Help With Breed Selection (formerly: Gsp Vs. English Pointer)

[Nevafollo]

GSPs are definitely not reserved, well the ones I know anyway, of the 3 I know they all live together, they are all definitely different and the younger female shows some timidity (is that a word) but even she loves playing with other dogs and people.

Interestingly, I take my TT over to run around with them, I won't say play as my TT doesn't play LOL, and they all love seeing her but they are careful not to be over the top with her and take care around her, I've been told that the older female is like that with children, she will actually get down to their level so they can pat her.

Actually its funny you should say that! My english pointer is just like that shes gentler with small dogs and so great with little kids, its so odd its just like she knows they are small and knows not to jump or bump them. She adores my cousins who rang from 5-10yrs!

[shapeshifter]

ooppsss double post

Edited July 30, 2010 by halo

[kamuzz]

What is the drool factor for each breed?

[fiveplusone]

Hugo is my third GSP. I Love love love them!

My kids grew up with GSP's, our first child was six months old when we got our first.

They are all teenagers now and Hugo came into our lives 7 months ago and he has changed our family....for the better.

Hugo is a lounge lizard, he really couldn't care less about having a walk or not.......as long as he is snuggled up with someone, either on the couch, or one of the kids beds....but he does know that come time for everyone to go to bed he happily goes into his crate to sleep. However most visitors to the house wouldn't know Hugo is a lounge lizard as once company arrives he is very excited about the extra company!

Where are you in SA? I'm close to CBD if you want to come meet my gorgeous boy.

ETA to add a pic of my boy in a typical pose!

Edited July 30, 2010 by fiveplusone

[fiveplusone]

I'm a English Pointer owner, so far owned three and I'm addicted.

Pretty much what everyone else has said .. the English are cool, calm and collected and from the GSP's I've met [never owned one] they are more aloof and outgoing.

Badger is only 5 months old but I have a fair jist of his character .. he loves to sleep and lounge around He will run around for short crazy bursts but is very happy to lay on his bad all day long, as long as his master is there.

Don't think a GSP would lay around all day long?

Mine does!

[fiveplusone]

What is the drool factor for each breed?

My boy is pretty good....except after a drink or if someone is eating something he wants and then it tends to just ooze out the side of his chops!

[FHRP]

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...

[FionaC]

We have 2 GSP's ... both different in personality - 1 very high drive (who is training for agility trialing), the younger boy is more laid back (he is doing Obedience training at the moment but we will give Agility a try too once he is big enough) ..... they are both affectionate, the older one doesn't drool at all but the younger one can be .... we board both boys, and they do just fine - the older boy is fine to board by himself but the younger one is better when its the two of them together ....

Our boys are inside all day when we're at work - around 8hrs, have been since we bought them home basically, the get a walk in the evening most nights in summer but rarely in winter, they are happier to curl up on the lounge with me and sleep .....

I've not owned a Pointer but I did look at them when we were deciding on a puppy ... lovely dogs but I'm glad we went with the GSP - they are the breed for us most definitely, we will never be without one ....

Edited July 30, 2010 by FionaC

[Nevafollo]

I have only known some pointers to drool and 99% of the time its because they are nervous or stressed and even then each pointer handles stress differently some will drool others wont, they really arnt known for being droolers!

[marinapoint]

Ok so I've got to add to this discussion!! LOL

Being a Pointer (The English variety for clarities sake) owner/lover/exhibitor/breeder (at the very end!!) I can't reccomend them more!

Pointers arent known as the aristocats of the dog breed for nothing. They are GORGEOUS to live with, they are calm when meeting new people (ie dont jump all over new guests/people out in the park) and get excited for no good reason (dont get me wrong, you put the right thing in front of them and they DO get excited!)

They arent AS outgoing and super out there as the GSP's in my experience. They are easy going but dont put their paw print all over you when you are out and about if this makes sense. They tend to be easier to manage, although in my experience not as food driven as the GSP's. They are sooky and loving and love it best when they are curled up next to you in the bed getting attention.

The GSP's a more a utility dog (ie all rounder) as far as field work goes, pointers are a dedicated pointing breed. Although having said that, whoever said they cant be taught to retrieve was wrong. They are happy to retrieve although this is not what the breed was originally bred for. They were bred for the aristocracy who had 100s of dogs and took pointers out to point, and retrievers out to retrieve.

Having had experience with both breeds to some extent, pointers in general are laid back, chillaxed and easy going. GSP's are way more full on than pointers! LOL Dont get me wrong though, BOTH breeds have a superb temperament. Great for family's and both are quite trainable.

I would definently say, pointers are the undiscovered breed. They are actually becomming more popular as people realise their excellent potential as house pets.

Drool factor: well that depends on the dog! Some like SB said will drool more than others. Our boy here tends to drool when it comes to food (hes very food motivated now that I've said that GSP's are more food motivated than pointers!! LOL) but otherwise they dont. Depends on the dog really.

If you are ever in the Melbourne area and would like to come and meet any of my dogs, feel free. I also attend shows here. Alternatively you can check out my webpage www.marinapointpointers.com and you can see some of the dogs there.

[poodlemum]

What is the drool factor for each breed?

Wings used to drool like a tap being turned on when you had a treat for him

[Pointees]

I have two Pointers (the English kind, like Sammy) and I fostered a GSP for about 2-3 months.

I personally like Pointers better, sorry GSP lovers.

I found that my girls are happy to run around, but will come inside and calm down, unless my brother wrestles with them. While the GSP wanted to run around the house, and hide under beds (he went from bed to bed to bed) Only way you knew he was under the bed, was the thumping of his tail on the boards.

I take the Pointers to Kepala monthly, and they get along with every human and dog. They are active enough to run the whole day, and go swimming, do the agility course (they have NEVER been trained for it, they just trust me enough to do it, MarinaPoint will say the same as her girls did it too!) while the GSP when I took him ran around with the other dogs, but was happier to play with the puppies instead of the older dogs.

[Dust Angel]

We have three GSP's and they are all very differnt personalities. They can all go full on and they can all switch off and chill completly as well. They are incredibly loyal and really love meeting new people and dogs (except the rescue girl but she has had a bad history).

They are wonderful with kids and are very careful around smaller dogs and children (but then again i did teach them shhhh careful)

I have only ever fostered a Pointer and found him to be much more reserved and nervous and standoffish.

I would never be without a GSP.

As for the drool factor i only have one that drools and it freaked me out because neither of the others do it - its pretty much only ever about food .

Edited July 31, 2010 by Dust Angel

[RoccosMum]

I've never met a Pointer but I love the GSPs!!! They are true to being very crazy!! but with enough exercise like any dog can be lounge lizards inside.

My sister in law got a gsp 2 months before we got our dane. These two all though completely different breeds and different in size got on so well!!! Odette (gsp) was a crazy puppy and would run rings around our dane. Rocco (dane) was so unco as a puppy but realised that as he got older he just had to sit on her! Puppies are a handful but if you can get past that stage then you have one amazing dog. I personally think they are too small. But I have giant dogs.....

Here are some pics of them playing

Rocco 10 weeks - Odie 16 weeks

Rocco 6 month - Odie 8 months.... bit of a difference.

[Joel]

What drool??

AAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA. This made me laugh a lot when I saw it. "What drool??" <--- ROFLMAO.

Thank you everyone for being so helpful, especially inviting us to come and see your dogs!

Does the Pointer being more of an "undiscovered" breed make it harder to get a well bred dog? Also, what are everyones opinions on sex... (ie, Honey is female, and we have heard that two females together don't get along as well (more of the time) than a male and a female). Both would be spayed/neutered (Honey already is), and I personally have no real preference. Well, thats not entirely true. I tend to lean more towards females for some reason, but I would much prefer get a male than have an increased chance of my dogs fighting. What do you think?

Edited July 31, 2010 by Joel

[SparkyTansy]

Joel you can get a well bred pointer or GSP as long as you go to the right people and do the research... speak to a few registered breeders of the breed you decide on. I recommend you go to a dog show if you are willing... a great opportunity to see both breeds.

Depending on what type of work you want to get involved in with your GSP or pointer, and how immersed you want to get (competitive or not) may also determine what you choose. A pointer is a specialised breed, bred to find and point game. They are not bred as the GSPs are which is an all round "utility" gundog, which is bred to find and retrieve the game. I don't have experience with pointers specifically but i do have setters and have found that due to nature of their job (which is the same as pointers), where they are taught very much to range out independent of their handler, that their recall is not quite as reliable as the utility gundogs.

[Joel]

Going to a show would be great (I've been to some shows before), but I would like to not have to wait too long before we get the next member of our family (the reason being is that at the moment I am not working, so I am able to dedicate all my time to Honey and the new puppy. If I wait for too long, I will be unable to be in the same position. I know that plenty of people have puppies while they are working, but I prefer to be around them all the time (for a while at least)).

Surely a dogs recall is dependent on training? I would have thought that distance would not really be an issue, so long as they can hear you (and a whistle will fix that problem). Even though I would really like to get the new dog (whichever breed it may be) into field training, I think it will be more likely that I will train them both in agility. I just don't know how I would incorporate Honey in to field work, and it's not fair to leave her out, and I don't think I'll have the time (but probably more so, the drive) to have them both do separate things.

[Snowysal]

Can I make a suggestion - if your not dead set on starting with a puppy try looking on the DOL home page (very top left hand corner of this page is a link) then look down the menu to the rescue page and then go breed specific - theres usually a few lovely dogs looking for a home on there. In the GSP case its often because people either havnt committed for life to the dog, their circumstances have changed unexpectedly or they just were not prepared to have a dog of these breeds,

i live with Dust Angel and out 3 GSP's full on one minute and out cold the next. Even the rescue girl she mentioned who sleeps in my room with the cat and a JRT rescue- her issues are mainly about being desperate for warmth ,security and attention.

Anyway you go - keep us informed Joel and good luck-if you run into bumps dont be afraid to go especially to the breed specific pages and ask for help - everyone is usually a font of experience and willingness to help.

[Pointees]

Depending on what type of work you want to get involved in with your GSP or pointer, and how immersed you want to get (competitive or not) may also determine what you choose. A pointer is a specialised breed, bred to find and point game. They are not bred as the GSPs are which is an all round "utility" gundog, which is bred to find and retrieve the game. I don't have experience with pointers specifically but i do have setters and have found that due to nature of their job (which is the same as pointers), where they are taught very much to range out independent of their handler, that their recall is not quite as reliable as the utility gundogs.

Sorry, but I have wonderful recall with my Pointer girls. I tend to call out "cuddles" and they both know its time for cuddles and pats and come over as fast as possible.

[Ashanali]

Pointers do have a long working range and will venture a long way away if given the chance. However Sunni is like superglue and will stick by my side no matter who/ what is around and even Kayo who is my feral has excellent recall. Ronin was a bit selective though. Sometimes he came back, sometimes birds were way more interesting.

This is definitely something that comes down to the individual dog AND their training.

(having been involved with English setters my whole life, I find their recall much less reliable than a pointers. There is a big difference.)