weimaraner GSP mix

OverandUnder · Post by **OverandUnder** » Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:38 pm

Hi, I'm brand new to the site. I have a chance to get a puppy from a friend who's female GSP and male weimaraner had an accidental litter. The GSP is good bird dog and has all papers. The weimaraner was found lost, so no history is known with him. Does anyone have experience with this cross of breeds? Do you guy's think the dog would make a good bird dog? Worth a chance? This would be my first bird dog. Any input would be great!

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:42 am

nothing wrong with really taking a chance- gamblers do it all the time- you have no idea what the weim is except it looks like a weim- it's free- you wouldn't have to worry about the expense of shots, medications, and you'd expect to keep the dog for say 12+ years- first hunting dog- hum

Post by **ezzy333** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:03 am

If you are wanting a pet that probably will hunt go for it. If you want a hunter that would be a nice pet then I would look for something a little more sure. Once you have the pup nothing is free and either way it will cost you just as much a tear for the rest of the dogs life. Think about it and make up your mind.

Personally I would bet the cross would make a nice dog but it would bother me not knowing if the male has much hunting instinct. But it would save you a few hundred if you get it free. If you can wait to make your choice then I would wait till the pups are near 8 weeks and work them a little with a wing on a string and see if you have any pointing ability showing. If so go for it if you want.

Ezzy

Hotpepper · Post by **Hotpepper** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:21 am

Nothing is ever "FREE", get something that you can live with and have as a part of your family.

Pepper

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:29 am

This is not an unreasonable risk to take, as both these breeds are pointing dogs...I would take a wing on a string over and perhaps a pigeon and see how the pup responds....could be a great price for a bird dog. The purchase price is the smallest sum you shell out usually for any dog though...so don't do it just cuz it's free......Still doesn't hurt to check it out.

briarpatch · Post by **briarpatch** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 9:37 am

Its a gamble as the others said, might be the best hunting dog you ever seen or might be a dud..quality Breedings take a lot of the gamble out of what you going to get from a new pup if you know what the parents do and work like with an unknown mix like this who knows what you'll end up with..

Personally some people around here ask me all the time why do I spend the large amounts of money I do to buy a pup and have it shipped in, well the answer is because if it comes from a quality breeding I lesson the gamble by about 95 % or better of getting a dud, and the money spent on getting a good propect is just the begining of the expendatures of owning a bird dog, I spend ten times the amount I spend on getting a quality pup on training equip, training birds, vet bills, normal toys,stuff for housing ect. so I personally think if I am going to put all the time money and effort into training a dog, Its better to spend a few extra bucks in the begining to get the actual dog and have a promising prospect that I expect to be a great dog simular to its parents qualities, it puts the odds in your favor of getting a good one..

But I have seen a few decent bird dogs that were free or cheap some were even mixes but they are few, I also have seen a lot of owners who were like I dont understand why this dog dont point or ask me why their lab is afraid of the water or end up with dogs that dont hunt at all (gun shy) and ask why (well might be cause you got it for $150 bucks from a guy whose dogs wouldnt know what a gamebird was if it was standing in his food dish attempting to get a bargain). I dont bargain shop when it comes to getting a dog, its a long term investment and I want the best I can get, the bargain in the begining may cost you tons more later on with health issues..

But thats just my opinion and just some more of my normal ramblings hope they help to give you some ideas

good luck with your decision

Elroy's Bandit · Post by **Elroy's Bandit** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 10:20 am

The "upside" makes anyone look like Einstein, but the "downside" you live with for a very long time. Like the other posters stated, nothing is free. JMO-but you will have the standard vet bills, food, etc either way. For a house dog/pet/part time hunting companion, you really have a pretty good probability that he/she will work out fine, but if it's a true hunting dog you are looking for, you are taking a big gamble. When you look at this just like a house, or an investment over the lifespan or duration, it makes sense to spend the few hundred dollars on a proven or at the very least "well researched" line. Over the 12+ year lifespan of the avg. dog, it comes out to about $30-40 per year, that's about $3.00 a month! Me , I would go for the $3 investment to assure that you have all the right stuff in the dog you are looking for. This is just my opinion & rambling..........you could be calling me nuts when that mixed turns out to be that "special" dog.

Bill L.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 12:57 pm

ymepointer wrote:This is not an unreasonable risk to take, as both these breeds are pointing dogs...I would take a wing on a string over and perhaps a pigeon and see how the pup responds....could be a great price for a bird dog. .....Still doesn't hurt to check it out.

glad you'd take the risk- the pup when grown could look like anything- act like anything- what are you going to find with a wing on a string- that the pup might freeze when he understands he can't catch it

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 1:42 pm

Oh I didn't say I would, just that it's not an unreasonable risk to take or that big a deal to go over and take a look to see if the pup has any point in it or not. Weims and GSP's are both generally speaking expected to handle bird hunting the same way.

OverandUnder · Post by **OverandUnder** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 3:51 pm

Well I do see it is a risk you take when you don't know everything about both parents. I do know the mom is a good bird dog which is 50 percent of the pup, and say the Dad has a 50/50 shot at having good genes. well that's a 75 percent chance I think I'm willing to take. Truth is I don't have 2000 bucks to fork over for a dog right now so worst case scenario I end up with a good pet and learn from the lesson. Thanks for the input. If I go through with it I will let keep you posted on how he does. I'm sure I'll have a thousand questions I'll be begging for help with in the training of the dog.

Southwind · Post by **Southwind** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:07 pm

The best dog I have ever owned is a shorthair/pointer cross that I paid $35 for pick of the litter. It was an accidental breeding and I wanted a sporting breed to keep my setter company in the kennels. Turns out, he is my best guide dog and wild bird dog in the whole kennel. If the dam is that good, I would give it a try. I have owned pointers and gsp's that had both sire and dam being Ch's, and they were not worth the food I was feeding them. Good luck

Post by **topher40** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 4:36 pm

Not saying that it wont work but why? If you want a bird dog go spend the money on a well bred pup with proven parents. A mutt will cost you the same in the long run as a thousand dollar puppy, other than the up front cost.

If you want a pet then GO FOR IT! There isnt any reason it couldnt make a good enough pet and Lord knows there are plenty of pets that need homes.

zzweims · Post by **zzweims** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:18 pm

OverandUnder wrote:Well I do see it is a risk you take when you don't know everything about both parents. I do know the mom is a good bird dog which is 50 percent of the pup, and say the Dad has a 50/50 shot at having good ge. nes. well that's a 75 percent chance I think I'm willing to take. Truth is I don't have 2000 bucks to fork over for a dog right now so worst case scenario I end up with a good pet and learn from the lesson. Thanks for the input. If I go through with it I will let keep you posted on how he does. I'm sure I'll have a thousand questions I'll be begging for help with in the training of the dog.

$2000??!! A well bred field weim will cost you around $1000. A well bred (better) gsp will cost you 1/2-3/4 of that. If you are truly interested in a pup from this particular litter, then I suggest that you take the weim stud dog home with you for a day or two to see what he's like. At the very least, spend a day in the field with him on BIRDS. Weims, in general, are very good tracking and retrieving dogs, but they fall down compared to the other breeds with regard to bird drive. Only the best bred field weims will be comparable to a decently bred gsp. And even then, there is no guarentee. We are not talking about a 50/50 split here where the weim is concerned. It is more like 99/1 with 99% being garbage.

Aline
http://zzfarms.com

birddogger · Post by **birddogger** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 7:54 pm

I personally would stay away from this cross. As the other posters have stated, it could turn out ok but I would be very skeptical about that possibility. It could cause you alot of grief and IMO life is too short for that. You don't have to spend big bucks for a field bred bird dog. Most purebred pointers and GSPs will hunt and point birds if given the opportunity. I would rather spend a little extra for a pup out of a proven line but if all you want is a foot hunting dog, they can be found reasonably priced and on occasion free.

muddycreek · Post by **muddycreek** » Tue Jun 23, 2009 8:03 pm

As one who has made the mistake of taking a chance, I would suggest looking a a well estabilished reputable breeder. Trust me you will be ahead in the long run. First off determine what you want in a dog, close working, wider ranging, NAVHDA, FT etc.... then find a breeder (of which there are many that produce the type of dog you want).

This is one of those lessons learned best the hard way.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:10 am

OverandUnder wrote:Well I do see it is a risk you take when you don't know everything about both parents. I do know the mom is a good bird dog which is 50 percent of the pup, and say the Dad has a 50/50 shot at having good genes. well that's a 75 percent chance I think I'm willing to take. Truth is I don't have 2000 bucks to fork over for a dog right now so worst case scenario I end up with a good pet and learn from the lesson. Thanks for the input. If I go through with it I will let keep you posted on how he does. I'm sure I'll have a thousand questions I'll be begging for help with in the training of the dog.

chuckling- had a kind of freind who had purchased a well bred English Setter female from the NSTRA club- 2nd year he wanted to breed with my male Britt- I laughed
got a call- accidental breeding with his Golden cross- had 7 pups- did I want one- still laughing

so that fall, he and his freinds took the pups hunting- wonders why I don't want anything to do with him

I think a fella who might be hard up for cash- could ask arround here- maybe someone would have an extra pure bred pup- that is if a fella was prepared and actually considered the responsibility of raising and keeping such dog for the 15 years it could be a companion
specially considering this would be the first hunting dog

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:25 am

I guess you could wait for a Sliver lab X Yellow Shorthair breeding.

rstbkt69 · Post by **rstbkt69** » Wed Jun 24, 2009 7:56 am

I know a breeder in So Cal that has a liver GSP he is wanting to give away. Just need to let him be the trainer when she gets to the training age. I have one of his dogs and he is great.

Now I have a lab and GSP mix that we were going to fill two needs with. Good pet and a hunter. He is a great dog, smart as they come, Very loveable, Hates water and has zero interst in birds. So I have two GSPs that are all he is and they hunt. If you want the dog get him but I think it is better to go into the partnership thinking he wont hunt and if he turns out being a hunter brag about how lucky you got.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 6:58 am

ymepointer wrote:I guess you could wait for a Sliver lab X Yellow Shorthair breeding.

good advice for one thinking on his first hunting dog

wonder who is breeding for the ultimate- one that can do it all- flush what's in front and point out it's butt

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 7:01 am

I have owned 6 crossbreeds in the last 40 years and 5 have been good hunters, of those 4 were great. They included weim X chesies, springer X GSP, pointer X lab and chesie X GWP. Let me define what I call a good hunter, 1. good social skills with other dogs, 2. Find birds in range, 3. Flush in range or Point until I got there to flush, and 4. Retrieve out of water or land including cripples. I hunted them on waterfowl, forest grouse, sage and sharptail grouse, four species of quail, huns, chukars, pheasant, and doves, They were hunted in N. Idaho rainforest, cold desert, river canyons, midwestern grain fields and Mohave Desert. some of the most diverse habits Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Kansas had to offer. Most of them would not have won any points for style but i shot and got back alot of birds. I had very few health problems with them and they all lived to a ripe old age. I definitely would take the chance if a short haired pointing dog is what you want.

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:05 am

Thanks Fishvik, I was wondering, of the six, you said 5 were good, mind telling us which mix you didn't have luck with?

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Thu Jun 25, 2009 12:07 pm

as many have said- if you're happy with a mixed breed that's your choice

some like a pure bred, FC line, with style, drive, desire, and pick one young- course being a pure breed one can be proud of the parents and breeding- can enter in show and trials- and can breed with expected results- and the pups are worth something

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:52 am

Funny how many uhhhhhh reputable breeders recommend buying a dog from a reputable breeder.

Best retriever I ever owned was a black lab I saved from the pound. I do know for sure that he was full blooded lab but other than that I knew nothing of his parents or lineage. The dog was retrieving dove and quail over land and dove on water (shot over a pond) at 9 mos. He was trying to retrieve pheasant at that age but his mouth wasnt quite big enough. I say take a chance but just remember to give the dog plenty of time to work out before you decide it wont hunt. Some dogs just develop more slowly than others and I have heard that about Weims. Nothing wrong with crossbred dogs. I gave away some oops pups out of my female setter and my male pointer a couple of years ago. Far as I have heard they all turned out to be good hunting dogs and pets. Of course I had my female setter fixed after that but that is besides the point. There is absolutely nothing wrong with crosses. Ever see the movie "Old Yeller"? He was a mutt.

BellaDad · Post by **BellaDad** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:43 am

Wow, that's a pretty stupid way of looking at it. That's like saying buying a car off of Craigslist with just a picture rather than a certified pre-owned dealer car. Sure, it COULD turn out just fine but your odds are better with someone who has proven themselves. They're "reputable" for a reason. If they weren't they'd be out of business pretty quick now wouldn't they?

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:56 am

BellaDad wrote:Wow, that's a pretty stupid way of looking at it. That's like saying buying a car off of Craigslist with just a picture rather than a certified pre-owned dealer car. Sure, it COULD turn out just fine but your odds are better with someone who has proven themselves. They're "reputable" for a reason. If they weren't they'd be out of business pretty quick now wouldn't they?

cracks you up too

-

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:42 am

And remember, we need pics of any new pups regardless of how they are obtained

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:41 am

BellaDad wrote:Wow, that's a pretty stupid way of looking at it. That's like saying buying a car off of Craigslist with just a picture rather than a certified pre-owned dealer car. Sure, it COULD turn out just fine but your odds are better with someone who has proven themselves. They're "reputable" for a reason. If they weren't they'd be out of business pretty quick now wouldn't they?

I sure don't see it as stupid. I think they call it capitalism. You pay what you think something is worth to you or what you can afford. And many times you get something just as good for you at least, as the high priced item. I watch these threads everyday and there are posts about which shotgun to buy and I see many recommend a new cheaper brand or maybe a used gun. Same thing can apply to dogs. For those of you that want a purebred where you have some quarantee of what it will look like and what how it will act will pay more and that is fine. But for someone wanting a first dog that probably will hunt and will make a great pet plus fit their budget there sure isn't anything wrong with a crossbred. Crossed between simuliar breeds the chances are great it will be a good dog and fulfil the wants and needs in the field.

I think it is good to buy as much as you can afford but there are other ways to go that can be very fulfilling also.

We need to be sure not to look down on someone that is not as well off as we are and is willing to make a dream come true with hard work instead of money.

The results can not be quaranteed in either case but the way there will be an experience neither will forget.

Ezzy

BellaDad · Post by **BellaDad** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:22 am

ezzy333 wrote:
We need to be sure not to look down on someone that is not as well off as we are and is willing to make a dream come true with hard work instead of money.

The results can not be quaranteed in either case but the way there will be an experience neither will forget.

Ezzy

I agree. I think the OP has a decent shot of having a dog that will work great for him. He was able to find out something about the parents and use that to aide in his decision.

I was talking about the generalized comment that a pound dog that you know absolutely nothing about will be as good as a dog that you do know about. True you can get a great dog in many ways, but being able to do some leg work and learn a little gives you a much better shot than pure luck.

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 12:22 pm

It seems to depend on what part of the country you live in as well. I happen to have gotten all of my dogs, who happen to all be out of excellent bloodlines, from friends of mine who all just happen to be field trialers, breeders and trainers. Some people are not as fortunate as me to know people like this. I happen to live in an area where there are a lot of trialer/trainer/breeders all in a 150 mile radius as well. Some people live in an area where they may have to drive a considerable distance to get one or order one in. My Elhew male that I own is an excellent quail dog but was a field trial washout from a guy who was wanting to start trialing. He paid $1200 for the dog from Nitro Kennels in Missouri. He went through a divorce and never worked with the dog and then when he took the dog out hunting he said the dog would not hunt very well and was not going to be the trial dog he wanted either. I bought the dog for $300 and he has been an excellent wild quail dog. All I am saying is that if you give a dog a chance it has a good chance of turning out to be a good companion and hunting dog. I paid $250 for each one of my other dogs and like I said both have excellent pedigrees and came from trialer/trainers. So you can have an excellent dog without having to pay and arm and a leg for one. To revert back to your example of cars, that is like saying only a Ferrari is good enough I will not be happy with a Ford Pickup truck no matter how nice it is. By the way if you buy a car from an individual rather than a "certified pre owned dealer" you are less likely to get ripped off. Those dealers you speak of are the ones that know and use every trick in the book to make you think you are getting a good deal even if the car is a POS. I guess it sort of depends on how you look at things though I guess. If the dog is free and hunts then I think he has made a good deal for himself and if the dog is free and does not hunt but gives him 15 years of companionship and happiness he has still made a good deal. JMHO

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 1:33 pm

not really- I happened to be a service manager for Ford, Goodyear, BF Goodrich, and Firestone- can't remember ever where a customer wanted a mix

you ok with a mix- think back to the days GM was putting chevy engines in everything- quite a few lawsuits

some don't care- some do- mix and match- sure they all work- but

wems2371 · Post by **wems2371** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 2:04 pm

tommyboy72 wrote:If the dog is free and hunts then I think he has made a good deal for himself and if the dog is free and does not hunt but gives him 15 years of companionship and happiness he has still made a good deal. JMHO

Well said. Twelve short years ago, I was living on the macaroni and cheese diet with hotdogs for special occassions. Okay, it wasn't quite that bad (but close).

But I sure didn't have the money to buy a purebred anything. At the time $65 at the local shelter got me the closest dog that I could find that looked like a lab. I had no history on the 4 month old pup, picked up wandering on a busy highway. Don't think I could've found an AKC newspaper pup for $65 (with included spay), and if I had, who the heck says it would've hunted or it's last 4 generations had seen anything but birds at the park? Despite our total lack of training, she turned into a real nice flusher, is very birdy, and tenacious about getting into briars and brushpiles after rabbits. She won't win any awards, although maybe she could've if the right trainer had had her. :roll: I could've waited four years, to have an extra $400+ cash laying around.....and then maybe I never would've had it either. Didn't have anyone to beat into my head that she would be a waste of time or a monumental hunting gamble, so I went forward in my ignorant bliss and we've both done well by each other.

My money tree is only about shrub size now (and some days I think it's dying back

), but I was financially able to go down the reputable breeder/lineage path with my recent two gsps. I'm not promoting mixed breeds, and the term "accidental breeding" makes me wince. But I know what it's like to have a limited budget and a dream. Do some thinking, remember the lifetime commitment, use your head and your heart to make the decision, and post photos if you do get a pup........any pup. Best wishes. Denise

OverandUnder · Post by **OverandUnder** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 4:47 pm

Well I think I have made my decision to get the pup. They are 5 weeks old now and I have pick of the litter. There are 5 females and 1 male. The male is slightly smaller than the others but the most outgoing. He was vocal at 4 weeks old and was pawing at my leg bit my shoe string. He would follow me around too. The females would mostly sleep. They are already eating puppy food, I guess the Mom won't feed them anymore. Do you think 6 weeks is old enough to take the pup home, or should I wait till 7 or 8 weeks? Also do you think he is slightly smaller because he seemed more active so he was burning off more calories ? Do you guy's find one sex to be more stubborn with training than another? And when should a bird dog be spayed or neuterded if at all? Does this affect their hunting drive? Sorry lots of questions but now I'm getting excited.

huntindog · Post by **huntindog** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 6:59 pm

Have you seen the Wiem hunt yet? Have you seen any Weim hunt?
The reason I ask is that every Wiem I have seen hunts quite a bit differently than every GSP I have seen.
It is very possible with this "mix" to have a dog that tends towards one of the parents traits in one area and the other parents in other areas.
I know yau are happy with how the GSP hunts. The question is will you be happy if the pup takes after the the Weim in this area.

Before the Wiem owners get riled up... I am not dogging your dogs. I know you all love your breed as I love mine, I am just pointing out that there are signifignant differences between the two.

On what others have said. Yes this dog SHOULD be a 15 year commitment. But if it is free, and doesn't hunt, well with no upfront investment in the dog it would be easy to cast it off to make room for a dog that will hunt.

That is the unspoken truth that is in many peoples minds when obtaining a "free" hunting dog.

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:13 pm

huntindog wrote:Have you seen the Wiem hunt yet? Have you seen any Weim hunt?
The reason I ask is that every Wiem I have seen hunts quite a bit differently than every GSP I have seen.
It is very possible with this "mix" to have a dog that tends towards one of the parents traits in one area and the other parents in other areas.
I know yau are happy with how the GSP hunts. The question is will you be happy if the pup takes after the the Weim in this area.

We call this the Billy Joel Syndrome..coined after Billy Joel wed Christie Brinkley.....as in the baby ends up looking like Billy and sounding like Christie

It is a distint possibillity of the pup being a so so hunter.

Post by **ezzy333** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 7:20 pm

I wouldn't be concerned about the size difference as it is a non-issue at this age. One teat gives a little more milk than the next one and that can be the difference. I would leave the pup with it's littermates till it is 8 weeks old if possible. They can teach it more than you can in he next couple of weeks. And it will never have the chance to learn from them again while you will have years to be together.

Not sure there is much difference in the sexes but if there is the males may be a little more bold and hard headed. But even that is not a given.

The pup needs to be nuetered at some point but for it's health I wouldn't do it till after a year old or when the growth pattern has stopped. You can run into developmental problems if done before.

Go for it and keep us all informed what you learn as you progress with your first birddog. It can be an exciting time.

Ezzy

ymepointer · Post by **ymepointer** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:05 pm

I totally agree with ezzy, only one thing to add.....we need pictures...lots and lots of pictures

zzweims · Post by **zzweims** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:13 pm

ymepointer wrote: We call this the Billy Joel Syndrome..coined after Billy Joel wed Christie Brinkley.....as in the baby ends up looking like Billy and sounding like Christie It is a distint possibillity of the pup being a so so hunter.

[/quote]

This cracks me up! What a waste of talent and beauty that breeding was

As for the pup, don't worry about sex,and give them a couple of more weeks before you choose. As a breeder, I know that a whole lot of changing goes on between weeks 5 and 8. Good luck, have fun, and post pics!

Aline
http://zzfarms.com

RBraddy · Post by **RBraddy** » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:11 pm

if you want a dog for a pet, get the dog.
if you a dog what will hunt for upland birds for you and still be a pet, get a pure breed bird dog
You sould try to stack the deck of cards in your favor
trust me i learned the hard way on a lab years ago.

But then you might get lucky and the dog be the best hunter you have ever seen and a good pet.

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:13 am

It doesn't hurt to try and Shadow I own a 1998 Ford Explorer that is still running with 150,000 miles on it and it does contain GM parts as well as Ford parts namely the actuator motor for the transfer case. Point being that sometimes mixing and matching works. I am not condoning intentionally cross breeding different types of bird dogs because God knows I love English Pointers but give the dog a chance to live a life of hitting the fields and hunting birds instead of dropping them in a bucket of water at birth as I know some breeders do when an unintentional mating occurs. I am glad to hear you decided to take the pup and I hope to hear more from you on this site and as has been mentioned several times upload us some pictures to admire. Has anyone on this site thought about what if their parents decided they were an accident and the only logical thing to do with them was to send them off to an orphanage or state run childrens home? Heck give the dog a chance the worse that can happen is he won't hunt and you go out and get him a buddy later on that will hunt. No harm in having more than one dog, most of us do.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:36 am

GM was installing Chevy engines in Buicks, Pontiacs, and Olds- but denying it

now down the line if one has a cross breed but denies it

freind of the family had a hunting Golden and hunting Irish- both were pure breed- asked it I'd like to take a pup and see what I could do- said he might want to buy it back some day- so I picked a female at 7 weeks
at 5 months I worked her with a good Golden and Black Lab-
that pup being so young and full of desire slowly made the lab quit retrieving
she turned out to be a real nice grouse and duck dog
was I surprised- not really- she had good teachers- and both parents were known hunting dogs

muddycreek · Post by **muddycreek** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 9:33 am

Has anyone on this site thought about what if their parents decided they were an accident and the only logical thing to do with them was to send them off to an orphanage or state run childrens home?

Apples and oranges. When a child is born, planned or not, it is the responsibility of said parents without question. Unfortunately, too often in society today we treat our kids like dogs and dogs like kids. I know this is not what you were trying to convey, but just was a bad comparison.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:37 pm

muddycreek wrote:
Has anyone on this site thought about what if their parents decided they were an accident and the only logical thing to do with them was to send them off to an orphanage or state run childrens home?
Apples and oranges. When a child is born, planned or not, it is the responsibility of said parents without question. Unfortunately, too often in society today we treat our kids like dogs and dogs like kids. I know this is not what you were trying to convey, but just was a bad comparison.

exactly- ask on the internet how many are looking for their real parents because they were given up
way to many dogs end up at pounds or- because someone is over their head- lets breed- without thinking things true-

fishvik · Post by **fishvik** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 7:16 am

"Thanks Fishvik, I was wondering, of the six, you said 5 were good, mind telling us which mix you didn't have luck with?"

ymepointer- Sorry it has taken so long to get back but my son was at a baseball tourney this weekend. The one hasn't worked out so well is a brittany-lab cross. She won't hunt for anything, doesn't like the water and will only bring back a bird on land. She also is very jealous of other dogs. So now she is just my daughters pet. She is very obedient and a good family dog.

bwood · Post by **bwood** » Mon Jun 29, 2009 11:28 am

I've hunted over a very nice Viszla/GSP for years(not mine). The thing that has happened to me as I've got into pointing dogs is very soon I wanted to play the games. The crosses and non-registered dogs couldn't play. That has made me stick to papered dogs. I love being able to extend the fun with testing/trialing. I'm guessing your pup will be an ok hunter that will make you want more....

rosiesdad · Post by **rosiesdad** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:25 pm

birddogger wrote:I personally would stay away from this cross. As the other posters have stated, it could turn out ok but I would be very skeptical about that possibility. It could cause you alot of grief and IMO life is too short for that. You don't have to spend big bucks for a field bred bird dog. Most purebred pointers and GSPs will hunt and point birds if given the opportunity. I would rather spend a little extra for a pup out of a proven line but if all you want is a foot hunting dog, they can be found reasonably priced and on occasion free.

The real cost of a dog is TIME, Vet Bills, and Food. Purchase price isnt a big concern. I would opt for a better breeding.

Shadow · Post by **Shadow** » Wed Jul 01, 2009 1:55 pm

you just have to shrug your shoulders and wonder

as an example- I'm expecting a litter from these two and if I figured I might have an extra and if someone knew what a purebreed was about and why we breed good parents I might give it away

OverandUnder · Post by **OverandUnder** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 12:50 am

Just picked up the pup! Late night but she is sound asleep in her kennel right next to me. We will see how day one goes tomorrow. First things first, I need to pick out a name for her. I'll be posting pics as soon as I can. Any good name recommendations? I was gonna get the male and was set on Huck. But now I'm lost since I ended up with a female. I'm open to suggestions!

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 2:34 am

Seems like just this past spring I watched an episode of Benelli's American Birdhunter where Tom Knapp was hunting pheasant up in South Dakota over some pointer/lab crosses. The guy said he bred them so they could handle the heat and run bigger but also had an extremely strong drive to retrieve birds. If you are just a plain old hunter I don't see a problem with getting a cross bred hunting companion.

wems2371 · Post by **wems2371** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 5:19 am

Congrats. Looking forward to photos......

Denise

tommyboy72 · Post by **tommyboy72** » Thu Jul 02, 2009 11:48 am

Shadow I know why you keep Brittanies purebred, so that you don't ruin other breeds by outcrossing to them. Just a little wise crack there, I had to take my shot.