Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Vs. Small Munsterlander

[Griffmeister74]

Hey all,
As I've been contemplating which dog I should get as my first bird dog, the two breeds that have stuck out to me the most are the Wirehaired pointing griffon and the Small munsterlander. From what I have heard and researched, both are great hunters and family dogs. I've also heard that the Griffons hunt a lot slower then other breeds. So if I were to get a griffon, would it keep up with my father in laws GWP's? The things that make me nervous about the SM's is 1) their long coat requires more care especially with burrs. 2) I hear they are stubborn and can be difficult to train, but can master anything you throw at them. 3) There aren't really any breeders close, so I might not be able to see the pups before I commit. The biggest concerns with the Griff is mainly his hunting speed. But since the Griff has a lighter temperament, if I cant get out hunting as much as i'd like, would he cope with that better than the SM?
Sorry that was so scatterbrained haha, thanks for your input

 

[Jakebarnts]

A griff, in my experience, is calmer and more of a family dog, that being said, my current gwp is a cuddle machine. Yes, they are potentially “slower”, but that’s all relative. I like to let the my GWP work the ground thoroughly, so slow isn’t bad. It kinda depends on how you train them and how much you let them range out or they range out themselves...Griffs are awesome, and the wire coats vary widely, so you make get a fluff dog or a coarse/hard haired pup. I don’t have experience with the SM, but that’s my 2 cents on the wirehair.


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[Ironmerganser]

American Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Association - Home
I find it hard to believe there are no Griff breeders close to you.
Both Griffons and SM's can have long coats.....if you get either, always a carry a burr brush.

Have you ever thought about a Drahthaar? Verein Deutsch-Drahthaar | Group North America :: Official Website

 

[IdahoElk]

I have two Small Munsterlanders and I can't say enough about how great they are.No matter what you decide if you get a dog from a good breeder you will be happy.
My dogs hunt close and are perfect for Chukar/Quail.
PM me if you would like to talk more about Munsters.

 

[Griffmeister74]

Sorry I guess that wasn’t very clear in my post, there are plenty of griff breeders, it’s theSM breeders that aren’t super close (that I can find).

 

[Btaylor]

I have two Small Munsterlanders and I can't say enough about how great they are.No matter what you decide if you get a dog from a good breeder you will be happy.
My dogs hunt close and are perfect for Chukar/Quail.
PM me if you would like to talk more about Munsters.

Fine looking puppies!!

 

[Capebreton Redneck]

If a hard low maintenance coat is important to you, you will have to be careful which line of griffons you go with as well. There is a lot of wooly griffons out there. Out of the two you are looking at, I would go with the SM. I have two drahthaars, myself.

 

[IdahoElk]

Sorry I guess that wasn’t very clear in my post, there are plenty of griff breeders, it’s theSM breeders that aren’t super close (that I can find).

Minnesota is where my dogs are from. Robin Gun Kennels in Nebraska is a top breeder of SM

 

[Mike7]

I have never had either dog myself, but of the couple of each (small sample I know) that I have seen hunted before, I enjoyed the personality of the Munsterlanders better with people and other dogs, especially after the dogs were tired from a day or two of hunting.

That upper Munsterlander pic looks a little like one of my prior French Brittanys. My dog had a medium length but flat coat, and as long as I trimmed his ears and the underside of the very first part of his tail where the fir was a little curly, he got no burs at all, even with crawling into every brush pile imaginable. He was always the only dog in our group who would crawl around on his belly into blackberry thickets hiding dozens of quail in order to retrieve or flush birds.

 

[Griffmeister74]

What should I look for in a breeder that qualifies them as a good breeder?

 

[IdahoElk]

What should I look for in a breeder that qualifies them as a good breeder?

Ask for referrals,NAVHDA testing scores of both parents and previous litters will be a good indication of the quality of dogs a breeder produces.
There are only a handful of top SM breeders in the states and they seem to be very strict about only producing quality dogs.

 

[jaredgreen]

I wouldn’t worry about the range of the dog you brace a Griff with. My experience is that each dog will do their own thing and hunt their own range. The Griff will pick up birds a rangy dog may over run. If you primarily hunt chukar, I’d go with a bigger running dog. Heavy cover pheasants, my Griff is tough to beat. Just returned from a week in ND. Only had to use the e collar once. By far the most cooperative dog in the field I’ve ever owned. (Previous dogs labs, GWP, GSP)


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[jaredgreen]

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[jaredgreen]

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[jaredgreen]

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[slvrslngr]

If I may be as bold as to make a suggestion. If there is a NAVHDA chapter within a reasonable distance from you, go hang out with the members at a training or testing weekend. Meet the dogs, see how they work and talk to the owners and breeders there. Would be time well spent. Good luck with your search!

 

[Ironmerganser]

^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^

I agree with slvslngr…..go to a NAVHDA test or training day. You could also go to any test/training day that the vdd-gna puts on or any other versatile dog association. Its doesn't hurt to look at all your options. I have hunted over a lot of dogs and each one has a great memory for me. I am partial to Drahthaars because no matter what I was hunting, they could come along (for the most part), their coat is usually really good at not attracting burrs, and their ability to turn it on in the field and flip the switch and shut it off in the house is really good. My good friends have Griffons though and they are wonderful dogs with a great temperament. I just have never met one that didn't need a 20 min combing session after a hunt in a spot with burrs.

 

[GraveyardNRSE]

This isn’t one named but I have a GSP and he’s a stick of dynamite in the field and super chill at home with family. Don’t have to worry about burrs either!

 

[HuntInWild88]

I just came from living in germany for the past 4 years. Both dogs are used in great number over there on the driven hunts. However there are by far more drahtharrs then SM's. SM's are great dogs. Very very eager to learn. They really do just want to please you. I prefer the griffon or drahtharr though. They make great family dogs and although mine does bug me to get out in the woods when its been a while its nothing to be concerned about. My vote is the griffon or find a draht breeder around you. But honestly i think youll be happy with either.

 

[Runningwater]

Not to sidetrack the thread but am interested and following. What's the opinion on LM's vs SM's? I've had a wandering eye towards LMs for some time for no reason other than I like the looks. Are they pretty much just a larger SM or are there more fundamental differences?