wirehaired pointing griffons

[hafwit]

I saw 2 wirehaired pointing griffons today while walking my G.L.P. neither of the owners hunted but the dogs seemed very bright and enthusiastic. Thinking about a second dog next year. any comments about this breed?

[BdBHunts]

I can't comment as I haven't seen any work in the field but if you are interested I can give you the names of some breeders.

[RyanGSP]

You want my honest opinion? Get a pointing lab. They run about the same speed , the same range, and have about the same style when on point. I would spring for a Drahthaar or German Wirehair or even better a PudelPointer if you like the wirey look over a Griffon.

[Vindalbakken]

I have only seen 3 Griffons work, but if they are indicative of the breed as a whole (I am sure they must not be), Ryan is out to lunch with his comment. The PL will work them into the ground.

[RyanGSP]

Ryan is out to lunch with his comment. The PL will work them into the ground.

Ohh scott thats rough. Low blow to the pointing breeds. :cheesy:

[hafwit]

thanks guys. I will pass on the griffon and continue the search. I like the rare breeds for some reason. Just personal preference. French spaniel? I think they are a pointer. field spaniel? Munsterlander? If you went for something rare or at least not as prevalent what would it be? I need to read my new pointing dog journal issue. An article about Draathars.

[RyanGSP]

Drahthaars are nice as well I am not a fan of the close range especially out here in the prairies but if I hunted waterfowl and ruffies, peasants or alot of smaller areas I would buy one.

Alot of my partridge and sharptail hunting takes me into huge goverment leases and I would have to do alot of walking if I had a close working dog. You may want to look at a PudelPointer or even a Munsterlander like you said.

[Birddogs]

When you read in books and on the net , the down sides of a particular
breed . There is a tendency to think ; there not talking to me,
my pup will be different ,I can handle that ; its what seperates us from
fairer sex... though I must admit that if there is one specific reason
that intergendorial relationships are in the shape they are in ,
It is that women are becoming more like men in their thinking .
pig headed , selfwilled and obsesive .
When I read all the bad things about Griffons ( pronounced
Griiii-fawn ) I went right to my cardinal rule .
" If its to tough for evryone else , its just right for me "
And low and behold here he is " Shais Griphen of Razors Edge "
20 mos .old 65 lbs .. endowed with every bad habit a dog ever had .

Farts and belches at will , will only lay on the couch ,
loves TV , particular bird hunting shows , I have yet to figure out
what he wont eat ( and I dont mean food ) .
If you are tough with him , ( I mean a sharp word )
he sulks like my 4 yr. old granddaughter . Now that I think of it they are both playing me like a bad violin .

He is perfectly trained , but he choses when that training
is in use ....

He is without a doubt the birdiest dog I have ever owned
solid on point , will go anywhere to find a bird.
You cannot say bird ,in front of him , nor food , walk ,
toy, and a bevy of other words . Not bad for a french dog .

This dog and I have alot in common ( my wife says )
I dont listen worth a s--- either .

Dog people who have owned Griffons , all say the same
thing never a dull moment .

If it is your first bird dog , Griffon is not for you ,
get somthing easy like a pointer or a pointer , or you could settle for a pointer .

If I get another dog , It definitely going to be an ENGLISH Setter
they are fantastic . A Birding machine ...

[RyanGSP]

You mean when you get another dog ray. No way are going to to stop at Griffen. Hows the little machine you bringing him out again this spring to some events?

Rays dog fetches fish too. Right out of the Boat!!!

[cohod]

Birddogs,:nice work: defiantly cant go wrong with an E Setter
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i58/cohod/Picture011.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i58/cohod/Picture012.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i58/cohod/Picture006.jpg

upland machines

cohod

[Birddogs]

If you wondered where the dinosaurs went , here is the answer .

This is before he chewed off the ears , tail and one leg .

And this toy is supposedly Tiger tested . Ha ...

So I would rather be chewed on by a Tiger than a Griffon:cheesy:

[cohod]

better that than half a rotten cow:cheesy:

cohod

[PPinQC]

A good friend of mine breeds Griffons here in Quebec. They are, by far, the most popular versatile dog here in Quebec. They are definately considered "The dog" to have here. I think if you're looking for a house dog that you will hunt once in a while in fairly tight cover, a Griffon would be an excellent choice.

Personally, I don't like them very much. I agree with Ryan that a Drahthaar would be a better choice if you're looking for a wirehaired multicolor dog. They move much faster than a lab that stops before flushing (aka pointing lab), but I have never seen one that will work as hard as some of the other dogs.

All of them that I have seen are very birdy, but if they don't see birds within the first 5 or 10 minutes of the hunt, they start losing interest in hunting.

They test out very well in NAVHDA venues and have actually surpassed the GWP/DD's in number of dogs tested. I think they are currently second only to shorthairs.

[RyanGSP]

Style of hunting out there PP makes these breeds so popular I think. You guys hunt alot of grouse, woodcock, and waterfowl out there dont you? Close ranging dog is essential in that thick cover. Alot wetter too so the thick coat keeps them warm. I can see where they would excell in conditions like this.

If you live out west where you are hunting partridge and sharptails a big running dog is essential if you dont like walking every acre. Shorthairs, Pointers, and Britts reign supreme out here.

Different strokes for different folk. Look at your style of hunting and this will tell you the dog to get. If I hunted Grouse in the foothills and waterfowl I would be looking at a NAVHDA dog but for Huns and Sharptails, Field Trial Dogs is where I would concentrate my efforts.

PP are there alot of Griffon breeders out that way?

[PPinQC]

I think there are about 6 breeders here that produce more than 1 litter per year. The most popular is my friend, Steve Brodeur, from Duchasseur Kennels. Most of the other breeders built their practice from his stock. Then there are all the others that buy a female and breed it a couple times. I don't think I could count all those. You might be right about why they are so popular, although sometimes I think though it has more to do with conformity to the norm than anything else.

At either a NAVHDA or CKC event here, I'd say 8 out of 10 entries will be a Griffon.

As far as I'm concerned, there is only one real versatile dog and as vehemently as we have debated in the past; I'll admit it isn't a Brit :-)

[RyanGSP]

See its the opposite out here all the entries would be Britts or GSP's very few Griffs around here.

I agree with that last statement as well not to start a debate.