When I first started looking for another dog (I already had a springer), I first looked at the spinone. I met a friends spinone and did fall for her but, I thought she was too big for me. I then looked at gsp but couldn't really get past the beards of the spin. More research and I found the gwp. Surprisingly, I had never heard of that breed until I started looking at breeds. I met a few and fell in love again. Found a breeder I liked and waited for a pup. I now have 2!
I am drawn to the glp and that may be a possibility in the future but who knows.
What breed do you have and why? Are there any breeds you want to own in the future?
Helen
ginger
Hi Helen
I have viszlas at the moment and an old border collie aged 15. I fell in love with the breed years ago beacuase they were full of character and energy. I like something that bounces about!
However I have always liked setters and although not as giddy as vizslas my first gundog was a Irish red and white setter who I fell in love with when meeting his dad who was also full of character. However I recently lost him to cancer at the tender age of 7! I would like another but I am not ready for one just yet.
I have to say I quite like the bracco and the GLP. But I will stick with the vizslas at the moment.
Ginger x
Helen
We also have an english setter. Our first foray into them. Rob, my husband, is a pointer man through and through but I can't seem to click with them so I thought for a change, I would get a setter. So far, so good but she is just 12 months and the proof will be in the pudding in a few more weeks when we get her up on the grouse. I'm sorry to hear about your irws, 7 is far too young
Helen
madmax
I'm on my 3rd Pointer. I love the size, loyalty and look of the breed, especially the head.
List for the future: Wirehaired Viszla, English Setter, Large Munsty, GSP..... I need to be rich
Oh, and of course another Pointer, maybe a liver and white.
josie
I want ALL HPRs
Well, not really. I like the Braccos, but as mentioned elsewhere I've heard that they can be hard to train because they get switched onto scent so much and switched off to the handler. Don't know if that's true though, just what I heard.
Also like the SRPs and GWPs and Griffons, although I'm not sure what the coat would mean - does it smell more than a Weimy coat, because it's longer? Does food get stuck in the beardie bit? What's involved in hand-stripping, can you do it yourself, how long does it take, how often to keep in show condition, how much would it cost at a groomers?
phew. Think I will just stick with Weimies!
Helen
Quote:
does it smell more than a Weimy coat, because it's longer? Does food get stuck in the beardie bit? What's involved in hand-stripping, can you do it yourself, how long does it take, how often to keep in show condition, how much would it cost at a groomers?
Mine don't smell so I'm guessing no more than a weimy. I guess it depends on the sort of coat and the condition. Food does ocasionally get stuck in the beard but the worst is the water! They have a drink and come straight over for a fuss with a beard full of water lol. Hand stripping is easy. I do it over time, usually when I'm sat next to them or just on a walk. No idea the cost at a groomers. I do think that they are a relatively easy breed to look after - in the sense of their coats although I guess if you have a hairy one, you have to do more work.
Helen
countrygirl
I have a hairywhite one he prop take me about 3 hours to strip but I do it a bit at a time then give him a break, he has been know to wander around with a stripped body with hairy legs and head for a couple of weeks before I get around to finishing him. they like nothing more than having a drink and then coming over to stick there head on your lap lol. wouldent be withoug them though, the coat dose vary very much from dog as to how hairy they are and depending on what you are going to do with them is weather you will need to strip them. I took my first to the strippers years ago before I learnt how to do it and it cost me £20 then must of been in 1990 so would be more now
josie
how often would you need to take them there, countrygirl?
swainsons
I am suprised that no-one else has mentioned the splendid Epagneul Breton.
The Brittany points solid as a rock, will work all day long and once the retrieving bug has bitten you wont have a problem their either. They are nice and small so will fit into the smaller type house easily and they are fantastic with children.
So next time... try the Epagneul Breton, I am sure they wont dissapoint.
Regards,
Leon Besaans
Helen
Rob, my husband, has always fancied a brittany. I would like to see one working but they have never been on my list of wants. Hope I don't offend anyone!
Helen
countrygirl
Hi Josie,
there is an awful lot of varity in the coats of GWP's some would not need stripping atall as they have a short wire coat and just a bit of beard and eyebrows, I perfer the hairy version and if you are talking about keeping a coat up to show standerd you are proplery going to have to strip every 3 or 4 months or so, its takes about a month to 6 weeks for the harsh coat to come through again so if you are showing you need to time your stripping. One downside I have with having a very hairy one is that his ears also get blocked with hair, he wont let me strip them inside and we normally end up with him getting an infection and having to go the the vets and be sedated to have them cleaned
Allyson
I have a Weimaraner (I have had 4) and a GSD.
I was initially attracted to Weims because of their looks and then by their personality, had 2 shorts, 2 longs, 2 males, 2 females. Great dogs which have a similar outlook on life as me Found them to be excellent trackers.
My GSD was chosen as a "tool for the job" for which he appears eminently suited.
Future breeds?
Who knows, as they say " a good dog is never a bad colour" the same applies to breeds.
lou
well, I know no-one has posted here for a few months but just thought I had to share my wishlist of dogs!
So I have a GWP - one of my neighbours has one and I liked the look of him, did some research, met some and got one.
I wanted a rescue, my heart is with springers as I grew up with 3 lovely bouncey ones but I thought that perhaps a rescue springer may be rather high maintanance. quite often it seems they end up with muppets as owners for a few years before being re-homed. then i thought rescue GWP. i figured there are less of them bred every year so the probability of a muppet owning one would be less. does that make sense? anyway clearly an ex-working dog may have been unsuitable for me so i was willing to be patient for the right one to come along - it was only a couple of months.
I have a dream one day of having Connie and also a lovely Springer as well but I am a long way off that at the moment. I dont think Connie would thank me for choosing her a pal - you should see her face when I look after my sisters lab! she is so unimpressed!
I guess realistically I will have to wait to see if I conquer Connie fully before planning her sucessor - we do have a difference of opinion when it comes to recall! I have about 10 years to perfect it!
I like the look of the large musterlanders - probably because their furriness reminds me of my old springers!
and I have to say I am quite jealous of Helens team - springers, pointers, setters, gwp's...........thats a collection and a half!
I would like another but I am not ready for one just yet.
I need to be rich 
Found them to be excellent trackers.