Looking for dog suggestion?

[FCspringer]

I would not worry about a GWP and a cat. All pups can be taught to except other animals. Again I would recommend you go watch all of what your thinking about, see how hard it is to train each, see what they do compared to your desired hunting and go from there. Wish you would have stopped out to the club before all this snow. Be patient and look them over in the spring.There are places you can watch these breeds all over. If you do decide on a Springer, I would be happy to help you find a good dog. There are some very good options coming this spring from good solid dogs that I know of in our club and else where. I would be happy to refer you to one that fits your needs. And our Club would love to have you come out to help you through the steps of training the dog. No matter what breed, it will be helpful to get involved in a club to better your experience with your dog.

[caseymcq]

With that said, maybe I'm looking for a house dog that could also hunt if trained?

Lab

[MuleShack]

All dogs take a lot of time spent on training whether it be obedience, house or field training.

In my limited experience with a lab last year and a GSP this year, the lab takes less field time to "qualify" as a hunter. Now by qualify i mean they need to retrieve, listen to commands and obey them in the field and above all know how to find birds. Most of the finding is in the genes and I only had put mine on live birds twice and she was doing pretty good (as a 7 month old). This year we spent more time in the field training but she was pretty good with coverng ground and had a good nose and doing long retrieves.

The GSP I got this year took a lot more time and $$ involving using live birds and training the point and whoa and all that stuff. He is a lot more obnoxious in the house but we have trained him to be friends with the CATS

I guess what i'm trying to say is a pointer seems to be much more time and training on the front end, but you will probably get more out of it on the back 9(years).

[mcne0101]

Here's the thing, there really is no best breed. If there was everyone would hunt with that breed. The fact of the matter is there is a plus/alpha to every breed. However, I agree with the previous poster that the breed is not the most important factor, the owner is the most important factor. I have hunted behind AWESOME GSPs, goldens, springers, griffons, labs, chessies, brittny's, and english setters...on the flip side I've hunting behind terrible english pointers, labs, gsps, and brittny's. That doesn't mean the breeds I hunted behind that were awesome are superior, it means the owners had spent more time with the pooches and had them more dialed in. With that being said there can be lemon dogs that really have no potential, but that's why you do your homework and go with a reputable breeder.

As for me I have a GSP, to me there is nothing better than watching a GSP work a field for pheasants; and no bigger thrill watching them lock up on point. With that being said, they are high energy dogs that need a lot of attention. Stress relief for me is walking my dog and working with him so its no big deal to me; for someone with less time that doesn't love spending two hours a day walking their dog that could be a problem.

From the few sentences you put up there stating pheasant hunting is your first love but you also like to do some duck hunting. To me, a pointing breed would be your best bet. Which one depends on your home situation, remember with dogs we hunt them 3 months a year but they are house dogs 12 months a year so that is an important factor. If you put in the time you cannot go wrong with a well bred gsp, griffon, wirehair, setter, brittney, etc for a pointer.

Honestly, pick any of the main breeds; do you homework, read a book, post here asking questions, and have fun training them and you will have a blast in the field next year...no matter what the breed I can guarantee you that! As most can attest to, there is no bigger thrill and you will never love hunting more than when you are sharing the field or slough with YOUR dog...watching all the time you've put into him pay off. You think you're starting to love hunting now...just wait!! Heres my 13 month old Shorthair "Boss" below!

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[caseymcq]

That's a cool picture. I always like seeing GSP's on point.

[MuleShack]

Heres my 13 month old Shorthair "Boss" below!

Thats what mine thinks his name is...

[XRap]

Kylersk,

There is a lot of training help out there in regards to literature. If I were to suggest a few that would help to explain simple training concepts, behaviors, and learning curves of dogs I would point you to the following:

Game Dog & Gun Dog both Authored by Richard A. Wolters

They may not be the best in regards to cutting edge concepts but do a very good job giving you insight to dog behavior. By reading both you will get an idea about Retrievers and Pointing breed training.

Best Wishes

[Kylersk]

After talking to a couple of GWP breeders, they are confident the breed can get along with cats as long as the GWP is raised with the cats. So, I think that pushes the GWP to the top of my list. My past 3 dogs have been boxers, so I really like the looks of the 'odd looking' breeds.

[duckhunter89]

Well aside from all the suggestions, I mself own a german shorthair lab mix. Originally I wanted a purebed lab, but oppurtunity arose and maverick climed in my lap and I was his. Started trainig on ducks but when dove season came in the pointer shined through at the oppurtunity to jump quail. Easy to train and he minds well he was crate trained with in a week or two and seems to know what im thinking with just a look. Loves the water took him to the favorite hole before season let in and he was in his own. His best friends are two minature schnauzers my sister and mom own and a friends austrailian Shepard. Timid when it comes to motor sounds but will follow me on a 4 wheeler at a distance. When he hears the guns go off he's ready to work. I believe the combination makes him more versatile with the stronger nose of the pointer and the drive of a lab not much gets lost when he'swith us for the day. Yet with a mix it's a gamble maybe I just got lucky. Whatever you decide sometimes the best things in life are free;as was the case with mav.

[mcne0101]

After talking to a couple of GWP breeders, they are confident the breed can get along with cats as long as the GWP is raised with the cats. So, I think that pushes the GWP to the top of my list. My past 3 dogs have been boxers, so I really like the looks of the 'odd looking' breeds.

If you like GWP that would be a great dog, I wouldn't put too much of a basis on your decision contingent on the fact of weather or not they will get along with your cats. Any of the hunting breeds will get along with the cats if conditioned properly. My GSP gets along with my wife's cats great. Him and the smaller one play on occasion.

[scsavre]

Hey, I like the GSP Lab mix. Sounds like you have the best of may worlds there. I am surprised I havent seen that before. Maybe GSP's arent attracted to the darn Labs.

[waxworm09]

I havent seen a lot of people recommending Golden Retreivers, are they just less popular than Labs? I am deciding between a Lab, Golden, Brittany, and Griffon. But I dont see much info on a Golden, do they have the same temperment and hunting skills as a Lab? Im looking up videos and info on hunting dogs but I just dont see much on Goldens online. How do they compare to other hunting breeds?

[Todd Caswell]

Goldens are neat dogs but you REALLY ( did I say REALLY) need to do your homework and buy from proven FT and HT lines, stay away from newspaper litters that are from "championship lines" OR " parents are good hunters" ect.

Comparing popularity if you look at the entries from a Amerature All Age FT Stake that has say 70 dogs entered

60 will be labs ( 50 of the 60 Black)

5 will be goldens

and 5 will be chessies

It's a pure numbers thing.

We dog sit a really nice female golden from FT lines that I FF and CC and I love her to death as a pet and hunting dog, she never could have made it as a HT<FT dog but she loves to please and I used her as a guide dog this fall for pheasants and the people loved her very personable, if something ever happened to the owners Id'e take her in a second as a hunting/pet dog.

[caseymcq]

... Remind me to post a pic of the canister from our Dyson Animal vacuum after a few days of not vacuuming....something to keep in mind! ...

My wife bought one of those and a just about soiled myself when I saw the price. Then she told me it was a refurbished one she got "cheap" online. We had some other name brand one and she showed me how much more hair the Dyson picked up so I figured it was money well spent.

You are definitely right though, there have been times I swear she dumped a whole other dog in the garbage.