Which dog breed?

[Midwestwhitetail]

So I have always had herding dog breeds. I am currently without a dog and looking to get another this spring sometime. I am leaning towards a hunting dog breed as I begin to have more time to put into training and using for hunts. I am getting back into waterfowl and would like to do some upland hunting as well. I have never been a huge fan of labs but looking for honest opinions from fellow hunttalkers. I have researched wirehaired Vizsla's and they seem like they could be a very neat breed that is very adaptable to different needs. I have never been around one but would appreciate some input. Thanks in advance.

 

[BucksnDucks]

Some may argue but if you are looking for versatile dog to retrieve waterfowl in the cold it's a pretty simple choice to go with a lab. If you have access to good upland hunting and like a training challenge, go GSP. The Vizsla is a wild card, if you spend some big bucks and find a quality breeder you may end up with an awesome dog. With that said, there is only one retriever listed above and any decent lab should outshine the other two in the marsh.

 

[Midwestwhitetail]

Some may argue but if you are looking for versatile dog to retrieve waterfowl in the cold it's a pretty simple choice to go with a lab. If you have access to good upland hunting and like a training challenge, go GSP. The Vizsla is a wild card, if you spend some big bucks and find a quality breeder you may end up with an awesome dog. With that said, there is only one retriever listed above and any decent lab should outshine the other two in the marsh.

What other retrieving breed would you throw out that has shorter coat like labs and GSP?

 

[Trailsend]

If you are planning on hunting waterfowl and upland game I would go with a German wire haired pointer. Extremely versatile dog, will take the cold as good as a lab, retrieves extremely well, and doesn’t tire out. I have had labs and go’s both.

 

[F250]

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

 

[Pmacc60]

Over the years I have had Britts, Labs , English pointers and GSP’s ! If you want versatile my vote is for a Lab. I have never had a bad one. I have two GSP ‘s now and I love them but they are a PITA ! If I buy another dog in my life it will be a Lab .

 

[Midwestwhitetail]

Over the years I have had Britts, Labs , English pointers and GSP’s ! If you want versatile my vote is for a Lab. I have never had a bad one. I have two GSP ‘s now and I love them but they are a PITA ! If I buy another dog in my life it will be a Lab .

Can you elaborate on PITA?

 

[T Bone]

IMO, a labrador pup out of hunting parents is the easiest to train.

Bottom line is if you put consistent training into any retriever or versatile breed (GSP, GWP, DD, PP, WHPG) from hunting lines, you will end up with a fine hunting partner and a source of happiness for many years.

Make sure they are hunting parents. In my area, there are many generations of non-hunting GSP show dog/family dogs.

I've owned 4 GSPs and 2 Labs. GSPs are really high energy. They have two settings, 6000 rpm or dead asleep. I've heard and seen that PP and WHPG are lower RPMs and am looking into those breeds, as my 10 year old lab is too broke down to hunt anymore.

 

[cwitherow]

Waterfowl with upland in the mix, I'd go lab from a hunting line. If you plan on doing more upland in the future, I'd look into the versatile breeds. I went with a WPG.

 

[Pmacc60]

Can you elaborate on PITA?

Pain in the a$$ !

 

[Midwestwhitetail]

Pain in the a$$ !

No I understood that. I was meaning in what way? Just energy level not tiring out? Difficulty training?

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Based on what you're looking to do, lab seems like the best choice.

Good all around choice, and can handle late season cold water better than basically any breed.


If you want an upland specialist, you'll need to think about what type of hunting you want. Flushing, pointing, open prairie, sloughs, etc

 

[BirdManMike]

Agree with basically everyone else. Dont get a pointing dog, especially a big running dog like a GSP, if you dont want/need that type of dog. You arent likely to get what you want out of the dog.

I love viszlas, especially the big running, American lines guys are field trialing, but Ive never been around a wirehaired vizsla. I think they are more similar to the other versatile breeds like the GWPs than they are pointing dogs so it may be a better choice.

Also, consider some of the spaniel breeds like springers. These are wonderful dogs that are true versatiles.

 

[BackofBeyond]

Best bird dog I ever had was a 3 legged Red Heeler named Zack. Half the time I didn’t even need to have a shotgun, he’d just randomly bring me a bird. Also a hell of a coyote dog too.

Loved to bite tractor tires though. That’s how he lost his leg in the first place, then was ultimately his demise.

 

[Western Dreaming]

I was in your shoes a few years ago when I was trying to decide which breed to choose. At first I was leaning towards a lab, specifically one that was from a hunting line not just any ol' lab. If you can get the right a lab from a good hunting line and want a flushing dog you should be ok.

I ended up getting a Deutsch-Drahthaar. I know lots of folks say DDs and german wirehair pointers are the same but I won't get into that debate right now. My reasoning to pick a DD was that I wanted a versatile dog that points, retrieves and tracks. I also wanted the best chance that the dog had the instincts to do all three and a DD does this. In order for a DD to be breed it has to pass a number of hunting simulation tests to have the litter registered as a DD. The VDD-GNA has multiple chapters and has training days where you can learn from experienced handlers. If you go the DD route I would recommend you plan to test your dog, the advantage being it gives you a forum and goal. By the time you finish testing to the HZP level you'll have a dog that is better trained and capable than most dogs.

 

[Boarmaster]

My first hunting dog was a golden retriever. He was one heck of a companion, dove, quail dog as well as ducks. I didnt know crap about training one but I got lucky and he just seemed to know what to do. Fortunately at that time I was doing a lot of hunting and had long seasons so I believe just going so much helped.

My next was a slightly undersized chocolate lab. Great dog as well. I used him for dove and pheasants. He loved to hunt and he was a better athlete than my golden. He was an excellent pet as well. For the most part he was easy to have in the house and to take along with me in the truck. The only exception was was if he seen me in my hunting clothes or with a gun. He would go bat crap crazy if I left him behind. When I went deer hunting I had to sneak out. And that wasnt easy as he was two feet from me at all times at home.

if I did it again I would probably go with a lab. The golden was great but not as hardy and he did shed a lot and was a real pain to clean up after hunting with the longer hair. The lab was more wash and wear.

 

[Rzrbck918]

What other retrieving breed would you throw out that has shorter coat like labs and GSP?

A standard poodle. Not joking. I have a GSP and she will retrieve ducks as well as a lab but...she nearly freezes doing it. She has 0% body fat and there is nothing you can do to keep her from shaking all while staring at the sky waiting on me to shoot something she can retrieve. The other issue with GSPs and duck hunting is a young dog's insane prey drive and energy. THey are simply difficult to control in the blind.

That said, I have a friend with a standard poodle that is an amazing duck dog and according to him, easy to keep at home.

 

[schmalts]

No I understood that. I was meaning in what way? Just energy level not tiring out? Difficulty training?

High energy in those GPS. ADD type of dog. As soon as you said waterfowl in your list, that was a no brainer. Get a lab. I hunt with 3 GPS's now and they are great if you spend more time training them, but also with more expensive beeper or tracking collars, and what not. But they do not do the broad spectrum a lab can do. The GPS will outlast a lab in upland hunting any day, but unless you are a young guy that is going to do that much time in a day yourself there is really no need for that extra endurance because it comes at the price when you are not hunting them. Now that being said, all breeds have single dogs that are not the norm, but in general if you want a more laid back dog that will flip a switch when he sees the gun I would go Lab.

 

[Nick87]

Best bird dog I ever had was a 3 legged Red Heeler named Zack. Half the time I didn’t even need to have a shotgun, he’d just randomly bring me a bird. Also a hell of a coyote dog too.

Loved to bite tractor tires though. That’s how he lost his leg in the first place, then was ultimately his demise.

My old man had blues on the farm, swears they were better hunting dogs. More than any other breed anybody would bring out to hunt. He still has blue healers now, sounds like he's gotta put his down this week though.

 

[Midwestwhitetail]

Best bird dog I ever had was a 3 legged Red Heeler named Zack. Half the time I didn’t even need to have a shotgun, he’d just randomly bring me a bird. Also a hell of a coyote dog too.

Loved to bite tractor tires though. That’s how he lost his leg in the first place, then was ultimately his demise.

I had a blue heeler that was about the same way. She never did figure out she wasn't gonna hurt the tracks on the 963 track loader. She was a nut.