Gordon/Vizsla/GSP/Weimeraner/Bouvier? Questions

How about a Wire-Haired Viszla or Italian Spinone? Both are still high energy but a little bit more toned-down than GSP/Weim/Viz.

I admit to being biased towards Spinone. They'll take as much excercise as you can give them but are pretty laid back around the home and very sociable with people, dogs and other animals (so long as they're correctly brought up). They are easy to train but do have a stubborn streak so may not always do what you want (even though they know full well what it is you do want!). Mine will skip a days walk or make do with a quickie if needed and still spend the day zonked on her bed.

On the down side they can slobber a lot.

Good luck choosing.
Rachael

Wow, I never expected so many people to give advice...thanks to all of you! It is great to hear from people with experience.

You all got my head spinning and I will be considering all your advice.

For now my heart is leaning towards a Golden again...I've always wanted one...
Thanks again!!!

Next to my own breed the vizzi is probably the next breed I know most about,I have friends who breed and show them , the friend who breeds has 9, They are a fab breed that will fit into an active family, the don't like to be left alone for long hrs, they are people dogs , and as long asthey get exersized. They will be happy to sleep the rest of the day away. They are not difficult to train, they are very amanable. To training. And will give back 100 fold to you. Some lines are a little hyper. But on the whole are no different to any other gundog breed. If you wish you can pm me and I will give you. My friends phone number, for you to talk too. She will tell you all you need to know about the breed, good and bad. She does not have any pups at the mo, but will give you any info you need. I am on my phone at the mo. But if you pm me I will answer when I get back.

Another vote for the Wire Vizsla here!

It looks like you're heading for a Golden but I'll put a good word in for the Wire Viz anyway!

If you do want an HPR then I think the Wire Viz is a nice easy introduction. They're generally very sensitive and therefore very easy to train. Oscar thrives on the exercise he gets, but if he misses out he doesn't seem to mind. They do love their family though and I can't leave him without me or Isla my Spaniel as he howls the place down!

One thing I will say is sociallisation is a must as being a sensitive breed can mean they are quite timid and as a result can struggle to adjust to strange environments/people. Oscar doesn't like strangers and takes no interest whatsoever in people he doesn't know, he does adore his family however and is incredibly easy to live with given that he's only just turned 1.

Wow! He is absolutely gorgeous!!!! Thanks for the word...
I must admit, I'm really struggling to decide. A Golden is an easy choice, coz it is true they are generally very easy going, good family dogs. BUT those hairs!!! I absolutely 100% do not mind a long haired dog - I love it! BUT both my husband and I do not want a house full of hair. Grooming the dog daily isn't even an issue, but I have heard people say that it doesn't even help... is there anyone out there with a Golden who doesn't have a house full of hair? Please tell me if its possible :? !

...oh...and to make the decision even more difficult my husband absolutely doesn't want a poodle...choices, choices!

Thanks again for the word on the Wire Viz! Love that coat! He is stunning!

I'm going to back up what has been said about HWV's... we have a girl, Sika. Everything mentioned above applies to her. She will walk as little or as much as you want. Very easy in the house as long as she's had exercise/stimulation. Very trainable but doesn't do well under pressure, best way to train a wire is to let them work it out themselves I've found. Very affectionate, very timid but an awesome breed to own!

...oh...and to make the decision even more difficult my husband absolutely doesn't want a poodle...choices, choices!

What is it about men and Poodles!!!GRRRRR....

My husband said I could have any breed I wanted (I am asthmatic though so had to be a non-shedding breed) and I said a standard Poodle but he said no wasn't walking a Poodle! Ironic thing is loads of people come and ask us about our 2 "Poodles" and we have terriers that he picked! (Kerry blues).

A word of caution though is that all dogs are different though you should be able to get an idea about the breed from reading up on them. Our 2 are polar opposites and therefore make it very difficult to answer people when they ask us about the breed.

Hope you get the right dog that you will enjoy having as part of your family.

My husband said the exact same thing! But I think it’s the image the poodle has. I respect him for that, so I don't even think about it, but it would have been so easy if I could just choose a poodle…and above all it would make housework so much easier!!!

But in the meanwhile I have found a lot of interesting facts about other breeds...I'm completely off Golden Retrievers again...I wouldn't be able to deal with all the hair.

Thanks for reminding me how individuals differ...yeah...I know each dog has its own personality (that's why you need to visit the litter and not just take the pretty/cute one) but finding a dog that 'in general' best suits this picky family is what I'm up to now.

And in actual fact, we are not even getting the dog now...we will only MAYBE get him at the end of this year...but this will be a decision that will be with us for a long time...so I take it seriously....oh and off course - I absolutely love researching dogs...

I can't wait till I can post a pic of our new pup!!!! That day can't come sooner!

We have a 20 month old Viz, he is a our first HPR, we also have Labs.
From my limited experience with him, he is easy to train when it suits him, very intelligent, he certainly keeps us on our toes.
He is very needy, stubborn, loving and mad as a hatter
He likes to be busy most of the time, and needs to use his brain.
They are not for the faint hearted but we wouldn't be with out a Viz now.
We are about to start gundog classes with him. Good luck on your choice

Thanks!

Yep, with all the insight (many of what may scare a prospective owner away) I am still looking at gundogs...we actually love the Vizsla too...and GSPs...oh, to just make the decision!

Luckily we are willing to wait too. Vizsla's has only recently been imported into South Africa (according to my knowledge) so we'd have to wait for a litter from one of the very few breeders here. Also, since we're just looking to have a pet we won't be importing. To us the cost isn't worth it. GSPs are more popular though...either way, I'm so excited !!!

Thanks again! Enjoy your boy!!!...and post some pics if you can ;-)

I read your post to my husband and he just laughed in agreement! He was surprised when I told him the poodle was bred to be a water retriever ...he said he thought they were bred to be powder puff girly dogs for woman !

I think we should start a movement to change the image of the poodle...uhm...if that's possible!!! (just joking )

Having said that, is there anyone who owns a poodle and use it for retrieving? That would be interesting to find out!

I hope i haven't scared you off them they are fab, i only have him to compare too.... but just being honest about living with him

Here he is the teenage dirt bag




Best of luck

Nope, don't worry Roxi, you haven't scared me off, its good to know the challenges too. I really do appreciate it. Life is not perfect, but in between it all we can still have fun and enjoy it !

Thanks for the phodie! He is absolutely gorgeous! So so very handsome!

I have a friend who breeds Bouviers. They can be bossy if not socialised and need a firm hand. They are protective and very powerful. They do make great pets but would need a lot of grooming to keep the coat in good condition. If you are happy to brush and comb your dog daily then that's not a problem. They make very good companions if you put the time in.

Hi there,

I know this thread's a couple of weeks old, but you didn't manage to get much advice on the Bouvier (apart from Loki's Mum's post) so I thought I'd drop by and offer my experience of life with a Bouvier so far.

Bouviers are lazy. Very lazy. My Bouvier is 15 months old and he's content to sleep most of the day by the front door or anywhere else there is a breeze.

Training wise, they're a breeze. They pick up things really fast. As an example, see my Youtube video of my Bouv when he was just 13 weeks old... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDkzSyiqpJM Bare in mind, this was my first dog since childhood so I am no expert dog trainer!

Grooming wise they can be a bit of a chore. They're happy to be groomed but it needs doing at least once per week and takes about 45 minutes minimum to make sure they're tangle and matt free.

They're great with kids...they more or less just ignore them!

They're not really people dogs. Whereas a labrador would just come straight up to any old person and be content to be stroked, Bouvier's are more likely to approach for a smell before turning around and walking away. With their family members they are a lot more tactile, and will demand the occasional back rub last thing at night. They all seem to do this by grabbing a drink of water first...making sure their beard soaks up half the liquid in the bowl, and then running straight to you where they place their soaking wet beards right in your lap and await their massage.

They're not lap dogs (unless you like the idea of 100lbs of dead weight on your legs), and they know it. A bouvier is more likely to jump up and sit next to you on the couch, rather than on you.

Feeding wise they eat VERY little. I'm lucky if my Bouv gets through 1 cup of kibble plus extras (chicken or ham) per day.

If you're extremely house proud I would say don't get a Bouvier. The sheer size of their paw prints (especially after a muddy winter walk) on your couch and floor is a sight that only the owner can get used to. Their coat picks up everything that their paws miss, so your walls won't be safe either.

The good thing is that they don't moult, so you won't find hair everywhere, although you will find small balls of hair that resemble tumbleweeds collecting in corners of your home.

Up until around a month ago, I would say that they are simply gentle giants and get on great with all other dogs. Like I said though, that would be if you asked me a month ago. Since then, Paddy has entered his teenage stage, and we're now starting to see why the breed profile says "can be dog aggressive". We take Paddy to training once a week at a Kennel Club Good Citizen club (have done since we got him) and I shudder to think what this "stroppiness" would be like without all of the training we've put into him. So far this month, he has literally terrified 2 labradors, 1 mastiff X ridgeback, 1 german shepherd, 1 boxer and 1 red setter. Bouviers don't back down without being told to. As far as they are concerned, they are there to keep order and boss the other dogs about. You would need to be prepared for this. Bouviers aren't necessarily playful once they mature, and they don't see why other breeds should be so playful either. "Does that dog next to us seem to be enjoying playing with that stick? Well, I don't like playing with sticks, and watching other dogs playing with sticks annoys me too. I will just walk right on over there and tell that dog off in no uncertain terms for playing with a stick. I will then lie down next to the stick and make damn well sure he doesn't come within 5 meters of ANY stick". That seems to be the stage we're at now. Bouviers are like strict Army majors.

Except with small dogs. With small dogs (bischons, pugs, schnauzers, even up to beagle and collie sized) they are amazing. A lakeland terrier can jump up at a Bouvier's face nipping away and get a raised eyebrow in return at worst. Bouviers will more or less immediately lie down for a small dog to make play easier for the vertically challenged. It's a joy to see.

Exercise wise, leave the ball at home. This dog herds other animals, not toys. And it will do so for a good 30-45 minutes before finally lying down and asking to be taken home where he can sleep.

They're loud snorers (listening to mine now) and if they fart you will probably need to leave the room.

Finally, my only other experience I will share with you is this...don't get a bouvier if you're shy or hate meeting new people. Everywhere you go, people will stop and want to speak to you. This leaves you in a huge dilemma if you tend to use the same parks or areas to walk your bouvier. There are some Sundays you just can't be bothered shaving your beard or washing your hair. You lie on the couch all day, watching TV and then before you know it, your Bouv is suggesting that it's time for a walk. Your quandry is...do you dare go out looking like such a mess to a park where 30+ people know you and perhaps 6-8 will be there, or do you try somewhere new and face the "oh my god, he looks like a bear, what breed is he, will he get much bigger, where are they from, what breed is that again?" interview from 6-8 new people who have never met your dog and stop you every 5 minutes. LOL It really is that much of an icebreaker when you own a Bouvier.

I hope the above has been helpful for you, and any others who are looking for information on Bouviers.

I was talking to some people at my local petfood warehouse and one of the store assistants said she knew a chap who had two Standard Poodles and he used them both to go shooting with!

If you're still considering them then I would just say that Gordons are a very vocal breed, more so in general than the other setters, they love to talk! Might be something to take into consideration; our pup has found his voice already at 10 weeks and will simply increase his repitoire with age! Saying that, have you considered any of the other setters, our Irish is a wonderful boy (I know we all say that!), he's very bright and picks things up really quickly and will do anything for a 'good boy' and a belly rub! He he still has his mischievious moments ;-) though (Piccie attatched!) so I'm by no means saying he's perfect!! Have to say though before we had Chester I really wanted a goldie! Good hunting!

The time is here!!!!

We have finally decided what breed we would be getting...and we will pick him up tomorrow!

We originally planned to only get a pup later this year, but we just couldn't wait anymore! So we went and saw a litter last week and our hearts were sold! Yesterday we went and bought all the necessary things...and now he will be coming home tomorrow .

We just cannot wait!!!! Exciting times!!!

If you guys would like to guess what breed I finally decided on you are welcome. I think you might be surprised .

The Poodle?????

Oh, and thanks for the info on the Bouvier and Setters (gorgeous pic of Chester - so so cute)