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  • bigmanindc

    Active Member
    Nov 3, 2018
    463
    DMV
    Don't know which one describes it but looking to get either a Retriever or a German Shorthaired Pointer for all types of bird hunting in Maryland and Virginia. Any local breeder recommendations and a shove in either the Lab or GSP direction.
     
    The 2 are not really interchangeable. A retriever is exactly that. You shoot a bird and the dog goes out fetches it and brings it back to you. A pointer or other breed of upland bird dogs actually goes and finds the birds for you to shoot. I'm not an authority by any means but I don't know if there is a breed that will do both.
     

    justiw

    Active Member
    Jan 26, 2012
    302
    Some dogs can do both retrieval and scent+mark+flush upland birds. GSP and Brittany come to mind, but not all will do both. A lab can scent+flush, but may not mark and wait for you. If you get a dog that does it all, count yourself lucky. My Brit would be a good candidate to do it all, but I haven't trained him for it and he is completely crazy outside still.
     

    28Shooter

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 19, 2010
    8,206
    Baltimore, Maryland
    I had a Black Lab with English bloodlines that would point who just loved to flush woodcock. Free to me as a rescue out of a divorce in Delta. Pa.. Best dog I ever owned but was never able to find out the breeder.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,852
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    There are pointing labs. We were going to get 2 this September, but have decided to hold off until our youngest child starts kindergarten. I just do not have the time to train two dogs right now with her only in pre-school 2.5 hours, two days a week.

    The other option for a pointing dog that is also a fantastic retriever is a German Wirehaired Pointer or a Drahthaar. My buddy has a Drahthaar that is just amazing. I have seen a GSP that was amazing at retrieving doves, but I'm not sure how she would have faired in icy, cold, big water.
     

    River02

    One Ping Only...
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 19, 2015
    3,924
    Mid-Maryland
    Love my Springers.

    Flush, scent/track, retrieve. They love people. Btw, they spring.;)

    Brittany's and Springers for the win in the all purpose upland game bird department-- a little more difficult with the ducks and geese (that's why God created Labs) ....and they spring (yes Brittany's spring too!)
     

    pbharvey

    Habitual Testifier
    MDS Supporter
    Dec 27, 2012
    30,152
    I asked cuz Springers work great and are amazing family dogs

    This is my Brittany granddog and granddaughter. I’m not a fan of dogs in bed but I can overlook this one.
    She’s fantastic with the baby.
     

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    River02

    One Ping Only...
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 19, 2015
    3,924
    Mid-Maryland
    This is my Brittany granddog and granddaughter. I’m not a fan of dogs in bed but I can overlook this one.
    She’s fantastic with the baby.

    Those are great shots-- I love all the dogs I've ever shared this life journey with but... when it comes to field sense, size, energy, comparative trainability relative to multiple tasks/versatility, my Brit wins hands down in the breed I would choose if upland bird hunting left me with one choice. Worst problem is managing the coat/fur after the briars and brambles take hold. And yes--- great family friendly breed.
     

    1time

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 26, 2009
    2,258
    Baltimore, Md
    For upland game my father had German Wired hairs, my uncle used German Shorts and their uncle used Brits. All were great field dogs and all were great in the house. The would all bring pheasants back if that’s what you are looking for. If you want a retriever for waterfowl in the water, you want a dog that won’t freeze to death swimming. We had the one lab growing up. She loved to hunt pheasants but she wouldn’t mark them and a few times, caught them herself.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,075
    DC area

    That's me and I already PMed the OP about this because I am so grateful that Racer Doug pointed me to this breed several years ago! Warning: I'm about to brag on the dog I love...

    My Deutsche Drahthaar (DD) is the ultimate hunting companion and family pet who is very hard on game and very nice with all people, including my two young children. There are five different species of ducks from MD, feathers from pheasants in ND and grouse in ME, and a beautiful 9 point buck on my wall in the room I'm sitting in -- all retrieved/located by her. The MD hunting regs book could be turned into a "kill list" for her because she will really hunt everything. She's even tracked down and retrieved 4 LIVE ducks when we were out jump shooting a marsh without putting a scratch on them. Being able to bring home delicious ducks without any shot holes is pretty cool. If you want a versatile dog that can hunt waterfowl in the cold, point birds upland, track rabbits, blood track a lost deer, kill/retrieve foxes and raccoons on her own, and everything in between, the DD will do it for you.

    Anyone interested in a DD should be sure to go through the group north America breed club to find a reputable local breeder. And I strongly recommend staying connected with the club and participating in training days and the testing program. I did and can't begin to convey how much I learned and how well it worked for training my dog (and me) to be great partners. All DD's come with a green pedigree document in German language and an ear tattoo indicating both of their parents and all of their ancestors back to the 1870's were proven through a series of practical hunting tests that also examine mental stability/whether the dogs are nice with people.

    Regarding temperament, everyone loves their dogs and she is my third, but there is really something special about this breed and my connection with her thanks to how much we've hunted and her mental strength/intelligence. One of my favorite things is that she truly has a bond with me...so if I'm home and my wife tells the dog to do something, the dog looks to me for permission first. It's kind of funny. The only potential downside of having a DD is they are true hunters -- that's what they do; that's all they want to do...I let her out to pee in the morning and she will get locked up pointing in the middle of things because she catches a whiff of a squirrel in the woods behind the house and won't let up unless I make her. I see this as a feature, not a flaw. So they need to be worked regularly. If my dog doesn't have a job to do, she will find one. If there is a dead animal out back, it will be delivered to me. If there is a live animal, she will point it or track it down and tell me all about it. I see this as a good thing because I wanted a hunting dog who will always be ready to go when I am, but that means a serious commitment to keeping her busy. Any MDShooter members interested in this breed can PM me. Obviously I could talk about it all day!

    Good luck!
     

    Roksfr

    Ardent Safety Training
    Industry Partner
    MDS Supporter
    Oct 14, 2020
    349
    Southern AA
    We had great luck with our springer, occasionally would take him in the john boat for geese, not spectacular but he did okay. No matter what kind of dog you get the key is constant training, the dog is only as good as his practice. Not unlike an athlete, you can't set on the sofa and be the fastest guy on the track team.
    After you are committed to put in the time to train the dog, you need to find the right DNA, find a dog with "birdy" heritage. A pretty dog that won the beauty contest won't be your hunting buddy.
    Check out the "find an event" on the AKC's page https://www.akc.org/sports/retrievers/hunting-tests/ Plenty of people will love to tell you why their dog is better, but in my experience it was primarily, the dog that was worked the most was the winner.
    Good luck!
     

    Sticky

    Beware of Dog
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 16, 2013
    4,501
    AA Co
    On my third bird dog, last two (including the one on my feet right now) GSP's and a Weim before anyone even knew what they were. The GSP is one of several breeds of versatile hunting dogs. They can search, locate, point, retrieve and track game on land and in the water. Mine loves the water, but as mentioned, he's not the happiest when we have to break skim ice on the way out in waders to the duck blind, but shivering or not, he will bring back the bird. If it's winter waterfowling, it's hard to beat a lab, but not easy to find a good one anymore.

    There are few dogs as good as a GSP on upland birds (the DD mentioned is a very close breed). They never cease to amaze me. They are a bit high strung, need exercise, but they will sleep in your kid's bed, attach to you like velcro and make you proud any time you take them afield, trust me!

    My current GSP came from Friedelsheim's out in the Hagerstown area, but that was more than 9yrs ago. I would highly recommend Donnie and his kennel for GSP pups.
     

    gremlin42

    Active Member
    Apr 16, 2020
    696
    variable
    Late to this but I’ve had English setters for years. I don’t hunt but I’ve had dogs sired by champion hunting dogs, they’re super smart and have a lot of personality. They act very differently between indoors and outdoors, which I see as a plus bc they won’t tear up your stuff as long as you’re giving them enough regular exercise.

    edit: sorry about the weird orientation on that one
     

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    Sticky

    Beware of Dog
    MDS Supporter
    Mar 16, 2013
    4,501
    AA Co
    Friedelsheim's Ricochet, aka Freestyle. On a venture up to Canada for our annual summer fishing trip we were walking the island looking for chaga when on the way back the dog just locked up tight. My buddy's wife had never seen a bird dog in action, so she was amazed. There were two grouse sitting on a deadfall about 10' in front of him on the trail. He stood there, deadfast still while I took pics for a few minutes and she just stared in disbelief. It was probably a good 5mins of standoff with neither party even twitching... :lol2:
     

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    Racer Doug14

    Thread killer
    MDS Supporter
    Patriot Picket
    Feb 22, 2013
    8,003
    Millers Maryland
    That's me and I already PMed the OP about this because I am so grateful that Racer Doug pointed me to this breed several years ago! Warning: I'm about to brag on the dog I love...

    My Deutsche Drahthaar (DD) is the ultimate hunting companion and family pet who is very hard on game and very nice with all people, including my two young children. There are five different species of ducks from MD, feathers from pheasants in ND and grouse in ME, and a beautiful 9 point buck on my wall in the room I'm sitting in -- all retrieved/located by her. The MD hunting regs book could be turned into a "kill list" for her because she will really hunt everything. She's even tracked down and retrieved 4 LIVE ducks when we were out jump shooting a marsh without putting a scratch on them. Being able to bring home delicious ducks without any shot holes is pretty cool. If you want a versatile dog that can hunt waterfowl in the cold, point birds upland, track rabbits, blood track a lost deer, kill/retrieve foxes and raccoons on her own, and everything in between, the DD will do it for you.

    Anyone interested in a DD should be sure to go through the group north America breed club to find a reputable local breeder. And I strongly recommend staying connected with the club and participating in training days and the testing program. I did and can't begin to convey how much I learned and how well it worked for training my dog (and me) to be great partners. All DD's come with a green pedigree document in German language and an ear tattoo indicating both of their parents and all of their ancestors back to the 1870's were proven through a series of practical hunting tests that also examine mental stability/whether the dogs are nice with people.

    Regarding temperament, everyone loves their dogs and she is my third, but there is really something special about this breed and my connection with her thanks to how much we've hunted and her mental strength/intelligence. One of my favorite things is that she truly has a bond with me...so if I'm home and my wife tells the dog to do something, the dog looks to me for permission first. It's kind of funny. The only potential downside of having a DD is they are true hunters -- that's what they do; that's all they want to do...I let her out to pee in the morning and she will get locked up pointing in the middle of things because she catches a whiff of a squirrel in the woods behind the house and won't let up unless I make her. I see this as a feature, not a flaw. So they need to be worked regularly. If my dog doesn't have a job to do, she will find one. If there is a dead animal out back, it will be delivered to me. If there is a live animal, she will point it or track it down and tell me all about it. I see this as a good thing because I wanted a hunting dog who will always be ready to go when I am, but that means a serious commitment to keeping her busy. Any MDShooter members interested in this breed can PM me. Obviously I could talk about it all day!

    Good luck!

    Glad to hear an update.
     

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