Versatile hunting dog?

[JD Jones]

Just my opinion: if you want a duck dog get a lab. If you want an upland dog…. Get a setter(or an “English”pointer..)

I had a “versatile” and he was a beast of a pup but it always felt like there was an imbalance… like I was trying to do too much with 1 vehicle and nothing was ever quite great. I take some of that responsibility as a trainer/owner but once I got my setter it was clear what great for me could look like. So that’s why for upland I’ll keep a couple setters and for waterfowl I borrow friends dogs lol (I want to add a lab to the “string”)

 

[Mojave]

Musterlander, pudlepointer, German Wired hair, Korthals, German short hair, Italiano spinone; there are actually like 50 breeds of pointers available. Maybe 10-12 are in the AKC.

I am a fan of the korthals pointer and the large musterlander.

 

[2ski]

Musterlander, pudlepointer, German Wired hair, Korthals, German short hair, Italiano spinone; there are actually like 50 breeds of pointers available. Maybe 10-12 are in the AKC.

I am a fan of the korthals pointer and the large musterlander.

Oh you're gonna go fancy and pull old the Korthals. I love my Korthals and I'm much more impressed with LM than SM. So I'm there with you.

 

[Mojave]

I have a German hunting license, earned from my time in Germany hunting. I always felt like the Large Musterlander was not as popular as the Small Musterlander.

Which I didn't understand as the the Large Musterlander is basically a soft coated German pointer, and the small musterlander is basically a springer spaniel.

In a country where trailing wounded wild boar is a big part of a hunting dogs life, this never made sense.

 

[wgonfan]

Here is another vote for the DD from an family first hunter who has had 2 DDs, a GWP and Labs - I've also hunted around GSPs, cheesies etc... All great breeds to be sure but there is a reason my last two (and my next) have been DD! hopefully the various VDD organizations can pull together and avoid crumbling apart and losing the breed to AKC/UKC as has been whispered for years.

 

[marcbateman]

I’ve always had labs, and my last one would hunt damn near everything. I love upland, but want a dog that can hunt waterfowl too. I have never had a pointer, but all the guys i pheasant hunt with use them. My big issue is they don’t care about downed birds. What breeds should I look at that can do it all, but especially will find a down bird in thick cover?

We have 2 small munsterlanders and they are outstanding dogs. Pheasant, grouse, ducks, even geese. Fantastic with our kids, too.

 

[WRO]

Just my opinion: if you want a duck dog get a lab. If you want an upland dog…. Get a setter(or an “English”pointer..)

I had a “versatile” and he was a beast of a pup but it always felt like there was an imbalance… like I was trying to do too much with 1 vehicle and nothing was ever quite great. I take some of that responsibility as a trainer/owner but once I got my setter it was clear what great for me could look like. So that’s why for upland I’ll keep a couple setters and for waterfowl I borrow friends dogs lol (I want to add a lab to the “string”)

100% I haven't met one that does both at a high enough level to be impressive. Not saying it can't happen, but it's not common to see one.

There's not much more stylish than a good setter or EP on point and there's not much tougher than a good Chesapeake in the blind.

I killed ton's of pheasants and quail over my Chesapeake, but he was not much of a chukar hunter.

Besides that, 2 dogs are better than one. They keep each other occupied and in shape.

 

[Okhotnik]

Just my opinion: if you want a duck dog get a lab. If you want an upland dog…. Get a setter(or an “English”pointer..)

I had a “versatile” and he was a beast of a pup but it always felt like there was an imbalance… like I was trying to do too much with 1 vehicle and nothing was ever quite great. I take some of that responsibility as a trainer/owner but once I got my setter it was clear what great for me could look like. So that’s why for upland I’ll keep a couple setters and for waterfowl I borrow friends dogs lol (I want to add a lab to the “string”)

did you get your pup on a lot of wild birds when young? Ive received quite a few compliments over the years hunting my whpg along side guys running gsps, setters, etc and from guys running labs for waterfowl.

she won't run out 400 wars like a pointer but we always seem to pick up birds overlooked by the longer ranging breeds especially in thick cover like cattails waterfowl management areas.

I like the fact can hunt grouse, chukar , quail, sharpies, pheasants and rabbits and ducks with her. I worked hard on her prey drive when young and got her on a lot of wild birds

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

I don’t think it’s hard to find a versatile to fit your needs. The biggest thing is finding a breeder that produces what you are looking for. I would stick to the breeds with a double coat if waterfowl and cold weather hunting will be involved.

GWP, Draht, Griff, Pudelpointers all can do do what you are looking for and should have a very strong retrieve drive.

I think the issue is jut becomes a crap shoot if you go an English pointer or even some setters. Many won’t retrieve, avoid water like the plague and their pointing instincts are so strong they can produce a lot of false points if not handled correctly.


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[WRO]

I think the issue is jut becomes a crap shoot if you go an English pointer or even some setters. Many won’t retrieve, avoid water like the plague and their pointing instincts are so strong they can produce a lot of false points if not handled correctly.


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Just get them alot of exposure to wild birds and they figure it out quickly.

There are a couple english setters that compete in navda stuff, alot of navda gsps.



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[cuttiebrownbow]

Just get them alot of exposure to wild birds and they figure it out quickly.

There are a couple english setters that compete in navda stuff, alot of navda gsps.



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Yes, when I say pointer I mean the English Pointer. There are many GSPs, that I get to see, that are impressive dogs.

It’s funny Griffs are known to be close working dogs but the ones I get see and I own one, soon to be two, end up ranging the furthest - out of the dogs I get to see. I get to hunt with ones that are comfortable at 500-700 yards. But, their breeders hunt locations that require that.

That’s why I think it’s most important to find a breeder, no matter the breed, whose dogs are proven to succeed and have the attributes that fit the individual buying them.


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[WRO]

Yes, when I say pointer I mean the English Pointer. There are many GSPs, that I get to see, that are impressive dogs.

It’s funny Griffs are known to be close working dogs but the ones I get see and I own one, soon to be two, end up ranging the furthest - out of the dogs I get to see. I get to hunt with ones that are comfortable at 500-700 yards. But, their breeders hunt locations that require that.

You have some anomaly's from my limited experience.

I've been super pleased with all of the EP's I've been around, lots of drive and point.

That being said I'm and upland guy so I don't have a lot of interest in Navda or UT testing.

 

[tops911]

Here is a little versatile work, Bianca (Drahthaar) retrieving a fox. We are training for the VGP test in September.

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

You have some anomaly's from my limited experience.

I've been super pleased with all of the EP's I've been around, lots of drive and point.

That being said I'm and upland guy so I don't have a lot of interest in Navda or UT testing.

Yeah, I place it to the regionality of breeds really. There are only a handful of Griff breeders and bloodlines I would ever consider purchasing. It just takes a few years in a the Griff world to start figuring it out. Some people are happy with slow working plodders and I am not.

I like the NAVHDA system because it is similar to everything I need my dogs to do during a normal hunting season. Although, I think it’s 4 point scoring system is too lenient. I would like to see it based on a 10 point system. It would make reading scores even easier imo.

I have zero experience in field trials. I think I would enjoy getting to witness one because I love good dog work.


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[*zap*]

Best upland/waterfowl hunting dog I ever had was a pound dog female. Best guess was english pointer/lab.

I had an english pointer male that would go anywhere to get a downed bird..

 

[SDChungus]

Pretty tough to beat a GWP. You can teach them just about anything. It is all in the training. They are also great family dogs. Be prepared though they have energy and you have to exercise them.

 

[Bucky8929]

A lab is a hard dog to beat.

 

[WRO]

Yeah, I place it to the regionality of breeds really. There are only a handful of Griff breeders and bloodlines I would ever consider purchasing. It just takes a few years in a the Griff world to start figuring it out. Some people are happy with slow working plodders and I am not.

I like the NAVHDA system because it is similar to everything I need my dogs to do during a normal hunting season. Although, I think it’s 4 point scoring system is too lenient. I would like to see it based on a 10 point system. It would make reading scores even easier imo.

I have zero experience in field trials. I think I would enjoy getting to witness one because I love good dog work.

Field trials are fun as is Nastra (although there is some gaming bullshit going on here locally with the games), I like field trials just because it's watching the epitome of the breed compete as far as athletes go and you can't really game the system. The highlight of them is wild bird horseback field trials. If a dog wins one of those, they can win any of them and hunt successfully.

 

[fholdburg]

My field golden is unfortunately riddled with cancer at 12 years old and I’m really considering a draht. I’ll sure miss my hunting buddy when he goes and he was so good at upland and retrieving that I knew I couldn’t get another golden or retriever. A draht will give me a dog that will have a high prey drive and will absolutely match and probably surpass the ability of my old friend.

 

[WRO]

My field golden is unfortunately riddled with cancer at 12 years old and I’m really considering a draht. I’ll sure miss my hunting buddy when he goes and he was so good at upland and retrieving that I knew I couldn’t get another golden or retriever. A draht will give me a dog that will have a high prey drive and will absolutely match and probably surpass the ability of my old friend.

Call bonepoint kennels, his GWP's are fantastic..