Whats got more energy, brittany or GSP?

[Nothinbuthunt]

Ok, I am going to be getting a new puppy this summer, I have pretty much decided on a pointer, although it would be nice to have a dog that could do well with pheasants and ducks.. but I still havent decided, so here I go to my point, I live in town, I have an average sized yard with a fence, and will be able to walk the puppy every day, and also take it out to a field some where and plant pigeons a few times a week so exercise shouldnt be much of a problem... but the puppy will also be a house dog, and will be in the house with us much of the time, exept for in the summer when he/she can be out in the fenced in yard, what dog is more how should I say... rampunxious or high strung in the house.. will one breed tend to be less active in the house or i dunno.. I just need someone who understands what I'm trying to ask to give me some inlightenment.. and if anyone can give me some information on breeds that are good with both duck and pheasant hunting.. thanks

 

[SPOONY SLAYER]

congrats on getting your new pup soon. i have a 5 yo gsp with a ton of energy. he needs to be out pretty much everyday, and he does ok in the house. i think the main thing you'll have to do is find some breeders that your interested in, and ask them. you'll find gsp's with very mild manners, and some that are almost uncontrollable, and im pretty sure the same goes with brittany's. you shouldnt have much of a problem finding a dog that will hunt upland and waterfowl. my best advice would be to contact some breeders, and tell them EXACTLY what your looking for, and they will be more than happy to help you out. good luck.

 

[BigDaddyB]

Hello again youngin, it sounds like you're experiencing the same dilemna as anyone that wants their first hunting dog. If you're going to be hunting upland and waterfowl 50-50, or one, more than the other, you may need to do some additional homework. You previously sounded like you knew what you wanted, a GSP. Most waterfowlers use Labs, which can be excellent upland dogs. Also, they are known for their temperment, however, the versatile continental breeds can and do both very well also.
Whatever breed you settle on, be ready for the terrible two's, the puppy stages that drive a lot of people over the brink. House training, chewing, digging, barking, and just getting into most everything left unattended, that attracts the attention of a curious little critter. Its going to take awhile before maturity sets in, at which time you may be able to leave home with little or no worry you'll come home to some sort of disaster.
Regargless of breed, you can expect to experience the trials and tribulations of what most dog owners go through, and expect your pup to take quite a while to settle in and be the responsible, congenial companion you're dreaming of.
Get yourself exposed to as many of the hunting breeds as possible and talk with the owners and like Spoonyslayer suggested, talk with breeders and read some magazines(Gun Dog, Pointing dog Journal, etc.) and go online to search out the breeds of interest. School will be out before you know it, so don't let any grass grow under your feet!

 

[Nothinbuthunt]

Thanks for the great advice guys... To be honest I'm not really looking for a lab, yes, I'll agree there great dogs, I love them but I personally don't want to own one just because of the fact that when I was younger, we had a chocolate lab named louie, he use to hunt but my dad isnt able to hunt any more because of his new job and starting the family business, well he was mainly just the pet/brother of the family.. he had a great life and lived it to the fullest, he was healthier then any other, but he sadly died a few years ago at a little over 13 years of age... but enough of my sob stories..

I really do want a GSP, I love them, my uncle had 2 of them years back and they were great, the only problem I am facing is that I've heard from a few different people and from information off of the net that they are kind of hard to train and that they bark ALOT.. my buddy told me he has a GSP and that he was really hard to train and that all he did was bark, but I think you can train any dog with enough knowledge of training, and I have also heard there sensitive so maybe the ones that are hard to train could be perhaps because they were being to tough on the dogs during the training periods... I dunno it would be nice if someone could clear this up for me regarding the training difficulty and the barking, its not so much the training though its more the barking since I live in town and everything,
thanks

 

[DKScott]

These work: TriTronics Bark Collar

 

[Greg]

Nothinbuthunt,

I have a GSP and he is Two years old. The only time he barks is when someone comes to my front door. He is a very trustworthy dog around kids and he does a great job of staying out of trouble (except for the occasional shredding of toilet paper). I leave him in the house whenever I go anywhere and he does just fine.
I guess what I am saying is these dogs are like people you get something different from each one.
My GSP was trained along side nothing but britts and they were very impressive. However, they didn't stand a chance against him when it came to running and his stamina seemed to be much greater.
I've never tried to hunt waterfowl with my dog yet. I just think sitting in a blind with him at his age would'nt be worth the fight. In a few years when he learns to relax I could see it being a possibility.

Have you ever given any thought to a Poodle Pointer. I have had the pleasure of hunting along side a few of these dogs while hunting ducks and upland birds and the dogs did great in both situations.

 

[Nothinbuthunt]

Thank you all for the great information... After reading my own posts another question regarding this particular topic came up...

In your opinion, which dog would you think is more suitible for house living, the brittany or the GSP?? thanks