Pointers/HPRs

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wildfowler.250

wildfowler.250

Well-Known Member
So I’ve previously had cockers, ESS and now have labs. Bulk of my shooting is wildfowling but will take the labs with me if I go stalking,(more to walk them than a benefit). They’ll find deer if needed but that’s about it.

Do pointers help you grass any more deer than having a ‘standard’ dog? How are they with retrieving? My head says keep going with labs or cockers but I’ve always fancied a pointer,(GWP) for rough shooting. Can they be funny about retrieving on water?


Interested in any opinions


Cheers!
 
I've had 3 GSP's & 2 of them really hated water.

I currently have a GWP & I've never seen a dog that's so keen to be in water. We're just back from a week in Arran & he spent most of the time swimming. On iced-up ponds he has a technique of pushing through the ice with his chest & if he meets too much resistance he'll throw up a front leg & smash the ice to proceed.

He's great for rough-shooting if there aren't too many distractions & has the softest mouth of any retriever I've ever seen. I took him on when he was eight so I don't know all that's gone on before but I do wish I could get him to be kinder to hedgehogs & anything small & fluffy that doesn't need disposed of.

He's the easiest dog I've ever had around the house & children.

Low tide at Lamlash on Friday evening
IMG_20190802_2007283~2.webp
 
There are kennels in the States that specialise in DD’s/GWPs for wildfowling so there are some good dogs out there. My old GWP loved the water and I wish I could have used her wildfowling, I’m sure that she would have been better at finding ducks lost on a salt marsh better than my previous lab. My current one used to love the water but then something happened under the water one retrieve and she became a bit phobic but we are working through it.
If I was looking for a GWP for wildfowling I’d look for a line with a tight coat and a heavy body, the shaggy rangy ones feel the cold a bit more. A line that has wildfowling experience is good.
 
Cheers guys! Good to hear and any more comments welcome

Are there any particularly good GWP breeders that people would recommend? Labs are easy as everyone has one so word and mouth has been no problem. Looking ahead for likely next year anyway
 
Like you I’ve had cockers for years but always fancied a GWP so bit the bullet last year. I did some research and found a litter to my liking and chose a bitch. Picked her up in June at 8 wks old. Took her everywhere with me. Started beating with her on a small shoot in November and had her retrieving pheasants and ducks from water in no time. Also take her every time I take the rifle out the cabinet which is about 3 or 4 times a week, and yes she now indicates deer in front of me. She’ll work game but much prefers deer and I can now read her body language to what’s in front. All in all so glad I took the plunge but I’m sure it’s safe to say I picked a good one and like I said I take her everywhere I can but can leave her at home if required with no issues. If you decide to take the plunge best advice is do your research and like all dogs put the time in especially the first 12 months. Good luck!
 
So I live as far North in Scotland as possible on the mainland.
I also stalk Roe, Red and Sika here and Muntjac and fallow in England.
To answer your questions, Yes you will grass more deer with a properly trained GSP.
I have had people from all over the UK shooting here and I've shot all over the UK and I constantly here, "what a fantastic retrieve, or wow never seen a retrieve like it" so yes mine retrieve everything and I mean everything shot including deer if allowed.
My dogs retrieve anything from water, including the sea in winter and love water and in 50 years of keeping them I have never had one that didn't, one of the main parts of the working test is water retrieval.
NOW there is a BIG but, if you want a dog working, even for five minutes before its 18 months forget GSPs, thousands are ruined every year by people trying to train them too early. They are big babies before then and my pup is now 18months old and still growing! both physically and mentally.
 
I have always had Labs and Cockers in the past. Had a HWV for the past 7 years and will be having one again. He points deer which gives you a very early heads up in woodland. My success rate has improved as a result of the dog. He will find a shot deer in cover in seconds which has saved a great deal of time as in the past it sometimes took a while if they ran 50 yds into woodland. Rough shooting is stunning, he stalks cover rather than running through it. Watch the dog carefully from behind and he will always find the bird. Walked up Grouse is his favourite. Quartering 100 meters either side when he goes on point he will hold solid until you're ready. He will still run all day, although he is admittedly now a little slower than he was at 3. He pointed his first grouse and went on the hill for the reds for the first time at 14 months and has been doing it ever since. He doesn't really like the peg when I'm shooting pheasant/partridge but I can forgive him that. I couldn't wish for a better dog. Perhaps I've been lucky or perhaps it's the breed. I have only had one so I couldn't swear on it, but I will have another.
 
McKenzie said:
I've had 3 GSP's & 2 of them really hated water.

I currently have a GWP & I've never seen a dog that's so keen to be in water. We're just back from a week in Arran & he spent most of the time swimming. On iced-up ponds he has a technique of pushing through the ice with his chest & if he meets too much resistance he'll throw up a front leg & smash the ice to proceed.

He's great for rough-shooting if there aren't too many distractions & has the softest mouth of any retriever I've ever seen. I took him on when he was eight so I don't know all that's gone on before but I do wish I could get him to be kinder to hedgehogs & anything small & fluffy that doesn't need disposed of.

He's the easiest dog I've ever had around the house & children.

Low tide at Lamlash on Friday evening
View attachment 133775
Click to expand...
Cracking photograph John :thumb:
 
levigsp said:
So I live as far North in Scotland as possible on the mainland.
I also stalk Roe, Red and Sika here and Muntjac and fallow in England.
To answer your questions, Yes you will grass more deer with a properly trained GSP.
I have had people from all over the UK shooting here and I've shot all over the UK and I constantly here, "what a fantastic retrieve, or wow never seen a retrieve like it" so yes mine retrieve everything and I mean everything shot including deer if allowed.
My dogs retrieve anything from water, including the sea in winter and love water and in 50 years of keeping them I have never had one that didn't, one of the main parts of the working test is water retrieval.
NOW there is a BIG but, if you want a dog working, even for five minutes before its 18 months forget GSPs, thousands are ruined every year by people trying to train them too early. They are big babies before then and my pup is now 18months old and still growing! both physically and mentally.
Click to expand...
I'd love to see a few update pictures if possible please and a few tails of him, is it the one you fetched over from Europe?
Cheers
Jimmy
 
Hungarian Vizsla. Now on my fifth - she is my first bitch and second rescue. All have been great retrievers, some outstanding pointers and candidly my first bitch is the best we have ever owned. Started her 788B8E26-2905-4478-BAB7-765CBECE6C14.webpon deer a year ago and principally used to follow-up. Laid patiently at the foot of a high seat last night without a murmur or any bum shuffling before finding perfectly my shot fallow pricket. Whilst the dog performs outstandingly in the field, she is also a perfect family pet and is a proper member of the family. Cracking breed!
 
On my first HWV a truly amazing breed and incredibly versatile. No problem on land or in water. For wildfowling he just loves the water so much so that the problem is actually getting him out. He has a habit of wading back out up to his arm pits and just staring out across the water completely ignoring everything and everyone around him waiting for the next retrieve. I would agree HPR’s do take slightly longer to mature and I’ve found that you tend to have to be very gentle in training methods but once you’ve put the time in learnt to “read” them there’s not much you can’t ask them to do.
 
Cheers guys! Appreciate the feedback.

Have you noticed any benefit with docked or non docked tails? Wouldn’t have a spaniel without one but is it as big an issue on the pointers?

Happy to hear of any recommended breeders as well. Or do they tend to be more individual litters?

Cheers!
 
I've got a GWP pup and have to say he's been one of the easiest dogs to train. I started with a vizla (rescue) at 18 months old , disliked small kids and gun nervous when we got him as well as having never been broken to sheep cows etc. A year later he was a different dog . Loved the family and other kids , didn't run back to the car at the shot and ignord livestock but still pointed hill sheep if in a dip out of sight. Only issue was his thin coat and he felt the cold on the west coast of Scotland. Once I had the HPR bug I got a Brittany , she is now 10 worked her too early and relied on the viizla to do the retrieving but didn't really notice till he was gone . Found myself doing the retrieving she will hunt and point but not interested in fetching just goes back into hunt mode when the bird is down. Also she is too birdy to be steady for stalking.

So got the GWP, I've learned the lesson and put the time into him, he's mainly been used for stalking so far found two roe after short tracks and followed a laid track about 300 meters with a 90 degree turn. He loves the water and is in the burn every day, he also loves to carry things , anything, and has done since a pup, never been told off for it and is very soft mouthed. He has been retrieving feral pigeons and rabbits since six months old. He has had two roe deer finds now will post a pic of the one last week, and I'm glad I ignored the horror stories about the breed and didn't settle for a lab.

I appreciate that they may be slower to mature , but what's the rush , he loves to be with me no matter what I'm doing and the only negative if you can call it that is he suffers a little separation anxiety , he will wine if he knows I'm in the vicinity and he isn't by my side , but on the plus side I could never lose him .

Hope you find the right dog

John.
 

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My GSP is generally a whining git. When good he's 110% but that's a small part of the day. Everything is boring for him -30sec stood still he goes into meltdown. Everything else a battle for me. He requires a least 5 miles run every day. He'll swim but not cold water. Finding things- lucky for him he is very good at finding anything with a pulse. The nose is undeniably brilliant, Red deer can be scented at +2km on open ground. Not sure I could survive another one like him.
 
I have enjoyed reading some of the above.
Our GWP...... we were his 5th home for him at 11 months. Found this out after we had him.
Shooting with a shotgun forget it. The noise he makes is so vocal. You would think I was trying to poke the full length of barrels in his arse. Hard mouthed too. So no feathers. Fine on fur.
Going for a walk and being on the lead, Has got a lot better. I think this was why he was re-homed so much.
Put his harness on and once he is out the truck with a rifle. He is like a a big cat stalking about. Totally silent at the bottom of a high seat. No matter what walks past. He won’t let anyone come to me either. Not a bad thing in today’s society. He is fine if they say his name. He will grab a deer when we get to it. Or bay if needed.
They are really clever dogs. I would say a spaniel does what it does. A GWP has the ability to think and work things out. I think this is why they take so long to grow up. But also the reason the are a problem. I thought my spaniel was fit. My pointer made him look like he was relaxed. He is 4 now and he is in the same wood as me now when we are out . For 2 yrs I’m sure he wasn’t. 5 bar gates don’t even Register. They are machines when in the zone.
Answer the question of bag more deer.
I feel more confident when he is with me. If I need to find something at last light he really makes it so I don’t have to struggle. I am still learning with him. As he is with me. I struggled to find one last month. He kept pulling me and I kept taking him back to the shot site. In the end i just let him and followed. Guess who was right. I would not have found this. (Loose mount on my rifle - bad day for me) But it showed me how far he has come.
The aren’t like training labs and spaniels. Takes and age and the are nuts. But the friendship and character is very human like.
We have a Viz. 1 yr old. Suckers for punishment I think.
 
Cheers guys, very interesting reading! I’ll have a good look around and try and source a good breeder. I imagine if I focus hard on the retrieving it shouldn’t be a problem, any dog can fetch? Good to hear all the feedback and by the sounds of it, every dog has its quirks. Same as any breed you go for I suppose, no two are the same

levigsp said:
Jimmy, yes I fetched him from Slovenia. I will post pictures when I have more time. The whole litter is doing great, in Europe, Australia, Africa etc and everyone seems very pleas
Click to expand...

What made you get one from Europe out of interest? Great photos!
 
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