WIREHAIRED POINTING GRIFFON OR GERMAN WIREHAIRED POINTER? True Versatility

[JLS]

I hope you're the best trainer in the world if you think you'll be able to check all those boxes with one animal, regardless of the breed. There's versatility and then there's futility, scratching my head at the choice for a pointing breed for predominately non-pointing requisite work. I think a beagle and a lab are what you're looking for. Being properly trained in article search/item scent tracking will be a full time job for a dog.

You should go watch a VGP test then. You’ll see a dog retrieve furred game to 300m, blood track and use a bringsel, point and be steady to shot, search for ducks in a marsh, do blind retrieves, retrieve over obstacles, independently search a forest thicket, and hunt under the gun in a dense forest setting.

 

[TheDudeAbides]

I've been scratching my eyes out trying to decide on one of these two breeds. Most everyone who's hunting with dogs are using them for birds, but I live in Virginia, so big-time bird hunting is low on the list. I've got the basic understanding of these two breeds, but I have questions that I haven't been able to get answered by searching the internet and watching videos.

First and foremost, I have 4 main desires of a dog:
- Be effective pointing cottontails in brush piles and thick cover.
- Point or Tree squirrels
- Retrieve ducks in flooded timber/ marshes.
- Often and reliably be used as a tracking dog for lost pets (tracking off of the scent of an item)

The first and 4th are likely the most important on this list, as I hunt often enough to keep a dog active, but I want to really have the dog trained as good as any search and rescue dog when it comes to that type of nose work.

MY CONCERNS:

I'm hesitant to get a Griffon because I fear it will lack drive to track pets often, lack the drive to constantly train and better its tracking abilities, and end up un-enthusiastically doing anything other than hunting rabbit. I've read that they do not like to train repetitions on anything.

I'm hesitant to get a German Shorthaired Pointer because I fear it will be too high energy, unable to be controlled off leash when doing nose work, and in hunting situations in my part of Virginia (Lots of thick cover, unless you get permission to hunt agricultural fields) he will be hunting much too far to hold a fidgeting cottontail before I can get to him.

Can anyone speak to which dog could fit my needs the best? I'm willing to devote hours a day to get them trained, but I need to know what dog would be the best starting point for that.

The tracking for lost pets will take some work, because rather than finding them - they may rid the neighborhood of them.

You can really train a GSP, GWP, and WPG to do about anything. (I am unsure which dogs you are considering, because the title is WPG vs GWP and the body has a GSP in it)

As far as the 3 dog breeds.

It is more of who you rather than a 4 Runner, Tacoma, or a Tundra for hunting discussion. All good options.

All 3 can be used for hunting, but it comes down to personnel preference and anecdotal experiences.

People gravitate to Griffs, because their personality is closer to a lab and they are generally closer working dogs. They are generally seen as less athletic than their German counter parts. Griffs are also people oriented dogs, which as mentioned before is why people gravitate to them. Probably the easier of the three if you do not have experience with versatile gun dogs.

GSP's are full of energy and are the most popular out of these three options. For good reason, that energy translates in the field and water. They are more of barkers than guard dogs. Like the WPG that are people oriented dogs. Not as good with small children due to the energy and bounciness. Probably the second easiest, if you can satisfy the mental and physical demands of the dog.

GWP's are quite different than the other two and get mistaken for the griffon. Driven, energetic & Muscular machines that are the most independent out of the three. Intelligence and independence is not a great combination for someone without a plan. GWP are person oriented dogs rather than people oriented dogs. They will fight anyone who tries to hurt their person. They also are more prone to be sharp to fur (even though all can be trained, it is more natural for the GWP). Not as good with small children as the other two even though they are very clownish in nature in the house. Like the GSP if you can satisfy the mental and physical demands, then you have an excellent hunting companion.

Good breeders are worth the cost with all of the breeds. A good breeder will give you pretty much out of the box good dog. A bad breeder can give you a dog that will stress you to no end until it is trained up. A good breeder will also give you a dog from parents who do not have some of the health issues that plague the breed. A good breeder will also give you references to call and you call them to see how their dog turned out.

Like I said, all three can get you there.

I wouldn't stress on the breed too much with versatile hunting dogs.

I would stress more about puppy proofing your house more.

From my experience destructive puppies end up to be the best hunting dogs.

Worry more about what will the puppy attempt to destroy than the breeds you have selected.

 

[jt13]

You should go watch a VGP test then. You’ll see a dog retrieve furred game to 300m, blood track and use a bringsel, point and be steady to shot, search for ducks in a marsh, do blind retrieves, retrieve over obstacles, independently search a forest thicket, and hunt under the gun in a dense forest setting.

FYI- The OP from this post hasn't visited the site in over 7 months.

I'm well versed in what pointing dogs are capable of. I own several of my own dogs, participate in field dog trials, co-founded a versatile hunting dog chapter, and have hosted several trials.

I stand by my statement that if some dude wants a combo search and rescue, lost pet recovery, article search, upland hunting, fur pointing, and squirrel dog then he better be one hell of a dog trainer.

 

[JLS]

FYI- The OP from this post hasn't visited the site in over 7 months.

I'm well versed in what pointing dogs are capable of. I own several of my own dogs, participate in field dog trials, co-founded a versatile hunting dog chapter, and have hosted several trials.

I stand by my statement that if some dude wants a combo search and rescue, lost pet recovery, article search, upland hunting, fur pointing, and squirrel dog then he better be one hell of a dog trainer.