as is my lab, but if you're concerned with shedding I'd maybe think twice about a pointing lab. I haven't met a lab that didn't shed a lot. My parent's brittany are also good in the house. Shedding is less than my lab and more like my setter, which is to say regular vacuuming and sweeping is needed.

[petrey10]

no to setters or labs.... had labs going up and I have hunted with labs... just don't have what I am looking for sorry... I do love chocolate labs

setters just seem to shed so much... plus they are mostly white... if im gonna get a mostly white dog its going to be another EP.


I am looking into WPGs.... possibly a mostly black GWP...

There just aren't that many PP around....

[Duckdon]

I really like my 50 pound, female Drahthaar I got from Dan Ritter, Ritterburg Kennels, in Minnesota. At 14 months now, she is one hard driving, hunt all day, hunt any game machine. She is busy but if I work her almost everyday she is settleed in the house. I have not seen much sheading and she will run circles around my lab. Good luck on your search. Don

[cohanzick creek]

You should get a dog that you like, one that will fit your needs, remember you have to live with it for 12 to 14 years, course I am partial to German wire hair pointers,
cc

[petrey10]

deposit is in on my next birddog... a pudelpointer... from Jeff George in Ohio. I just got to hope there are at least 5 pups since I am 5th on the list. Below is the pedigree of my litter.

[roosters]

Have you considered a Braque du Bourbonnais?? I have a 1 yr old female from www.elkrunkennels.com Our family loves her. She hunts like a champ, but is able to "switch it off" in the house. Just wants to lounge around. Great hunting and family dog and the easiest to train dog I have owned.

[displaced_texan]

Marked up, ticked EP....

Mask the shedding problem