Can you talk me out of getting a GSP

[MTLabrador]

So we're elk hunting. My buddy got roped into dog sitting so we have his old mutt, his buddies 12 year old Draht, and Gus.

Gus loves my buddy... Gus will also fight anything that touches my pack. We don't know why it's just a thing.

We're glassing, dogs are doing dog stuff. My pack is between my buddy and I, Gus decides to take a nap under my buddy's legs. (Hands on knees glassing)

Draht comes up and wants to snuggle too, gets about 12 inches from my buddies boots, inside the zone of pack protection apparently, and Gus loses his GD mind.

Draht decides he looks enough like a trash panda that she's willing to play ball, Gus is like a cornered badger in a hole.

So yeah my buddies got his legs spread, all that's happening.

No one died... lots of tears all around though and no elk were killed that day.


Approx. five mins after this was taken a corgi attacked a 80lb lab, What a dick.
View attachment 169977

Sounds like a Canadian super corgi to me. They’re more aggressive than the native species.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Sounds like a Canadian super corgi to me. They’re more aggressive than the native species.

By an order of magnitude.

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Forgot about the GSP and go ENGLISH

Pointer or Setter

if you hunt birds, get a dog that was bred to hunt birds only...not one of those German coon/coyote/armadillo/porcupine killers

I’m going pointer next time around, need the dog to do all the running

 

[SoCalhunt88]

Seriously? My GSP overheats like crazy if it's over 30 deg.

Yep, no fat no coat and grew up with an average of 75degrees. But where she wins is in the hills in the heat.

 

[Fordo2323]

do not, I repeat do not ever have a GSP. They are absolutely everything you don’t want your child to be. They are the most irritating creatures on earth. Imagine having a lightning fast child that pretends it doesn’t understand a word you say and develops ridiculous anxiety and has to spend its life with its nose up your asshole. My wife had 2 from before we got together and I cannot wait for them to go away

 

[Bonasababy]

do not, I repeat do not ever have a GSP. They are absolutely everything you don’t want your child to be. They are the most irritating creatures on earth. Imagine having a lightning fast child that pretends it doesn’t understand a word you say and develops ridiculous anxiety and has to spend its life with its nose up your asshole. My wife had 2 from before we got together and I cannot wait for them to go away

Sounds like a training problem to me. Raised two with my kids, great family dogs. Prototypical pheasant dog for the OP too, but they are truly versatile. Not ideal for very cold water work but they are stronger swimmers than labs at the same size.

 

[tim629]

do not, I repeat do not ever have a GSP. They are absolutely everything you don’t want your child to be. They are the most irritating creatures on earth. Imagine having a lightning fast child that pretends it doesn’t understand a word you say and develops ridiculous anxiety and has to spend its life with its nose up your asshole. My wife had 2 from before we got together and I cannot wait for them to go away

They are the smart fast kid: they know what you ask they hear you just pretend they dont. the anxiety seems to be common in the breed but in our case study of 2 a lot of it seems to be the anxiety is a lack of energy output induced. they are stage 5 clingers though, our 4 year old will love playing with the 8month old but once he is done he wants in your lap to get away from her, the pup will flop down on you, let gravity put her beside you and then push back for good measure to make sure she has as much contact as possible.

for those thinking of GSP's get pet insurance, get a GPS, throw out the food bowls (seriously, helps cut down that anxiety if they have to work for every morsel of food in their life)

 

[Bonasababy]

They are the smart fast kid: they know what you ask they hear you just pretend they dont. the anxiety seems to be common in the breed but in our case study of 2 a lot of it seems to be the anxiety is a lack of energy output induced. they are stage 5 clingers though, our 4 year old will love playing with the 8month old but once he is done he wants in your lap to get away from her, the pup will flop down on you, let gravity put her beside you and then push back for good measure to make sure she has as much contact as possible.

for those thinking of GSP's get pet insurance, get a GPS, throw out the food bowls (seriously, helps cut down that anxiety if they have to work for every morsel of food in their life)

If they continue to ignore you it's another training problem, and not really breed specific either. Many of them can have a LOT of bird drive--it's a good thing, but you need training to harness it. They need to work that energy off when young and it's good to have a kennel and stake outs to help with their training and just to give you/kids/other dogs a break at times. I would agree with pet insurance--that drive can lead to more chance of injury IMO. First aid kids with cut cleaning and suture/staplers are part of my kit in the truck when I go out with mine.

 

[NR_Hunter]

My parent in laws, who I live below, got a GSP puppy and it’s a very sweet dog but it’s very stupid. Utterly untrainable. It would rather jump on you and get kicked than not jump on you. Every single day.

 

[English Setters Rule]

I had a long run hunting pheasant and waterfowl with my Labrador. Their undercoats are thick and made for the late season waterfowl hunts and busting through cattails for pheasant. If waterfowl were still an interest of mine, I would only have a small Labrador of approximately 50 pounds in my kennel.

After I stumbled into a "free" English Setter years ago, the dog changed me and opened my eyes to even more adventures beyond waterfowl which quickly became a past time. However, you can't beat a Labrador retriever with a great nose for pheasant and waterfowl. I am a firm believer that all dogs retrieve and all dogs point, which my deceased Labrador perfected the pointing on her own. She always seemed like she had her nose touching the pheasants butt when she pointed them. It really wasn't fair for the pheasant. However, it's up to the handler to show them the ropes and provide plenty of opportunities. I would have to vote Labrador.

It sounds like you've already made up your mind, so best of luck with the GSP.

 

[FrogFan]

I loved my GSP, but I did find her more difficult to train that my Drahthaar. Great dog and certainly had a mind of her own.

 

[Oneshotlu]

Stay away from a GSP for duck hunting, they are not bred for retrieving. A well bred black or yellow lab is always the way to go