Anyone with German Longhair Pointer experience?

[John Davis]

I have participated in, and enjoyed, AKC pointing dog trails for many years and I have run and judged dogs all over Georgia and Florida. But I have grown weary of the Pros. and my back just can't take 8+ hours a day in the saddle anymore. These days I just enjoy running the dogs off horse back on my place and not having to worry about picking them up because they weren't steady enough to wing and shot. Or, God forbid, their tail wasn't at 12 o'clock.

[Bob Brown]

Thanks for all the advice and info. The NAVHDA looks like a great organization. Unfortunately no chapters or registered breeders in Manitoba, or any where close to where I live. I know that if I want the ultimate bird dog I should do the research and look far afield to find the best hunting blood lines and competitively successful breeders. I could do all that, get on a waiting list, spend many thousands of dollars, and still might find that the personality of the pup I buy doesn't fit me, my wife, or our my two small dogs and two house cats.
My wife and I drove down to see the GLP breeder. A very nice, very German retired couple who have been in Canada since 1993. They were very welcoming and wanted us to take as much time as we needed. We took our two small dogs (one about 6 pounds) to check for compatibility. We spent several hours with the breeders, pups, and parents. One male pup really stood out. Bold without being aggressive, smart, affectionate, and responsive. The breeders believe in holding on to the puppies for longer than other breeders. When I got home we had a bit of a language barrier to overcome. The breeders first language was German. After I went on you tube and worked on my commands in German it was much better. He bonded with my wife and I almost immediately. I'm very happy with him.

[Chris Pope]

Congrats on your new family member!
If there is no group near you to train with consider any one of a number of good books on training the versatile breeds. The book recommended to me by a breeder was, How to Help Gun Dogs Train Themselves by Joan Bailey published in 1993. So it's an oldie for sure. But it was a great assistance to us especially in starting with our pups and very easy to read and follow along. I am no pro but certainly pleased with how my dogs work. As you can tell there are a lot of pretty strong opinions out there. So I welcome others to chime in with ideas better or different than mine.
Good luck! Be patient!

[Bob Brown]

That looks like a good one. All I have is lab and flushing training books. If anyone else has suggestions for good training books please post and I'll add it to a list from Abe's books.

[Timothy Salgado]

Looks like a nice pup Bob, since GLPs have a small gene pool here in North America I’m sure he’ll turn out fine , I also recommend Joan Bailey’s book, and the second one she wrote. I’d also recommend the Green Book from NAVHDA and Paul Long’s training pointing dog book. I used all three for training my two German pointers. Good luck and have fun.
Tim

[Bob Brown]

Thanks, Tim. I'll look for those three as well. Both the sire (3 years old) and dame (2 years old) were imported from Germany as pups, so they'll help broaden the North American gene pool. They are registered in the Deutsche-Langhaar-Verband (German Longhair Pointer Association) in Germany and the CKC. I went on the Deutsche-Langhaar-Verband website and the medical and hunt testing that have to be passed before a candidate is approved for breeding are very strict. Not a guarantee a pup will be healthy and have potential to be a good hunter, but still comforting.

[Alfred Houde]

My wife spoke to s girl at AKC and she said they are not registering Setters now because "They already have too many." Seriously?? It's like dealing with schoolgirls.

That's a real knee-slapper considering the AKC is simply a registry and all they care about is the money. You know why the AKC doesn't like the FDSB or the National Red Setter Field Trial Club? Because they outperform the AKC dogs, hands down.

I don't know anything about GLP's, but NAVHDA is a great organization. Friendly folks who are more than happy to help. Their hunt tests are realistic and a good gauge of your pup or dogs' ability and desire.

Once you get a pup and is ready, start training for the Natural Ability Test. Take a look at the NAVHDA website and schedule and find a test close to home. Sign up early though, they fill up quick.

[Aaron Beck]

Those are three good training books. I would add that the "orange book" so called is more in depth than all and for the right personality really breaks down every step of every aspect of everything you might wish to train. truly. It can be a bit much too.

http://www.ahdc.org/ahdcsite/storeitems.php

If you are more low key and less is more.

Bird Dog
by Ben O. Williams

[Big D]

"Already have too many"? How many Labs are registered each year? I'll bet it's 10-20 times that of the Dogs in question

[Bob Brown]

That does look like a thorough book, Aaron. I'll try to pick it up. I'm more of a KISS candidate, but it would be nice to read the why behind the how.
I'd like to try the NAVHDA tests. The nearest Canadian test would be about a 13 hour drive. The closest test would probably be the chapter in the Fargo Moorhead area. I don't know what crossing the border with my dog would entail, but their tests are booked up this year anyway.