Wirehaired Griffons

[davidlpope]

I think you need to be much more specific about what you hunt, how often, how will the dog be housed, can you train etc.

Much easier to find a quality Brit, or even a German wirehair if that is the look you are going for.

Range is a function of training and experience. I had an English Setter that you had to follow on horseback when we were out west hunting chickens but would be within bell range in the Appalachians where I live

Agree.

I've hunted quail over Pointers and English Setters all my life here in North Carolina. Dad currently has a Brittany and a Boykin Spaniel, as well as the Pointers ans Setters, that he uses to retrieve doves.

I find that sometimes folks tend to look for "fancy" breeds, instead of going for tried and true breeds which are, admittedly, less exotic. Don't know exactly why this is. I've seen people choose Drathaars, Irish Setters, Labs, etc., and be frustrated with their dog's performance in the field, but remain unwilling to switch to a workhorse (Pointer or Setter) because they just "liked the way the dog looked".

So, what type of hunting will you be doing and how often? Do you plan to have the dog in the house with you? Is the dog primarily a hunting dog or really a house pet? This would help us to provide better advice.

David

[Lallans]

Agree.

I've hunted quail over Pointers and English Setters all my life here in North Carolina. Dad currently has a Brittany and a Boykin Spaniel, as well as the Pointers ans Setters, that he uses to retrieve doves.

I find that sometimes folks tend to look for "fancy" breeds, instead of going for tried and true breeds which are, admittedly, less exotic. Don't know exactly why this is. I've seen people choose Drathaars, Irish Setters, Labs, etc., and be frustrated with their dog's performance in the field, but remain unwilling to switch to a workhorse (Pointer or Setter) because they just "liked the way the dog looked".

So, what type of hunting will you be doing and how often? Do you plan to have the dog in the house with you? Is the dog primarily a hunting dog or really a house pet? This would help us to provide better advice.

David

I'm looking for a versatile dog, wanted mostly for upland hunting but with some very occasional need for duck retreival duty. The big game bird here is the ruffed grouse, which are great for pointing dogs and also much needed, and the habitat is typically thick and thorny, meaning a wirehaired dog is best (I think). An advantage of the Griffon is that the local breeders are all field people and there is little to no danger of puppy farm or show dog genes creeping in as has ruined Irish Setters and Labs for field purposes, for instance. And as mentioned, I don't want a wide ranging breed that you need a horse to follow with, ie as with Pointers or Setters, if only because wide ranging dogs are at risk of getting themselves lost under local conditions. A lot of local bird hunters have in fact taken to putting those loud electronic beepers on their dogs, something that drives me batty because it's so industrial.

[davidlpope]

I'm looking for a versatile dog, wanted mostly for upland hunting but with some very occasional need for duck retreival duty. The big game bird here is the ruffed grouse, which are great for pointing dogs and also much needed, and the habitat is typically thick and thorny, meaning a wirehaired dog is best (I think). An advantage of the Griffon is that the local breeders are all field people and there is little to no danger of puppy farm or show dog genes creeping in as has ruined Irish Setters and Labs for field purposes, for instance.

This sounds promising.

And as mentioned, I don't want a wide ranging breed that you need a horse to follow with, ie as with Pointers or Setters, if only because wide ranging dogs are at risk of getting themselves lost under local conditions. A lot of local bird hunters have in fact taken to putting those loud electronic beepers on their dogs, something that drives me batty because it's so industrial.

Hunting down here is all on foot, although field trials can be mounted. I've had both Pointers and Setters that were as close-working as you'd ever want them to be but have seen some big-running Pointers. In every case the dog was responding to the way they had been trained, so I think you might be underestimating that aspect.

GSP, GWP, Visla, etc. are not used down here much because you can't see them in thick brush/woods. Most of the Pointers and Setters used show lots of white so that you can see your dog once they've pointed. Otherwise, your dog could be on point for thirty minutes before you can find them in thick woods. Some folks put bells on their dogs' collars, but I haven't had to do that.

Best of luck with your search!

[Lallans]

This sounds promising.



Hunting down here is all on foot, although field trials can be mounted. I've had both Pointers and Setters that were as close-working as you'd ever want them to be but have seen some big-running Pointers. In every case the dog was responding to the way they had been trained, so I think you might be underestimating that aspect.

GSP, GWP, Visla, etc. are not used down here much because you can't see them in thick brush/woods. Most of the Pointers and Setters used show lots of white so that you can see your dog once they've pointed. Otherwise, your dog could be on point for thirty minutes before you can find them in thick woods. Some folks put bells on their dogs' collars, but I haven't had to do that.

Best of luck with your search!

I've looked long and hard at GSPs and esp GWPs but they're just a bit larger than I want, also a little tough-natured for the urban environment I currently find myself in- mainly meaning that if I want to leave them with friends or family members those folks would resist having something that would sucessfully try to kill all the local cats and so on. The white hair feature is somewhat significant in my choosing; my S.O. has a slight thing about white hairs on her coat etc, and since my parents were Dalmation fans at one point, I know how those get around. Probably no dog is as bad in that regard as a Dalmation, but I have it in mind that some other colour is preferable.