Trained Cold Weather Pointer

[mobirdhunter]

North Missouri is obviously not Alaska, but our Gordons have all relished hunting in very cold weather, the colder the better for them. The cold has not seemed to diminish their ability to scent birds, either, as is sometimes the case for dogs in conditions with cold, dry air. Depending on the breeding, they can develop thick, heavy coats in winter. You'll need to clip the hair on their feet and apply some sort of treatment that keeps the snow from forming ice balls (or boot them) as with any breed with longer hair. I recommend Musher's Secret.

When it's minus 5 and you're just completed a two hour hunt and your dog is still joyfully rolling in the snow to cool off, you know they like and can handle it.

[edgarspencer]

Everyone in my family had Drahthaars, or as they are called over here, GWP, German Wirehaired Pointer. Ive heard lots of people say they are the rough coated version of the GSP, Short haired pointer, but My dad was well known NAVHDA trial judge and trainer and would disagree.
Hilltop Farm was, back in the day, the best known breeder of GWPs, and Betty Stroh had a very keen sense of what breeding made the best working dog. Her best stud dog was Hilltops Beau. Almost every dog my dad, sisters, and I had were out her kennel. My dog, Ringer, was absolutely incredible on grouse and would hold a three legged point till the rooster went to bed. He also had a way of looking at me when I missed, as if to say 'Really?"
My dad's best dog, Cyclone, could leap from a canoe without making the thing tip over, swim 150-200 yards and bring back a goose in cold Chesapeake water.
It's their coat that makes the biggest difference, but they are almost always beefier than a GSP.

[edgarspencer]

Good read on the GWP

https://projectupland.com/hunting-do...red-pointer-2/

[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by edgarspencer

Good read on the GWP

https://projectupland.com/hunting-do...red-pointer-2/

That was interesting! The Germans seem to be doing this better by holding the dogs to performance standards. Projectupland has some nice descriptions about breed attributes and I spent some time last night reading them.

[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by Garry L Gordon

North Missouri is obviously not Alaska, but our Gordons have all relished hunting in very cold weather, the colder the better for them. The cold has not seemed to diminish their ability to scent birds, either, as is sometimes the case for dogs in conditions with cold, dry air. Depending on the breeding, they can develop thick, heavy coats in winter. You'll need to clip the hair on their feet and apply some sort of treatment that keeps the snow from forming ice balls (or boot them) as with any breed with longer hair. I recommend Musher's Secret.

When it's minus 5 and you're just completed a two hour hunt and your dog is still joyfully rolling in the snow to cool off, you know they like and can handle it.

That's good to hear! I hunt alone and the described attributes of Gordon Setters sound good to me. Do you know of anyone who sells young adult trained dogs? I am sort of planning on flying outside to meet my dog and bring them home if compatibility and performence in the field is there. I'm willing to accept the expense.

[mobirdhunter]

Originally Posted by jefferyconnor

That's good to hear! I hunt alone and the described attributes of Gordon Setters sound good to me. Do you know of anyone who sells young adult trained dogs? I am sort of planning on flying outside to meet my dog and bring them home if compatibility and performence in the field is there. I'm willing to accept the expense.

Jeffery, I don't know of any breeders that routinely sell trained Gordons, but a google search might reveal one. You'd probably be more likely to find a young, started Gordon; but, again, I don't know of specific breeders you might check for this either. Sorry. But, hey, don't you have a really long grouse season in Alaska, and probably good access to wild birds? Why not get a pup and train it yourself? Gordons are real one person dogs, and the bond you create training your own pays great dividends in many ways.

[Mark Riessen]

If you are REALLY serious, then as the Germans say ' der Drahthaar is der king' Yeh I've had five of them. Three are still with me now and two gone. But it is a real commitment , the first breeder that I got one from told me ' they are not for everyone.' If you want to get the most out of the dogs potential you have to committed to training and testing. That is a killer for some people. M

[jeffery c]

Originally Posted by Mark Riessen

If you are REALLY serious, then as the Germans say ' der Drahthaar is der king' Yeh I've had five of them. Three are still with me now and two gone. But it is a real commitment , the first breeder that I got one from told me ' they are not for everyone.' If you want to get the most out of the dogs potential you have to committed to training and testing. That is a killer for some people. M

Thanks for the input, Mark! My work prevents me from training a puppy/young dog with that level of commitment, that's why I want a proven adult dog. I can promise to work with them from there, though.