# German Shorthair



## waterfam (Sep 26, 2003)

I'm looking for an opinion on German Shorthairs as compared to other bird dogs. A friend is looking for a new bird dog. Some say they are high maintenence and tire easily, others say they are a hard working bird dog. What do you think? :roll:


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

It depends I have six of them and have had shorthairs for 35 years. They are very good at upland hunting ok water retreivers. They certainly don't tire easily. The real question is what type of hunting do you do, what type of terrain and cover ect. No breed of dogs is best for all situations. Give more detail on what you want to do with the dog.


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## waterfam (Sep 26, 2003)

He will be mostly pheasant hunting in North Dakota.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

If you are mainly looking for an upland pointer,also look at the GWP and a Brittany.Also try to get one that has a lot of white.They are much easier to keep track of in heavy cover if they are white.

I have a GWP that is liver with white ticking...sometimes tough to see. Mine is a excellent family dog.

They do not tire as easy as a flushing dog.They also hunt with their nose in the air instead of on the ground like a flusher.This allows them to pick up bird scent at greater distances.All are excellent retrievers.

There are 2 good GWP kennels in ND.One in Washburn and 1 in Dickinson. 
The one in Dickinson also sells started and trained GWP.
_________________


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## H2OfowlND (Feb 10, 2003)

You can NEVER go wrong with a GSP!! I had one for 12 years, and never had a problem with her at all. Great hunter and a great house dog too. One thing the people don't understand is they are excellent water dogs!! She made many 50 yard retrieves on mallards and divers, and the occasional pheasant that made a splash down. We got her when I was in 3rd grade, and shortly after that I could have hunted her by myself, thats how loyal she was. Just ask Oldhunter and Maverick about ol' ELSA!! They can give proof of a GSP's ability in the field. If you have any other questions please ask me, but you can't go wrong with a GSP for any kind of huntin in ND.

H2OfowlND


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## Bobm (Aug 26, 2003)

German Shorthairs are easier to train than Brittanies and GWP because the accept disipline without sulking. I've owned two brittanies and they were both excellent bird dogs but they are generally softer dogs emotionally than shorthairs, brittianies don't handle pressure during training so you have to ask yourself what your personality is. IF you get frustrated and lose your temper with a brittany it will probably be a lot bigger setback in the training program, shorthairs are tougher and will shrug off minor mistakes. All the above are breed generalities individual dogs will vary ( you could get a tough britt or a soft shorthair ). One thing I would recommend is that you find a breeder that is not focused on field trialing. I bred my best dog to a 4x field trial champ and ended up with dogs that are really too hot for my taste, they hunt well but are more difficult to control than the other shorthairs I've had over the years. The reason shorthairs are the most popular continetal breed is because your chance of geting a good stable dog that performs to your expectation is more likely than other breeds. Ask that the breeder show you the parents in the field so you can see how they range if they are big ranging dogs the pups will be also. Most of what you get in a bird dog is inherited and its a lot easier to start with the style of dog you prefer than to try to change them


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## crna (Nov 7, 2002)

don't limit yourself to just a pointer. labs and springers will
produce just as many birds as any pointer and generally are
better family dogs than most pointers and train easier.
i'll probably get flack for that comment, but is just my opinion.
I've hunted with both pointers and flushers, and flushers have always produced more birds, especially in ND. ( The days of big running dogs is numbered in ND)


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## Brad Anderson (Apr 1, 2002)

Regardless of the type of dog you want or get, the most important thing is training. Any dog can be great or worthless, depending on how much time you spend with him/her. "In the field" training is imperative. I have a lab retriever cross that points, not exactly sure where she picked that up. The only training she got was in the field. Sure it took a couple of outings and swear words, but the final product was worth it. I don't have a shock collar either, all positive reinforcement training. Investing in a dog is a great experience and very rewarding. I hunted many years without a dog. Now I won't even think about bird hunting without one. Hope you have good luck with whatever choice you go with.


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## SJB (Jul 2, 2003)

Brad:

Amen. Training is the key to the product. It has been stated on the board before that a good book like _Water Dog_, can go a long way to explain how important that daily work is the key to a good dog. In six weeks, the commands "come", "sit", and "stay" should be locked in. After that, the advanced commands come so much easier..


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## redfaul (Oct 21, 2002)

The german shorthaired pointer is the way to go. I will say it to my dying day that that is the best dog I have ever had. I have a almost 4 year old female gsp that is all liver except a white diamond on her chest, and she is an awesome dog. The most important thing to owning any dog is TRAINING. My dog is an unbelievable hunter and it almost gives me more joy and satisfaction watching her hunt then for me actually shooting the birds. I have seen no dog out last the endurance of a gsp (In fact I think many will hunt until they die of exhaustion). One very important thing when looking at buying a dog is to look at the breed history and the dogs temperment. It is well worth spending more money for a dog that has good bloodlines and excellent temperments. Concerning those books "Gun dog" and "Water Dog", if I am correct the author talks about "whipping your dog with a rope" in part of his book to discipline them for doing something wrong. I completely disagree with that since all you will be doing is placing fear in the dog. It is important that you discipline them but in the proper fashion. Well, Ive said enough.

I will stick with GSP's as the best hunting dog. And you will not be disappointed with them if you do your research and pick a good dog.

redfaul


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## 1littlefeather (Mar 5, 2003)

I have hunted behind GSP, E Setters, L Setters,E Pointers, and a Brittany. I have to say that with choosing a dog it is what you want out of the dog. Do you want a foot dog or do you want a long range dog. Looking at the bloodlines is very important, so if you are looking at a dog that is bred for field trials then it will probably be a wide runner. The number one thing with dogs that I have found is that the yard work and ono on one time with the dog is crucial. You get out of the dog what you put in the dog. Remember that if the dog does not mind at home, that's no reason to cuss :******: it whenever it is around company in the field. It's like a child :evil: if it don't mind or respect you now what's going to change it later???


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