Washington Fly Fishing Forum banner

Wirehaired Griffon

4K views 24 replies 14 participants last post by  Mike McAvoy 
#1 ·
I've been out of the hunting scene for lots of years but it calls again. Does anyone use the Griffon or have any experience with the breed? I am in my mid 60's, a foot hunter, probably mostly grouse, duck. My ideal dog would have an off switch as most of the time it probably will be keeping my feet warm or riding around with me.
Thanks
Mike
 
#6 ·
Depending on the type of upland hunting you'll be doing...

Of the Brittanys that I have hunted over (3 or 4) all were very well mannered and were GREAT in house dogs. The other is a Vizla, another good family/bird mix. As the others have said, ole reliable in the Labs.

I second Upland Journal's forum. GREAT bunch of guys.
 
#7 ·
thanks for the tips, guys. I too like the labs and the Britts but ..... I remember the extra jolt I used to get when the dog would point the bird giving me more time to mull over the more creative ways I could let the dog down upon the flush when I was supposed to do my part. There aren't any bad bird dogs as I remember but my yen is for a calm pointing dog ..... perhaps that is an oxymoron?
Mike Mc
 
#8 ·
I have hunted with pointers and setters all my life. I have a buddy that is into the WHG he loves them, very calm good hunters great family dogs. He shows his AKC as well with great success. I think for a guy that wants a pal and a hunter you cant go wrong with a WHG. I have been chasing English Pointers and Setters all my life and think it may be time to get one myself.

Good luck and good hunting.:thumb:
 
#11 ·
iagree

+1 on the pointing lab.... Sometimes called a pausing lab by the pointer guys. Probably the best bet for your situation.

You won't be able to turn a real upland dog off when you want that nice lap dog if you don't run the crud out of it on a regular basis.
 
#10 ·
I'm a Brittany guy and will probably remain so, but I have been intrigued with the Griffon's retreiving ability. Most pointing dogs are single coated (except for Pointing Labs) and while some are proported to be water dogs, they can't handle cold weather. It's said that Griffons can handle cold water. If true, that's a perfect combination. A pointer and retreiver in the same package. However, I don't recall encountering any in my years of duck hunting.

That said, the Griffons I've seen are great looking, friendly, affecionate dogs. There's nothing better than having both a hunting companion and household pet. I think you are on the right track.
 
#13 ·
Olddog,

I've owned two griffons and hunted over several others. I have also been a member of the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon Club of America for many years, judging in their dog tests which are required to evaluate all puppies from their breeding program. The clubs breeding program is not for everyone but they consistently produce some very nice all around dogs. I have hunted pheasants, grouse, quail, chukar, ptarmigan, ducks and geese with my dogs and both of mine have more than met my expectation in the field and as a household member. I think they're great dogs.

Steve

Sorry my one and only post is about dogs and not FF.
 
#14 ·
Appreciate all the feedback ..... those pointing labs are pretty neat aren't they? ... have not seen many of them but all were chocolates that I remember ... great combination dogs.

I am still on a quest for a versatile hunting dog though. I have blundered into maybe an opportunity that you might have opinions about.

A friend hunts with ES. We were talking dogs while waiting for salmon to hit (they didn't) and when I mentioned Griffons he told me his son in law had two ( 1 & 5 y/o) and were considering getting a new home for the one year old. That would leave them with a older dog, two little kids and that was enough fun apparently.

I talked to the fellow and will see the dog this week. He is 1, from a kennel that both hunts and shows, is well mannered, house trained but is still in the puppy stage. Neither of their dogs have ever been hunting or encouraged to do so but were bought for the purpose of hunting. ... we all can remember those days!

The dog is not out of the WPGCA but I dont know the kennel yet or if it is NAVHDA breeding/testing .....

My question, given the lack of any early introduction to birds, water, etc, is it too big a risk to take a 1 year old dog and hope the genes will kick in?

This is an whole male dog. I have no kids about anymore and a couple of fixed herding Aussies- females.

Mike
 
#15 ·
I've had the opportunity to see several griffons at one year of age which had been under exposed. Their lack of exposure was either due to injury or illness with the dog or the owner. If the dog has the genetics and a stable temperment they can be brought along. You can certainly make up for the lack of bird exposure but I would want to evaluate his exposure and therefore comfort to other things such as other dogs, people, cover and water. If you can, take the dog out into a field (with the owner) and watch the dog work some cover. Ask the owner not to say anything to the dog. You can tell a lot just by watching a dog as long as it is free from any verbal influences from the owner. Just start walking. I wouldn't expect much but you want to evaluate how independent the dog is and how comfortable he is in the field. Does he just walk at the owner's side or does his nose take him off searching, even if only a short distance off. Is he timid or fearful? Does he run off wild? If the dog moves out at all on its own, change direction without calling the dog. Does he ignore the owner completely, run to his side or swing around in front of him and continue searching? Could be the natural ability and potential are there. It really depends on how much you want to put into it from that point on.

Good luck.
 
#16 ·
Griffon
I have a perfect spot in mind to run the dog and see as you say how he does without being urged to hunt or ?????? I hope this comes off in an hour or so and also hope this guy dives into the cover and roots around like he should.

Also, Roper put me onto a Spinone up for adoption that would be perfect as he is supposedly steady on point, 5 y.o, etc ...... I think I got there a little too late though .... we'll see.
 
#17 ·
I couldn't hunt over anything that ugly and I don't ride mules for the same reason. However, some are really good walking bird dogs theat will double as a retriever in the water. If he has good hunting bloodlines his age will not be a problem, however, did I hear AKC shows? If so that would worry me, I am not a big dual dog person. Too many breeds have been screwed up by show people. Dual purpose dogs, show and field, are usually mediocre in both.

Jerry Arlington
 
#18 ·
I couldn't hunt over anything that ugly and I don't ride mules for the same reason.

HEY, hey ..... smile when you say that stranger ..... sheesh. Didn't mama teach you about beauty being in the eye of the beholder?

The dog did pretty well on the outing yesterday and I have hopes. I think I will be caring for him here on the farm for a week and that should open up new avenues of knowledge for both of us.
Mike
 
#21 ·
So, olddog are you going to keep this year old ugly dog (I'm joking)?
I like mules also.
I for one think you are doing yourself and that dog the best for both of you.
You are getting a full grown buddy that most likely needed you as a one on one buddy as you need him, (it was a him was it not).
Keep us posted on how the relationship goes.
dirty dog out
 
#22 ·
Thanks again for all the feedback. It is looking pretty good that the new pup will end up here on the Faded Rose with the olddog. I am thinking if he gets too rambunctious all I need to do is slip him one of my bp pills .... I sure downshifted a gear activity-wise since going on them. Should know next week for sure.
Mike
 
#23 ·
Old dog, I am about your age and have to start thinkining about my next Brittany replacement. Based upon your query, I did some research and concluded, like you, that I will need a closer hunting dog in future years. A pointing/retreiver that can handle less than extreme conditions sounds pretty attractive to me. I'm afraid that I will soon be too old to keep up with a hard running pointing dog, but would still like to continue wing shooting. I would appreciate your keeping those of us at this web site informed about the results of your search for the perfect dog.
 
#24 ·
hey Bushwacker,
Those are some fine looking dogs you have your arms around.

I have come to a conclusion that all we need is a mellow close working dog, new lighter shotgun, more open chokes, 8-9 shot .... and find secret spots where the birds are close to the road.

Been out of the dog training/hunting game for a long time and am surprised on how many of the old concepts seem to be modified. My non-expert opinion suggests we need to start off with a pup that comes from verifiable background. That means tests similar to or like NAVHDA and others do in the pedigree. At our age we probably dont want to spend several years on a dog and find we have a misfire. For that reason alone I am not going to adopt the 1 year old Griffon and I will probably regret that decision.

It is amazing how much info is out there at the other end of the laptop. I keep looking for breeds that seem to emphasize the dog hunting for the gun rather than self and also ones that seem calm and can make good home companions. Some of the Griffons, the French Spaniel (didnt even know there was a pointer versatile French dog other than the Brit) seem to fit. The Clumber is of interest too. I bet there are others.

Daniel Tortora wrote a book years ago, THE RIGHT DOG FOR YOU, suggesting choosing a breed that matches YOUR personality, family and lifestyle. Makes lots of sense to me and explains why one person's ideal is another's poison.

What could be the answer to our prayer might be to find a 4-5 year old trained dog who had a boss just like us. If we could observe the dog for a bit and ensure there is a good fit all our problems would be minimized.

Of course then we would miss the fun of exposing the new pup to plenty of new things like terrain, water, wild birds, people, sounds, etc. (but miss the housebreaking and chewing stage altogether)

I can see this is going to be an interesting search and besides learning about dogs I am realizing some things about myself that I had not known. I also bet that within every hunting breed there is an ideal dog for me and one that fits all my criteria. The challenge seems to be able to bring the two of us together.

How you like the Brit as a do-all kind of dog?
Mike
 
#25 ·
As Paul Harvey used to say, Here is the Rest of the Story ......

I hemmed and hawed for months about getting a WPG pup and finally pulled the trigger and did something.

I adopted the one year old Griff mentioned in previous posts. He is a 14 month old neutered male, and fits in with the rest of the critters on the farm. He points chickens and butterflies so far.

We've been getting out a little on grouse scouting trips and he does work both sides of the road, gets into cover and stays within gun range and does check back on a regular basis. We have not found or bumped any birds yet but that is more my fault than his. I am in an air cast boot for a sprung achilles and cant get off the beaten path.

In the house he is Mr Mellow and seems to stick like velcro. It is way to early to assess how this will work out long range but so far my expectations have been exceeded. I am treating him like a 12 week old pup and waiting until his bird drive gets fired up and then will start training him for real.
Mike
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top