I never said he was agree with SB to go and see 'em some might not be as much hard work as you think, there are some more biddable hprs out there
Lol I know you didn't - won't be for a while though.. I'll pop along to some gun dog trials and have a look at some of those - 'cos I'm not someone to have a dog for the sake of having one - and it'll give me the push I need to get back on track with Louie's to hand training - it's kind of took a back seat with everything else going on...
Cool well it's good fun looking at different breeds isn't it, well I find it interesting lol only trouble is the wish list or the 'might have one of those one day list' gets longer
I prefer my mongrels but it would be nice to know what I stand to get.. I like to figure out what traits are from which breed and what he is more like. Louie works like a Springer, nose is rarely off the ground and he zig zags his scent and will retrace it all (he's not a strong scenter) although he found a dead baby squirrel the other day and held it for a bit then put it down and til Flynn stole it off him.. I was quite proud But a pure one might be good - never can give up my crosses though..
English Pointers are very different from German SH or WH Pointers - which I think is causing you confusion. The latter are Hunt, Point, Retrieve dogs who are intelligent, driven, affectionate, stubborn and huge fun. If you like standing in muddy fields, if you enjoy a challenge, if you love seeing a dog do what it`s born for - get an HPR dog.
Sorry, I have probably missed your thread about what you are wanting to do with any new dog ... but, if you decide what it is you are wanting to achieve with a new dog, then that may be a better indicator of which breed would suit. Italian Spinoni come under the HPR umbrella but they are very far removed - work and temperament wise from, say, the GWP. I think much depends on what you want to do with your dog.
Really? My little idiot is a HPR x, I took her on when she was 11 months, although I had known her since she was 16 weeks. She is very food and toy motivated (toy possibly more so), she has been a challenge but loves learning and is very agile and intelligent. She came into my life at a bad time (in hindsight) so we did not get off to the best start. My friends English pointer is a nightmare dog I would wish on no-one! (but he is deaf!) He is from full working lines and I have seen a marked difference in his behaviour to that of the show bred ones I have met (although not too many so it may be down to the individual dogs). I think the thing to bear in mind is that these are working dogs and they need an outlet for that (both mental and physical). I think this is probably more marked in these breeds (IME) than in many others.
It's been an ongoing thing Moobli - don't worry I did think Spinone but don't really know much of the breed... Well Tassle - I'm not one for just having a dog for the sake of it like my OH who asked if I would ever just have a dog for a pet - I was horrified but now know why Benjie is the way that he is - no one bothered to do anything with him except 3 walks a day.. Nope IMO pet dogs still need something to do and I don't know why the OH thought he would get away with the same as Benjie - when Louie has worker in him (hence why I am the one doing his training) Louie is just the start to me - he's brill, but I can't enter him into any trials because of what he is, can't enter him in scurries because I have seven rabbits and he isn't steady enough to work, so he's a pet with a bit more going for him
I don't think all pet dogs need that - I am sure it is good for them and they like it, but I do not think they all need it.
Well I know, but with Benjie's behaviour problems - it's obvious he needed something when he was younger, if not just more training. But as Louie has working lines in him, he wouldn't just settle for 3 walks a day - like the OH would like him too. That's what I was saying. I know some dogs are happy just lazing around and the odd walk a day. Is that more understandable. What I was saying was that I wanted a pet, but one I could do something with and as Louie has introduced me to the world of gundogs - that is where I'd like to go..
Then you need to decide if you want to work a gundog what SORT of gundog, as Retreivers, Setters and Pointers, Spaniels, HPRs and now the Utility Group have individual ways of working and individual GWT and FT.
Yep! I stand by what I said (but maybe I am tainted with my love of hprs and esp GSPs and the way they are ) I'm not trying to have ago or anything like that and we all have our own views but when I say SOME might not be as hard work as others I'm not comparing them to a lab ;-) but to each other (hpr breeds) I don't know enough about (english) pointers to have an opinion on them. Some vizslas will not leave there owners heals fullstop although I would not describe them as calm lol. SOME can be very chilled calm dogs like a spinone I met the other day when out on a walk who was content just to plod around, some can be less energectic than many other breeds. Our little cocker x terrier who is 8 years old is more lively in the house than my GSP who is from very strong german working lines and is only 2 years old, my GSP also has better recall. I'm not saying he's not hard work his strength and love of people and other dogs made training him to walk nicely on the lead hard thats probably the most difficult thing I've found about training him! And he's been graded on a grouse pointing test and I hope to do more tests etc he has put up muntjac etc with out chasing etc. Of course there are some very driven / highly stung / very energectic / bad temperament / hard work and difficult to train hprs out there which would not suit a lot of pet dog owners and for some just the strength and size of some of the breeds could be quite a challenge. But there are also SOME which make reasonable pets you just have to do some research, some show lines are less biddable than working lines! Some are being bred calmer etc, and so long as the owner knows what to expect from them and puts in a bit of training and I agree they need more than just a walk on a lead but I know SLB does more than that and there are after all a lot of hprs in pet homes in this country ;-) Just my humble opinion though ;-) and I continue to learn more the more I see etc.
I think thats what I need to think over but then I need to think over the puppy vs adult issues and I've said I'm having an adult, due to Louie still being a pup - loads of things - but I have time to consider it all so I will be doing my research to great extents and then will ask you guys..
I Agree , I have friends who breed Vizsla and their dogs are extremely biddable, on the other hand I know of some that are OTT and drive their owners insane. I dont agree, i think as long as a pet has enough exersice and stimulation , it does not have to have a job of work or compete in trials to be a sane happy family pets. I know plenty of people who have gundogs, (all varieties) and they have never had a job to do, they are simply pets, and get treated as pets, and are happy and contented with their daily exersice routine. A lot depends on lines with some breeds, be them working or show, or simply down to the temperaments of their breeding stock.
I think you have misread or I haven't put it right, I meant to say they needed stimulation - I didn't say they needed a job or if I did, I didn't mean it like that. Sorry for the confusion..
