BC Breeders - GWP, DD, Pudelpointer... other versatiles?

[elch jager]

I am researching a new dog. My mom and I trained and hunted over a yellow lab when I was a kid. Gunmaul (Molly) passed when I was 18. 35 years later I still get emotional when I think of her or stumble across an old photo. I was out hunting with a friend and his Springer did 2 awesome retrieves for me… totally rocked me and got me dreamin of past glory with my girl. My lab was decent at flush and retrieve upland hunting and great in a boat or blind doing water retrieves. She would not hold and point, but then I never expected that of her nor tried to train her to it. With my next dog I would like to have that bit of extra versatility… point, flush, retrieve wet or dry and a great nose for blood trailing… doesn’t need to be a rock star, but should be a breed with good potential and we shall see what training will do. Above all else is being a super family dog. It will live in the house with us. This means biddable and eager to please, great personality, laid back at home and intense in the woods. I prefer a larger breed, just because… but also to make water retrieval of geese an easier job. I have two kids 11 & 13 that are starting to shoot/hunt and really want a family dog badly. May take a bit of effort to get the wife on board though. Small yard, but back onto the dyke trail system in poco, where we run/bike etc. The entire family are either fit or ultra-fit, so outdoor time and exercise will not be an issue. We hunt fish and camp pretty regularly and will be incented to ramp it up with a willing canine.
As much as I loved my lab, shedding of the short coat and rolling in everything imaginable was a very large pain. Thought I would change it up and look at a different breed, although I haven’t ruled out another lab altogether. Also thought to get a male instead of female just as a departure from Molly. I have narrowed down the breed to a few, guess I am looking for leads on closest proximity breeders of the following dogs and start to make some calls. Pudelpointer, GWP or Deutsch-Drahthaar (are they the same? differences?) The obvious options are in the states… be nice to find something in BC… Seems all Canadian DD breeders are in the east… Are there significant behavior differences between males and females to be aware of? I have only had female dogs.

[keoke]

I went with a gwp, im picking him up in 2 weeks. I felt the difference between a gwp and dd is minor as long as you find a good breeder. As for local breeders i dont think there are many, i went with one down in Washington.

[Wild one]

Have not looked first hand but was told someone breeds GWP in Kamloops

[elch jager]

How does the process at the border work? Any concern there? Special import papers?Duties? Other red tape?
I understand US breeders will not fly the pups over, you need to drive down to get them.

[keoke]

Im driving down. Google bringing in dog from states. Its fairly simple. You could have it flown into Bellingham and pick it up there if you go that routem

[keoke]

Have not looked first hand but was told someone breeds GWP in Kamloops

Someday retrievers has a female gwp that they are breeding.

[jagen mit DDrs]

I went with a gwp, im picking him up in 2 weeks. I felt the difference between a gwp and dd is minor as long as you find a good breeder..

Having several gwps and 3 dds I can tell you the difference is anything but minor....Drahthaars have a 100+years of selective breeding, character and performance...and it shows especially in the cooperation department.

[jagen mit DDrs]

How does the process at the border work? Any concern there? Special import papers?Duties? Other red tape?
I understand US breeders will not fly the pups over, you need to drive down to get them.

If you are interested in a PP,DD,DK or KLM...send me a PM and I gladly give you some addresses and names in canada and US.Breeders of the above mentioned breeds will have no proplems shipping a dog up to Canada and the paperwork is straight forward. WE picked up another two DD pups in the spring and had no proplems whatsoever.

[levind]

No pudelpointer breeder in BC. In Canada closest would be Alberta and Oregon in the u.s. no problems bringing over a puppy from the states. I got my pudelpointer from Oregon.

[selvir]

Try Jagdterrier :) small, sheds minimal and great all around hunting dogs

[jagen mit DDrs]

Try Jagdterrier :) small, sheds minimal and great all around hunting dogs

Sounds like the best dog for somebody relatively new to huntingdogs:frown:
Did your pups parents do the Breedtests?

[britman101]

Do not want to hijack this thread, but there is a NAVHDA chapter which is up and running in Alberta. I might be checking them out this Spring, as they are starting training sessions and workshops in Februray. Good way for owners of versatile breeds to get some training in Canada, along with making some local contacts. Much easier for me to drive to Alberta than the U.S., and also do not have to worry about passport etc, along with paperwork for the dogs.

[BigSlapper]

Having several gwps and 3 dds I can tell you the difference is anything but minor....Drahthaars have a 100+years of selective breeding, character and performance...and it shows especially in the cooperation department.
Agreed ....

[elch jager]

Thought I would post a quick update... have a deposit on a male DD pup out of a very good breeder in Ontario. Pups are about a week old now. If all goes well we should have him here mid April. Big thanks to you, Rainier for your time and advice. The kids and I are really excited looking forward to his arrival.

[jagen mit DDrs]

Thought I would post a quick update... have a deposit on a male DD pup out of a very good breeder in Ontario. Pups are about a week old now. If all goes well we should have him here mid April. Big thanks to you, Rainier for your time and advice. The kids and I are really excited looking forward to his arrival.


Awesome!!
If you need any help with your dog give me a shout....I always have time to talk dogs!!

Rainer

[mastercaster]

Thought I would post a quick update... have a deposit on a male DD pup out of a very good breeder in Ontario. Pups are about a week old now. If all goes well we should have him here mid April. Big thanks to you, Rainier for your time and advice. The kids and I are really excited looking forward to his arrival.

Do you have to fly back there to pick him up or are they going to ship him to you? If it's a mid April delivery it kind of sounds like you're having to wait for the pup to be old enough (12 weeks) to ship. I'm getting an 8 week old WPG in 4 weeks but I have to go pick him up myself in Montreal. There goes the rest of my aeromiles! LOL

[elch jager]

Yes, pup needs to spend some time with mom and sibs before being shipped via aircraft. There is a second pup going to Seattle so will split the shipping cost to YVR.
I have been watching many gun dog training instruction videos... If there are certain ones you recommend, please suggest... I will take you up on a few phone calls Rainer, thx for the offer.

[bubba350]

No pudelpointer breeder in BC. In Canada closest would be Alberta and Oregon in the u.s. no problems bringing over a puppy from the states. I got my pudelpointer from Oregon.

Levind your PM box is full I would love to ask some PP questions

Cheers

Bubba

[recondo]

Sounds like the best dog for somebody relatively new to huntingdogs:frown:
Did your pups parents do the Breedtests?
Advising someone to have a Jagdterrier ,who is new to hunting, is like giving your kids a Formula 1 car, for their first vehicle.

[huntingfamily]

Advising someone to have a Jagdterrier ,who is new to hunting, is like giving your kids a Formula 1 car, for their first vehicle.

Thus the frown at the end of his comment...

[recondo]

Thus the frown at the end of his comment...
Yeah,it was directed towards Selvir's comment ,but my iPhone was not co-operating. My bad.

[mastercaster]

Yes, pup needs to spend some time with mom and sibs before being shipped via aircraft. There is a second pup going to Seattle so will split the shipping cost to YVR.
I have been watching many gun dog training instruction videos... If there are certain ones you recommend, please suggest... I will take you up on a few phone calls Rainer, thx for the offer.

Your dog should be ready soon, I would think, although with the way the weather has been it's probably still too cold to ship dogs in cargo. in fact they won't allow it until the air temp is above a certain air temp. (don't know what that is, though).

I've had my little griff pup now for almost 3 weeks now,,,,she was 12 weeks old this past Wednesday and already has most of her obedience commands down pretty well as long as there isn't any major distractions and she is pointing at grouse wings.

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb144/mastercaster07/IMG_1329_zps8ptzsimn.jpg (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/mastercaster07/media/IMG_1329_zps8ptzsimn.jpg.html)

But most importantly,,,,she's a real chick magnet when I've walked her in the parks:

http://i207.photobucket.com/albums/bb144/mastercaster07/IMG_1323_zps75amt3aj.jpg (http://s207.photobucket.com/user/mastercaster07/media/IMG_1323_zps75amt3aj.jpg.html)

[tadpole]

Beautiful pup Brent. I am jealous8-) . You have stop by my shop one day while visiting the area.

[mastercaster]

Beautiful pup Brent. I am jealous8-) . You have stop by my shop one day while visiting the area.

I'll be in Kelowna Monday and Tuesday, Tad, so I can introduce myself too my NEW granddaughter who was born last weekend,,,, so for sure I'll stop by!

[tadpole]

I'll be in Kelowna Monday and Tuesday, Tad, so I can introduce myself too my NEW granddaughter who was born last weekend,,,, so for sure I'll stop by!

Great Brent. I will be happy to meet your pup, as I am in a process of deciding what my next choice would be.

[mastercaster]

Great Brent. I will be happy to meet your pup, as I am in a process of deciding what my next choice would be.

So far in the 4 weeks I've had my griff (12 weeks old now) she has shown me that she a pretty smart little girl and catching onto things quite quickly. My sister took this video of me putting her through her paces a few days ago:

https://youtu.be/hkf6Gfc2i4g

[elch jager]

Well, pup has been with us for just over a week... aside from an issue with slippery floors and over nutrition... we seem to be on track now. His front legs were growing too quickly and the joints were not growing at the same pace. Soft non slip surfaces only and reduced feeding to 1/3 cup 3 times a day... seems to be straightening things up nicely... Very nice temperament with this pup - very affectionate very eager to please. He got the Sit command first time we tried it.

I'll get around to posting photos before too long... far too busy with crate and house training to take any yet....

[mastercaster]

Well, pup has been with us for just over a week... aside from an issue with slippery floors and over nutrition... we seem to be on track now. His front legs were growing too quickly and the joints were not growing at the same pace. Soft non slip surfaces only and reduced feeding to 1/3 cup 3 times a day... seems to be straightening things up nicely... Very nice temperament with this pup - very affectionate very eager to please. He got the Sit command first time we tried it.

I'll get around to posting photos before too long... far too busy with crate and house training to take any yet....

Just out of curiosity, how much food was your pup eating before you cut back? My kennel owner had the pups on 1 1/2 cups per day so I continued with that, plus treats during training for the first week and half but the vet told me she was a little too thin. I bumped her up to 2/3 of a cup three times per day but even with 2 cups of kibble, plus treats she bugged me all the time for food and was still on the lean side.

Now at three months of age, as of yesterday, I'm feeding her 3/4 of a cup three times a day, plus some training treats. She's been given the de-worming pill twice since I got her so I know that's not an issue ,,,,,but I do get her out twice a day for 30-45 minutes of activity (walks, etc.) so she's likely burning off all those calories. She will be in for her last set of shots in another week (14 weeks) so I'll have to see what the vet thinks of her physique. She sure seems healthy and robust! I figure she just must have a fast metabolism. LOL

[elch jager]

I was following the instructions on the Acana large breed puppy. 1 1/2 cups per day. Half on waking half at supper. He is a lean pup smallest of the litter. Probably was 10 days later fertilized in mom. His belly looked huge with just 3/4 cup of food. He seems much improved since being kept off slippery floors and no more stairs. Always hungry now but I am hesitant to up his portions yet.

[selvir]

I just want those see pick up in the province i brought few in and passed them on to other ppl... and finaly i am going to settle with one (thinking even a pair as they are best when running in a pack)

[Danny_29]

Hey, a bit off topic but I have a PP puppy and she's amazing had her on pheasants this weekend. I started a thread gauging interest in a NAVHDA Chapter. Jump over there and let me know if anyone is interested!

[alpinedust]

Thought I would post a quick update... have a deposit on a male DD pup out of a very good breeder in Ontario.....


Awesome!!
If you need any help with your dog give me a shout....I always have time to talk dogs!!

Rainer

How are the DD's with cold weather tolerance, and are they quite light shedders?

[mastercaster]

How are the DD's with cold weather tolerance, and are they quite light shedders?

I think it depends on the breeding. A guy that I have been bird hunting with this winter has a male DD with a fairly thick coat on his belly compared to my female griff but when they're both in the blind I don't see one of them shivering more than the other if they ever do. They can definitely handle the cold because they have a good undercoat,,,,same as griffs.

Same as shedding. Depends on the breeding. Some shed a lot while others shed very little. Once again, same as griffs. Mine sheds very little but I hear of some that shed so much that you could make another dog.

My buddy's DD up front wearing a 5mm vest, my griff at the back wearing a 3mm:

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4824/45728899514_e376249042_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2cEUyDY)0-28 (https://flic.kr/p/2cEUyDY) by Brent Davy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150607128@N03/), on Flickr

[alpinedust]

I think it depends on the breeding. A guy that I have been bird hunting with this winter has a male DD with a fairly thick coat on his belly compared to my female griff but when they're both in the blind I don't see one of them shivering more than the other if they ever do. They can definitely handle the cold because they have a good undercoat,,,,same as griffs.

Same as shedding. Depends on the breeding. Some shed a lot while others shed very little. Once again, same as griffs. Mine sheds very little but I hear of some that shed so much that you could make another dog.

My buddy's DD up front wearing a 5mm vest, my griff at the back wearing a 3mm:

0-28 (https://flic.kr/p/2cEUyDY) by Brent Davy (https://www.flickr.com/photos/150607128@N03/), on Flickr

Thanks for the reply! Nice looking dogs. What region were you hunting in the winter? I spend most of my time in the fall further south in bc, however, often travel up north during the winter so trying to find a breed that can handle -20 weather without issue.
Also, what are the main differences you notice between your griff and the dd? Do you guys use them to point or flush birds? Ever had her out deer hunting?

[mastercaster]

Thanks for the reply! Nice looking dogs. What region were you hunting in the winter? I spend most of my time in the fall further south in bc, however, often travel up north during the winter so trying to find a breed that can handle -20 weather without issue.
Also, what are the main differences you notice between your griff and the dd? Do you guys use them to point or flush birds? Ever had her out deer hunting?

For waterfowl we have just been hitting spots in the lower mainland and it hasn't been all that cold on average. There was a couple days, though, where the temps were zero or less. If the dog isn't going to be in the water they could handle -20. You could always put a vest on them if you were worried but I'm sure thy'd be just fine.

On average DDs are larger than griffs, more sharp, and range a little further. Both dogs are pointers and retrieve equally well on water or land. Griffs tend to be more social and really good around kids. I hear they're more sensitive than DDs but I haven't noticed that with my dog. She's no more sensitive than either of my brittany spaniels were. DD's aren't sensitive so I've been told. You can Force Fetch either dog without any issues but you may not have to because they enjoy retrieving. Some griffs do get bored with repetition when training but mine doesn't seem to. She loves to do tasks/drills, especially if treats are involved.

I'd like to get to the point where I could turn my dog off and take her deer hunting with me as a companion so she could just walk or heel beside me. She's been with me a lot when I've scouted areas or road hunting but I tend to get the majority of my deer when I'm on foot. haven't had to use her yet to locate any animals but I'd like her to be able to do that. She sure was good at keeping this grizzly out of our camp in Cranbrook last year. Anytime it got within smelling distance the dog would light up like a Christmas tree bark and hollering like mad.

I don't think you could go wrong with either breed but if you have to spend a fair bit of time leaving them on their own the DDs are better for that. Lots of popl will kennel thm outside during the day,,,,,griffs don't like that. Griffs really get attached to their owners .

[jagen mit DDrs]

@mastercaster,you are generalizing!
DDs especially don't like to be left alone as much as any other Versatile Hunting breed,some of the DDs are sensitive although their demeanor might not show it.When it comes to ranging,which is strictly a trained ability and personally it doesn't matter what breed it is, what matter is the control you have over your dog.Any of my DDs will work at the distance they are allowed to work,you can have them search 20yds in front of you in the thickets or 200yds in the open.
Anybody that thinks of getting a Versatile Hunting dog and not commiting a lot of time in training and using these dogs is better off getting a more laid back breed.

[mastercaster]

@mastercaster,you are generalizing!
DDs especially don't like to be left alone as much as any other Versatile Hunting breed,some of the DDs are sensitive although their demeanor might not show it.When it comes to ranging,which is strictly a trained ability and personally it doesn't matter what breed it is, what matter is the control you have over your dog.Any of my DDs will work at the distance they are allowed to work,you can have them search 20yds in front of you in the thickets or 200yds in the open.
Anybody that thinks of getting a Versatile Hunting dog and not commiting a lot of time in training and using these dogs is better off getting a more laid back breed.

You're right,,,,purely anecdotal based on what I've read and the ones that I've seen. As mentioned, I keep hearing how griffs are very sensitive dogs and have to be trained as such. Sure hasn't been the case with mine. And as you mentioned, just about every dog's performance comes down to how it's been trained. Griffs supposedly are closer working dogs than other versatiles according to the literature but they can definitely be trained to be further ranging dogs.

Versatiles definitely aren't for everybody. The two friends that I have who own both labs and griffs say the griffs have three times the energy level of their labs and the labs are the younger dogs in both cases. Possibly another generalization, but versatiles in general seem to have boundless energy,,,,,more so than the dogs in the retriever group.

I think training any hunting dog takes a lot of commitment, especially if you plan on training it for upland, waterfowl, and tracking. Can't really take too many days off, can you?

[jagen mit DDrs]

I think training any hunting dog takes a lot of commitment, especially if you plan on training it for upland, waterfowl, and tracking. Can't really take too many days off, can you?


Personally,there is no time off,I hunt my dogs every day......the only days off they get is if they are sore or recuperation time from strenuous days in the field.
I see many of the HPR breeds in Rescue places and the story is almost always the same....the owner didn't realize what it takes to keep those dogs stimulated and entertained throughout the year or failed to train the dog due to lack of knowledge or too proud to seek help.The result is a unmanageable dog with endless energy and drive.For the" once in a blue moon hunter"the working line hunting dogs of Germany is not the right breed.
And also like the German Hunting terriers,mentioned in some of the threads...people who try to convince others of this breed either never owned one or are full of crap to think they would do well in a mostly non hunting environment.