Best Pheasant/Grouse/Family Dog

[yfarm]

Had labs my entire life until a year ago rescued a 5 month old gsp female. Had hunted over gsps in Kansas and a friends Vizsla but never owned a pointer. Energy levels are off the charts, running speed does laps around other dogs. Work every day with her, 4 mile walk every morning. Was not leash or house trained when I got her, was living in a junkyard next to I 35 with 20 other dogs. Will visually lock on prey 300 yds away I dont even see. Lives in the house, sleeps in a crate. Belong to a Texas Gsp fb group, amazing the number of dogs being rehomed at 6 months to 2 years. Lots are bought as pets and cant deal with the energy. Doubt I go back to labs. Just be ready for the commitment if you go gsp.

 

[WRO]

I started with NAVHDA at square one. Spend your time with the breeder and avoid the trial people at all costs. If you are into social events go ahead otherwise make the breeder show you what the sire and dam can do.

I would 100% disagree with you, trial dogs have the least subjective performance metrics of any testing system. If you have a good FT lineage, you should have a naturally talented pup thats biddable. Everything else is mostly just training and not ability based. You can put an AKD MH on any dog, even a UT title, but not every dog can FC, RU, or do have the required skills to do.

 

[loganwayne]

I started with NAVHDA at square one. Spend your time with the breeder and avoid the trial people at all costs. If you are into social events go ahead otherwise make the breeder show you what the sire and dam can do. Avoid puppy mills and nonhumting breeders. Research what the breed is supposed do and look at the broad swing of characteristics. A french sourced griffon is not comparable to a german griffon let alone some of the horrible breeding of the 70s and 80s.

I have faith that many of the other breeds contain similar problems. Shop carefully!

At trials are not built equally. I wouldn't consider getting a dog from a breeder that is just a "hunting line" after the last two dogs I've gotten from well know breeders that trial there dogs in UKC, AKC and international trials. These trials are running your dog against the same dogs with judges who have spend a lot of time learning exactly what that breed is bred to do. I know when im getting a pup from a breeder and both parents have won titles across the USA and internationally that those pups are going to have some of the best genetic the breed has, as well as the best change at having a outstanding easy to train dog even if i never trial it.

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

I would 100% disagree with you, trial dogs have the least subjective performance metrics of any testing system. If you have a good FT lineage, you should have a naturally talented pup thats biddable. Everything else is mostly just training and not ability based. You can put an AKD MH on any dog, even a UT title, but not every dog can FC, RU, or do have the required skills to do.

Literally you and other people that just sing the praises of one system and then downplay the difficulty of others gets annoying in these threads.

Just stop. We get it. FT dogs are the best lol

 

[TSAMP]

Man who would of thought just asking what the "best" type of one thing or another would of caused so much back and fourth?

Everyone. Everyone thought this.

 

[Dos XX]

It devolved into pages of letter abbreviations for competition and organizations.

Dude just wants a bird dog that is a good family dog and doesn't shed much.

 

[Pony Soldier]

I've seen the same crap for 56 years. No improvement and no lessons learned.

 

[High Voltage]

it’s all about this.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

it’s all about this.View attachment 542835

My favorite thing. Hunting over great dogs. They must be great, they are GSP's.

 

[406flyfish]

Have a Draht & GSP. Be honest with yourself on how much hunting you’ll actually do. My Drahthaar is destructive if she isn’t mentally or physically stimulated. Take your time and select a breeder that has the traits your looking for. Can’t go wrong with a GSP for a hunting/family companion.

 

[Dos XX]

Proof that Brittanys are terrible in the house, especially if they have their own bed.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

Proof that Brittanys are terrible in the house, especially if they have their own bed.

View attachment 542929

Sketter gets the fireplace, Hank gets cold drafty window.

 

[TxLite]

Proof that Brittanys are terrible in the house, especially if they have their own bed.

View attachment 542929

Love the name. That’s what we named our GSP lol

 

[Dos XX]

Sketter gets the fireplace, Hank gets cold drafty window.

Hank is older and bigger. He usually takes the one he wants, regardless of the name on it. I am pretty sure he can read, though.

 

[Dos XX]

Love the name. That’s what we named our GSP lolView attachment 542954

Skeeter's registered name is Skeeter, Earl Of Leicester.

 

[TxLite]

Skeeter's registered name is Skeeter, Earl Of Leicester.

Love it.

 

[roosterdown]

When some familial horse-trading finally opened up the window to get a bird dog, my wife laid down some criteria: Low dander (she is mildly allergic), low shedding, low odor, medium size, and not a lab. Too bad for me, cause I would have gotten a lab.

Who knows how good my dog really is...I can only compare to the dogs of all my buddys that I have hunted with over the years, and I'd rank her 3rd (#1 & #2 were seriously special dogs).

We have a Small Munsterlander. I was surprised to actually get tested by a breeder to see if I was really a hunter - apparently the reputation for them being great family dogs was strong enough that some breeders made darn sure they went to hunting families. To my knowledge, all the breeders insist that they are hunted.

Anyway, I am in Minnesota and she spends a lot of time in the Dakotas in the fall...and she's a terror on pheasants. She's also a great canoe dog on lengthy wilderness trips.

 

[HappyHuntr]

We taught a border collie to herd pheasants so…………..

 

[Alberta Jonny]

I haven't bothered to read through all the responses but I read enough to see most have avoided meeting your criteria. If you want a good family dog that's able to handle Pheasant and Grouse all while being a low shedder, I don't think you should look past Griffons and Prudelpointers. You just have to be careful when selecting the breeder. I started out with Griffons and have owned 3 myself, with 7 being in the group total. I'm not going to lie, I have moved on from them and gone to Pointers and Setters but those do not check your boxes due to the shedding. Brittney's, GSP, GWP, Vislas, Pointers, Setter, etc all shed like crazy and will drive most Wives crazy if their in the house.

 

[HappyHuntr]

Border collie definitely the best hahahaha