Newbie looking for first hunting dog. Please Help!

[SteelShooter]

Hello everyone my name is Andrew and im new to this forum. I came to get some good advice on finding my first hunting dog. My wife and I have narrowed it down to either a GSP or Vizsla. Ive done quite a bit of research and they both seem like great dogs but it seems we are leaning a little more towards the Vizsla. We own land out in Northern Oklahom more specific its a little north of Enid Oklahoma. We mostly hunt quail and pheasant but im always up for a good dove or duck hunt. I dont have to much experience with hunting dogs. I have hunted behind my grandfathers weimeraner and a couple of brittanys. I perfered my grandfathers dog because he stayed in close and the brittanys seemed to wonder off and do there own thing and it was hard to stay up but I was like 8.

The hardest part is finding a good breeder. There seems to be way to many good ones out there. What are some things that I should be looking at? What kind of questions should I ask them to make sure they are a good breeder. Most of the breeders im looking at are on gundogbreeders.com. Are there any other places I can find breeders or does that site pretty much list them all? Sorry if this is a little short I typed up a long post and had lots of questions and something happened with my computer and lost it all and I just dont feel like typing all that out again. If there is any other information I can supply you please let me know. Thanks for any information you can give to me it is very appreciated. I just really want to do it right and not make any mistakes. All in all this is a fun experience for my wife and I but just a couple headaches here and there. Again thanks all.

[h.q.s]

Gun Dog Breeders.com pretty much lists them all. I would search under the States, that way you can get one close to you and take a look at the dogs and the litter and talk to the breeder also later down the road they are there for training. I have NO Experience with Vizslas but I have grown up with GSP's and have seen a lot of them, they are my favorite breed of dog and I don't believe there is a dog out there more versatile and eager to please then a quality bred GSP. That's my opinion, I know a few people on here have Vizslas and probably love them because they are great dogs.

I would ask the breeder EVERYTHING you want to know, sometimes it's a hassle...but it shows a quailty breeder from a breeder just wanting to make a sale. If they answer all your emails happily and take all your calls and are nice, that's always a good thing. Also, they should be willing to do anything you want. I have taken numerous amounts of video for people intersted. Now saying that, not all breeders are like that, I know a lot of great breeders that are just on the quiter side but still are sincere.

So I guess I should have posted this, instead of all of the above : Get a lot of info, talk to the breeder alot, see his dogs if possible, and go with your instinct!

[gar-dog]

Identify what you want in a dog and have that ready when talking to breeders.
1) Do you want a hard-charging ranging dog or more of a foot-hunters pace dog?
2) Do you think you might get into field trialing?
3) Will it be an indoor dog or outdoor dog - does the breeder breed for disposition?
4) Does color or size matter to you?

Don't be afraid to say what you are asking for and get their response on if their kennel would be a good fit, or if they know a specific breeding around the corner. Just how they address these things will tell you a lot about them. Are they quick to say "oh, I got just what you need, come on down," or will they say "well, if you're looking for a field trial propsect, this probably wouldn't be the right litter for you."

Make sure the breeder hunts its dogs and research any prospective breeders on the web. Google them like crazy and you can get a feel. Do a visit if you can before you are really ready to buy just to kick the tires so to speak. I wouldn't be afraid to buy from an out-of-state breeder either, if they are well recommended and you develop a good rapport with them via phone and email.

Also, people right here on GDF can probably steer you to specific breederd in your area.

Welcome to GDF! I have learned a ton from this site!
Gary

[birddogsunlimited]

one of the first questions id ask is, have the parents had any health checks done mainly hips elbows and eyes. and what kind of score did they receive. for example a OFA fair, good or, exelent. do the have a health garantee on the pups. since your looking for a hunting dog id look with parents that have been through NAVHADA or some sort of hunt test it doesnt garante a great hunting dog but it can increes your odds. a good breederusually will have dogs that hold some sort of hunting tittle and or show tittle. im sure there will be others that can give you alittle more direction. but this will give you a good start. also if you have an opertunity to see one or both of the parents work in the feild id take it

[gar-dog]

http://www.gundogforum.com/forum/viewto ... 58&t=15749

Do you absolutely want a pup, or would you consider a started dog. For instance, right here in the GDF classifieds is/was a started Viz for sale. You can tell in how the dog was described, its accomplishments, and the honesty in why it is being sold, that this would be one heck of a hunting dog.

[GSPVIZ]

Hi Andrew! Welcome to the site. As Gary said, this is a great site and I have learned so much.

Anyway, as you can probably tell from my user name I have a GSP and a Viz.

My Viz (Margo) just turned 2, and my GSP (Pokey) will be 3 in March. They are not from hunting stock. They were bred to be confirmation champions (Pokey may be shown in the spring and Margo we had spayed since we did not want to deal with the female problems and the GSP getting to her).

I understand you will be starting a family soon. We will have our first child in April so I think we may be having the same thoughts.

What I can tell you was that Margo was crazy hyper when she was a pup. She started to calm down at 1.5 yo and now she is pretty much laid back. She still has her moments when she does not get exercise when she does loops in the house but other than that she is good. Very calm now and very loving. I do not think we will have any problems with her when the baby comes.

Pokey we got from the same breeder when he was just over a year. We got him to try and calm her down. That didn't work! :roll: She is very lazy (hence the name Pokey) when in the house but crazy in the field. He is also very clumsy in the house (he just needs to be so close to us and he just slams his paws on you) and I will work very hard when the baby comes so no one gets hurt.

Regarding range, My GSP ranges further than my Viz but I think that is just how the dogs are bred and also how you treat them in the field. When I first took Margo out I was afraid that she would get too far so I always called her back. That may be why she doesn't go too far now. But it works for me (I am not hunting thousands of acres on horseback). When they are out together she tends to stick w. him but often checks back to make sure I didn't leave her

So all in all it is really what you want. I will tell you this though, a 40lb Viz is much easier to deal with than a 60 Lug!

Good luck. If you have any other questions feel free to shoot me a PM.

Matt

[Dave Quindt]

My first recommendation would be to buy a GSP, for the following reasons:

1. The average GSP is more "newbie friendly"; they handle common training errors much easier than the average Vizsla. It takes a lot to truly ruin the average GSP; same can't be said for the average Vizsla.
2. However you define your "dream dog", finding that dog in a GSP will be cheaper, easier, more convenient and more numerous in quantity to acquire.
3. The GSP is a more well-rounded breed here in the US; all of the kinks have been worked out. The same can't be said for Vizslas; and many of the Vizsla people will tell you the same thing.
4. Talk to a dozen all breed gundog trainers and ask them what breed they recommend for a first time owner/trainer, the GSP or Vizsla. Heck, I know Vizsla trainers who recommend GSPs over Vizslas for newbies.

There are some very nice Vizslas out there, but they are very hard to find, not very plentiful and ususally pretty expensive.

There's a reason why the GSP is so popular.

JMO,
Dave

[h.q.s]

Also, don't make a decision off of somebody who has only seen a GSP once before in his life. The breeding is very versatile, you could see one GSP and think one thing see another and think a whole other thing. Buying a dog isn't easy, there are alot of choices that need to be made. I guess it's just what satisfies you. Just look around, and ask a lot of questions.

[RayGubernat]

I have to agree with Dave Quindt on this one. I have seen some very nice V's in my area, but it is much, much easier to come up with a good hunting GSP.

If yu decide to look at GSP's there is a fellow named Charlie Rose in Texas who has been breeding GSP's for a while, mostly for hunters and hunting. I believe he is a straight shooter and I know he will tell it to you like it is with no BS.

RayG

[MillerClemsonHD]

If you haven't hunted behind pointing dogs since you were a kid I would suggest trying to go to some hunt test or try to hunt with some people who have pointing dogs in the area you will be hunting. If you do so in the type of terrain you will hunt you will be able to see what kind of dog it will take to be successful in areas you will hunt. If you intend to trial, test etc go to some events see what they are about and watch different breeds of dogs work. Then once you know what you want to do you can look for a breeder, ask here etc. What you might think is a far ranging dog is a close working dog to someone else. It is very hard for someone who has not been behind pointing dogs to imagine a dog being out of sight or a couple hundred yards in front of them. The option of a started dog is also there. If you know what you want and what you want to get into a started dog might make getting into it easier as well as skipping the puppy stages.

You are off to the right start though, you are asking questions and you have found this place. Don't be intimidated by the amount of knowledge and information just keep reading you will learn a lot.

[vzkennels]

Charlie Rose @ www.wildrosegermanshorthairs.com would be my recommendation & fairly close for you.Charlie won't BS you like Ray said,there are some that don't like him because of that but that's what I LIKE about him & consider him a friend I could ask any question & get a truthful answer even though I might not always agree.

[Greg Jennings]

I have one of each. Like them both for different reasons. Other things being equal, a GSP is definitely easier to find and cheaper to acquire.

My V came from: http://www.everedivizslas.com/
Might also try these folks: http://www.lundysvizslas.com/index.html .

[prairiefirepointers]

Take the leap, Go Big.. Go English Pointer!

[aylaschamp]

The GSPs have great house dog personalities and some don't. Make sure you see the parent's temperament if your looking for a house dog/hunter. If your looking for a hunter only then look at the credentials of the dam and sire. Vizslas are great house/hunters as well. I've seen a few hunters but more pets than anything. One V that stands out around here is from Rebel Rouser lines. Honestly though I know very little about the V's. This particular dog is truly amazing though. If your interested I can find out where he's from or someone on here might know the lines?

[SteelShooter]

Thank you all very much. All this information is great. I think that field trials would be something I may get into down the road but at this moment probably not. The dog im looking for will definatly be an indoor dog. As far as color I dont have to many options with the vizsla but if I got a GSP then I would really like to have the ones that have the big liver patches and are heavy ticked where they almost look grey. I have seems some picture around here of some, If I can find a picture I will put it up for an example. As far as size I always go for the bigger dogs, I like those 60lbs lugs , I also tend to go more towards males but it seems more people like females. Male or female is going to be a hard decision for me this time around I feel. One question about that though is, is a neutered male as good of a hunter or have as much drive as a male that is not neutered? I have no desire to breed so spayed or neutered is going to be a must.

I have considered a started dog and maybe a finished one a little more money but seems a little more of the hassel is taken out. Since our hunting land is in Oklahoma and I live in Tennessee its a little hard for me to find someone that has a GSP to hunt on my terrain.

What type of things should I look for in a puppy parents pedigree? There seem to be alot of titles out there. Should I look for a parent that has a Master hunter title in there name or is a field champion title just as good? I guess If I learned a little more about pedigrees and all the titles im sure it would make this a little easier.

Thank you all for all the help. Im sure I will have another list of questions soon. I will definatly keep yall updated to when we finally make our final decision and the outcome.

[Greg Jennings]

Oh, you're in TN. Different answers, then.

Contact Denny and Linda Keeton at http://www.lindensvizslas.com/ and ask them about V's in TN. I believe they can hook you up with a V to watch hunt.

On the GSP side, you should trundle down to very north GA and check out Rick and Brenda's dogs at http://www.walnuthillgsps.us/ . They are very highly recommended. They have three litters planned that are outstanding.

BTW, we're native Tennesseans. Our folks live in various suburbs and exurbs of Nashville.

[GSPVIZ]

One V that stands out around here is from Rebel Rouser lines. Honestly though I know very little about the V's. This particular dog is truly amazing though. If your interested I can find out where he's from or someone on here might know the lines?

There are Rebel Rouser's in my V's line.

I don't know too much about the kennel but they are in Nebraska http://www.rozanekkennels.com/index.htm

[Greg Jennings]

There are Rebel Rouser's in my V's line.

Honestly, there are Rebel Rouser dogs in almost every field pedigree now.

[GSPVIZ]

As far as color I dont have to many options with the vizsla but if I got a GSP then I would really like to have the ones that have the big liver patches and are heavy ticked where they almost look grey.

You are talking about Liver and Roan, Patched and Ticked.

Like this right?:

[SteelShooter]

As far as color I dont have to many options with the vizsla but if I got a GSP then I would really like to have the ones that have the big liver patches and are heavy ticked where they almost look grey.

You are talking about Liver and Roan, Patched and Ticked.

Like this right?:

Yes that is what im talking about, there is also a guy on here his screen name is wems2371 he also had a dog that im talking about and then the link up at the top for Thunderhead GSP they have the color dogs I like also. That colot seems a little hard to come by. I will definatly go check out those breeders, even if I dont get to hunt behind there dogs atleast I can see them and get a feel for what im about to get myself into . It would be nice to find a breeder close in range but it doesnt bother me to have a puppy shipped either if I can find people that I trust.

[rkelly]

I have friends with Vizslas, and I have always had GSP's. I can tell you in my experience with only a few dogs the Vizslas are definitely a softer dog. The Vizslas were good in the house and hunted well but responded to pressure much differently than my GSP. If any pressure was put on my GSP's they seemed to take it well and pretty much forget about it a few mins later, where as the Vizsla's seemed to carry it in their minds the rest of the day, being very cautious about their next move. Which is good and bad I guess, I just thought being a novice it was easier to train the GSP's because they seemed more willing to accept my mistakes. Now in the house my first GSP was pretty wound up. She never really calmed down much until she was 8 or so, and was a very high strung dog all her life. She had tons of drive though, honestly too much for me at that point because I was young and impatient. My current shorthair though is 9 mos old and very good in the house.. I went and saw the parents and both were very laid back in the house. She doesn't have the range my previous shorthair had, she usually hunted at 400-500 yards out, where as this one likes to stick around 150-200 yards out which works for me. Though she is young and that could expand in the next year or so. Whatever choice you make you will get a great dog, I just feel for a first time owner the GSP may be in general easier to train, not so say there aren't Vizslas out there that aren't soft.

[Gridiron and Grouse]

I just got a female V from the Keetons (http://www.lindensvizslas.com) the day before Thanksgiving. She's young, but right now I don't have a single complaint. She's great!

Here's a picture of her....not exactly a fan of the cold yet

[GSPVIZ]

not exactly a fan of the cold yet

My Viz still hates the cold unless she is hunting or running laps in the yard. To go out and pee, forget about it!