FHRP

I compete to assess my dog against a standard in a controlled environment. I enjoy training my dogs new things and having a standard to aim for always helps with motivation. I enjoy the titles and awards we get from competition and my current closest friends are people I have met through dog training and our common interest in competition. My dogs certainly don't care if they never compete. They enjoy the time spent with me training. No one would question the enjoyment my youngest dog gets at any sort of training or competition event, his enthusiasm is obvious. I did compete with my younger Vizsla in a sport that towards the end of his career he no longer seemed to enjoy. I did persevere with him in the end because of the many hours we had spent training and he was just too close to that final win needed to give up. That was done for me. I compete in many sports and Obedience trialing I enjoy the least. I do enjoy training the new exercises, but find competition a bit boring. Polo is the first dog I have continued to compete in the Open class with after he has titled and only because he does actually seem to enjoy the obedience ring. In the other sports I trial in, part of the enjoyment is seeing what each judge will throw at us, it's always different and often things I would never have thought to train specifically for!

I have already been told that the UG title suits Polo :D eta. Thanks everyone, I'm pretty chuffed

Thanks poodlefan! Yes, Rogan, Polo and I travelled down to Melbourne to participate in the first Utility Gundog Ability Test under National rules with titles on offer. Both my boys managed to pass all five elements of the test and became the first " UG" dogs :D Anyone with a Utility Gundog breed that is interested in seeing what their dogs were bred for should consider these tests. It does require some training and tests the dogs in Conformation, Obedience, Retrieving, Field and Trailing (tracking wounded game). Having been involved in Retrieving trials for a number of years, I have wanted to do something more suited to my Utility Gundog breeds, but found Field trialing extremely difficult to become involved with and daunting. The Utility Gundog test is a lot of fun!!

A couple of my favourite pack pics

Great stuff RubyStar

Yes, that makes me laugh too Tiggy Thanks everyone!!

A little brag on my Polo. Last night he got his first blue ribbon in 'agility'!! Polo won Novice Gamblers at our ribbon trial, accumulating 31 points in the opening sequence!! This boy is fast and driven, but he is big and over enthusiastic. He has lacked obstacle focus and will often run around things 'cause it's quicker. Last night was the smoothest run he's done, choosing to do equipment more consistently instead of just run around like a loon It was nice to be rewarded with a first place. One more Q for his first agility title Now if I could only put in the time to teach him to weave....

Oi! I gave the bag to you for Howie I have plenty of garbage guts here that would have eaten the Life Stages but I don't want to feed my old guys high protein, especially as Flynn has already had a blood test showing high protein levels. Polo would snarf it but he's doing fine on the Advance.

I use Advance Active and RMBs. I used to BARF feed, but have become lazy Rogan has never been a keen kibble eater, but does eat the Advance, at about 1/4 the speed of all my other dogs I could tell from the first meal he wasn't that keen on the Canidae and the third time he walked away ;) I think you need to try Rogie on My Dog. I'll try Flynn on that just before his next sleepover at your place

Well it WAS his birthday yesterday! Expensive present for a dog that I don't even own

I use Advance Active and RMBs. I used to BARF feed, but have become lazy Rogan has never been a keen kibble eater, but does eat the Advance, at about 1/4 the speed of all my other dogs I could tell from the first meal he wasn't that keen on the Canidae and the third time he walked away

I tried the Canidae All Life Stages on my younger Vizsla as I wanted to try something grain free with him. After two meals he turned his nose up at it He's not what I regard a fussy dog, but definitely the pickiest of my lot. So lucky poodlefan now has a big bag, minus two meals, for Howie

I have a dog who paces a lot. It used to bother me and I'd encourage him to change into a trot, but now I live with it and let him do what he wants. It looks gawd awful IMO, especially when he's going a decent rate (he can manage quite a speed doing it!). He was checked out by a vet I trust with movement issues and she even discussed it with vets in the USA when she was doing a chiropracter course. We couldn't find a definitive reason why he does it more than other dogs, I even had him thoroughly x-rayed when having his hips scored. My concern was that there was something wrong and as he is a sports competition dog I wanted to be aware of any issues. At 8 years old now, he is still running in agility very competitively and appears to remain very sound. I did show him and found it easy to get him out of it and into a proper gait on the lead.

Brigitte

IMO dogs with allergies should definitely not be bred from. Dealing with allergies is usually a life long thing and something no pet owner needs, or the dog! No, any decent breeder will also look at the health of the dogs and in many breeds their ability to do their original purpose.

I agree with gspx3 with the whinging, and yes, especially the boys it seems. I specifically put in an order for a non-whinger but my boy whinges. He also moans, groans, squeaks, squeals and screams He's not much of a barker though! At times I really don't think he can even control his noises. I have learned to live with it, but I also have two Vizsla boys who are also notorious for whinging.... If I can't stand the noise any longer, I put him somewhere that I can't hear him.

Keyarna, as frustrating as it is there is no way I would be putting an 8 month old GSP beside a bike. Forced exercise like that for any length is just not good for a large growing dog. I would hold off until 18 months old. I feel your pain, an 8 month old large 'under exercised' gundog puppy can be a real pain. I would focus on training and getting him to use his brain. Teach him tricks. Polo's early lessons in life were all about self control, and to hold it for more than a couple of seconds. Be consistent, be calm and be firm. You don't need to physicaly punish the dog, but remove all chance of reward when he can't control himself. Polo at three is still the only dog of mine which must sit and wait before going through a gate or door. He still needs those reminders. There is a difference bewtween heeling and loose lead walking. I do not make my dogs heel when out for a walk. I do not let them pull like a steam train either, but they are not in the heel position on my left hand side. I find the head halter very good to control pulling, I used one on Polo (3 year old GSP) just this weekend when walking him in the gallery of a Spaniel & Retriever field trial as I knew that the excitement would be too much for him to remember loose leash! Yes, he does still try and pull a bit, but it is much more manageable. I would also consider one of the no pull harnesses. They are training tools that shouldn't be relied on forever, but if it comes to walking or not walking then for both yours and the dogs benefit, keep using it IMO. Do you know anyone with a dog in your area? Any chance you could advertise for a playgroup? Can you ask someone to come over with their dog for your dog to play with? Can you hire someone to come in during the day and play with him? I would avoid big on lead walks with him though at his age. Anywhere you can take him on a long lone so that you can control his recall and let him safely run around with a bit more freedom??

I'd leave him with the breeder. Your dog will not forget you. He may pick up a bad habit, but I beileve the benefit of having your dog with someone who knows dogs, knows the breed and you obviously trust enough to breed you your dog is far greater than the risk of a bad habit he may pick up that with consistency and back to his normal routine you would probably train out of him in no time.

Wot, there are dogs that don't whinge??? GSP = whinge Vizsla = whinge

There is nothing subtle about my old boy when he wants something. He will run up and down the hallway barking loudly if he thinks he needs an outing, or some attention or food. If that fails or he thinks I've ignored him too long he will come and sit on me, regardless if there's a computer on my lap He will even start chucking around toys if he's 'bored' which he never shows any interest in at other times. If my younger Vizsla wants under the covers at night he will sit with his face just cm's away from me and breath heavily, very annoying :D

GSPs are high energy dogs that need regular physical and mental stimulation. They however are not "super hyperactive" and indeed any gundog that is hyperactive or uncontrolable is useless for their original purpose and these traits should never be perpetuated. However, it does sound like you're not sure you could provide the regular phyiscal exercise necessary for a GSP. If they don't have the appropriate outlets, they will become destructive, noisy and very unhappy. My GSP is a full on active dog. When he is out running, he is running hard, fast and far. He has an excellent recall to voice or whistle and he has regular training in various dog sports. He is an excitable dog, but of an evening or on the weekend you will find him curled up on the couch next to me. It's actually my 12 year old Vizsla that gets antsy and hard to settle!! My GSP is not destructive, he's had run of the house from an early age and only seems to have a fetish for TV remote controls ;)

Get a boy As a general rule I always suggest the opposite sex to what you currently have for your second dog. There is a higher chance the dogs (dog & bitch) will get along. However, in the breeds you're looking at, if you were set on getting another bitch, you would probably be fine! There are already many examples in this thread of people with multiples of the same sex. I personally have four male dogs, all of which were entire together at some stage (have since had one surgically desexed and another recently chemically castrated for health reasons). So, you can probably tell I prefer male dogs With sensible management, my boys all get along fantastically.

I got two of them delivered today from cleanrun, but no Labs or Beagles had pre-tested ours

What drool?? I would think the breeds would be pretty equal in the drool department! This is actually unusual for my boy, he usually reserves drooling for food times only...

Sorry, but I have to laugh! My 3 year old GSP is anything but reserved! It's certianly not a trait I'd associate with the breed. If anything they tend to be more over the top in regards to people and dogs, more so than the Pointer. My experience comes from owning one GSP, knowing many others and having a more limited exposure to Pointers (although I have come into contact with them as pets, agility dogs, show dogs and field dogs) so keep that in mind GSPs seem to be more energetic, although a Pointer doing field work generally ranges further. GSPs are Utility Gundogs, whereas the Pointer is just that, a specialised Pointer. As GSPs are also required to retrieve for their original purpose, which takes more 'human' side control they are IMO 'easier' to train and are certainly more popular with obedience and agility trainers than Pointers, but both can do it! Both are beautiful, active, friendly dogs. Might be time to meet some more of each breed and see what you think.