Grouse dog GSP, Setter, Brittany?

[upnorthbacon]

I posted in hunting dogs and haven't gotten a response thought I'd try here too?  I'm trying to decide which breed of dog for a grouse/woodcock dog in MI.  I want a good pointer, it won't be doing any ducks or geese or anything else.  It will be an inside dog and company for our other house dog as well.  I have two kids, a 5yr old and 10yr old and I take the time to work like crazy with the dog for hunting.  I'm afraid to get one in the next month or so because winter is coming and I hate to have a new puppy stuck inside most of the winter, I could take him out but the snow is pretty deep in northern Mi and I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get around much.  I'm assuming I should wait until just before spring and buy one so I can socialize him with the woods when the weathers better?  Anyway I'm hearing everyone stating thier breed is best, how can I decide which one would be the best for me?  I'd appreciate some advise and I live in northern Michigan if anyone here breeds dogs or can suggest a good breeder up here?

[myronman3]

with the kids  that age, and with you wanting it to be a companion inside as well i would suggest the english setter.   they are so much calmer and easier to work with.   i have had shorthairs all my life,  but three years back got a setter because of availablity.  i will never look back.  that being said there is a shorthair pup in my house, and he is nowhere the dog the setter is.  i have never had a shorthair half as good as my setter.   \
   as far a breeders,  dan penpeck (sp?)  out of athens, wi has phenominal dogs and is where i picked up my setter.  athens is between merrill and medford wi.  a bit of a drive for you depending on where in the u.p. you are, but it will be a drive you will never regret making.  i trained my dog myself, and truth be told all i had to do was guide him, as he pretty much had it in him to start with.   dan breeds excellent dogs. 

[upnorthbacon]

Thanks for the advice especially concerning it being around kids and in the house and such. That's exactly the kind of answers I've been looking for.

[myronman3]

 correction....his name is dan pempeck

[Stuart C.]

Hi Upnorth,
All i can say is we have an EP.  We also have two children.  This is the closest most 'with you' dog i've ever had.  All i'm saying is don't be disuaded by the old saw that eps are mules/aloof.

I would wait until spring and more specifically, a january litter.  This is beneficial not only for the reasons you've already noted, but in case you want to do some trialing.

Get as much dog as your schedule and level of interest in training will allow.  If like me you enjoy training, look at the best cover dog litters avail.  If your focus is hunting in Mi (small covers surrounded by mature growth, or worse, highways, etc etc), i would look into a nice Brittany.  This sounds like an oversimplification.  It's not.

Enjoy and good luck!

[lucky guy]

All of them can be great family dogs and you'll find people with each that swear by them, and they're all correct.  I went through the same process and went with a setter.  Great family dog, good with cats, kids, etc.  Great hunter.

Only thing you might keep in mind is that setters are usually big runners.  Think a 50 - 60 lb race horse and you're getting close.  I'm hunting grouse with him but it takes a little work to get him to stay in a little closer than when we're hunting chukar, which is what I do mostly.  I think the brittany's work a little closer in.  I'd find some local breeders and spend some time with them.   I think that having a good breeder/trainer close by who can help you from time to time is maybe more important than one breed instead of another. 

Just my 2 cents as a first time bird dog owner.

Good luck with it.   

[myronman3]

my setter has never run big. dad has a young female and while she is higher energy than mine, she doesnt run big.  also, she is a smaller bred setter.  mine is a big northern dog.   i also helped a buddy train a female i gave him, and she isnt a big runner.  sticks pretty close overall.  i think how you train them has alot to do with it.  we  hunt thick cover and we have wolves here, so we keep them in closer compared to someone who might be hunting more open terrain.   

[Two Bears]

I posted in hunting dogs and haven't gotten a response thought I'd try here too?  I'm trying to decide which breed of dog for a grouse/woodcock dog in MI.  I want a good pointer, it won't be doing any ducks or geese or anything else.  It will be an inside dog and company for our other house dog as well.  I have two kids, a 5yr old and 10yr old and I take the time to work like crazy with the dog for hunting.  I'm afraid to get one in the next month or so because winter is coming and I hate to have a new puppy stuck inside most of the winter, I could take him out but the snow is pretty deep in northern Mi and I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to get around much.  I'm assuming I should wait until just before spring and buy one so I can socialize him with the woods when the weathers better?  Anyway I'm hearing everyone stating thier breed is best, how can I decide which one would be the best for me?  I'd appreciate some advise and I live in northern Michigan if anyone here breeds dogs or can suggest a good breeder up here?

Hello, I just bought a German shorthair from some proven grouse / pheasant gun dog breeder in Wisconsin called Bonasa Flats and John Voight is the owner.
His dogs are awesome with family/kids love water and are natural retrievers that have a strong desire to hunt for a foot hunter. From my research I have found out that these dogs are very smart and hunt like machines. John is a devoted NAVHDA member and runs his dogs in the test events and has some stellar accomplishments as his male has achieved the "VC" title (Versitile Champion) which means that it is a VERY good versitile hunting dog.
I will give you his link to his web site then call him to talk about his dogs and its history, he is very knowledgable about German Shorthairs and knows what traits to look for when breeding them for smart natural ability hunting dogs for hunters.
They have a litter that was just born November 23rd which will be ready in mid January (this is the litter that I am getting mine from).

  http://www.bonasaflats.com/

Take a look at them and drop me a line and let me know what you think.


John

[RBishop]

Setter would be my choice. They are great family dogs and normally hunt "close". You need a close working dog for grouse. Most GSP & pointers that I have been in the field like to run big so its difficult hunting grouse & woodcock with them. Brittany would be my second choice.

[Ron Miller]

I've had a few GSP's that are close-in hunters, great with grouse and 70 pound plus kidds. But with little kids I'd think more on the side of the Brittany.

It's a small frame pup timid around the house and will hunt it's butt off.

Bigger dogs don't know a little kid ain't a puppy and may be aliitle rough on a 45 to 70 pound child.

[BMoeller]

I've had setters, Gsp's and Ep's.  The setter would be my choice, but any one your looking at should do very well.

[Nimrod71]

OK, now for the right dog, Brittany's.  Well, it's a personal thing.  I have both Brittany and German Shorthair dogs.  The blood lines of these dogs are the best in the state.  I hunt and run them in the Southland Bird Dog Challenge a real time hunting field trial.  I got my first Brittany dog back in 1970 and kept Brittany's until we ran out of wild birds, around 1991.  A friend got me into hunting flight trained birds back in 2003.  I liked this so well I had to get new dogs.  There were no Brittany's available in the area so I purchased male and female GSPs.  Within a month a friend called me with a male Brittany and later that year I picked up a female.  I have trained labs for over 30 years so I put in training these with the help of my friend Rick Smith.  If you haven't been to one of Rick's seminars it is well worth the time and money.  Anyway, in comparing the Brittany's and GSP's both are hard hunters, I have won 5 trials with them, but for over all personal dogs I would have to go with the Brittany.  I say this from close personal contact with all the dogs.