gsp_birddog

I understand that there are people that would see this as a good thing. Why not. After all, you get the great water ability with pointing capabilities in the field. What's not to love about that? From the standpoint of correctness of the breed these are the ones that did not fit the correctness of the breed. So, then this imperfection is then breed as a positive and carried on for future breeding stock. Labs are flushers and not pointers by breeding. I get that the end user may want this and doesn't give a damn aboutthe correctness of the breed, but the breeders should. When greed over takes good judgement, then they should stop breeding. What's next? Taking Pointers that won't point and calling them flushing pointers?????

SwampCollie

Now here is a rant that I agree with!

Take my golden here at right <---------, he is a damn fine dog, and has honestly exceeded my expectations. He is no field trial champ, I don't have the time or the money for it. He is a bit red by the AKC standard, though not really a reject (but if he were 2 shades darker he might be). Perfect head, temperment, eyes, hips, white blaze on chest.... and really, he is great.

BUT, as wonderful as he is, and as pleased with him as I am.....he is not exceptional. And thats why I will not breed him. In my opinion, the biggest issue with goldens (and ten times so with labs) is that they have been bred to death. There are seriously folks that I speak with who bird hunt and have little to no clue that a golden will retreive a duck not only at all... but better so than most labs we hunt over(and most goldens have much better noses as well). I can appreciate a dog that is versitale, even if I can't spell it correctly, but you know what we call a duck dog that runs deer? A house dog.

Mite

gsp_birddog, assuming by your name that you favor German Shorthairs, I find it ironic that you would feel this way about pointing labs. I don't know the true history of the development of PLs but the usual case is breeding dogs specifically for a species of game and territory. A good guess would be waterfowl and gamebirds in the northern states. Was not the GSP developed in Germany for the hunter who could not afford multiple dogs? They didn't care if they breed for standards early on, they just knew it work for them. Then the same arguement can be used for all German versatiles; why do we needGSP/DD/GWPs when we have already have pointers/setters andspaniels for upland and labs for waterfowl?

We have PLs because alot of people are comfortable with training them, with their personalities, etc. but want a dual purpose dog; one that will point upland and retrieve waterfowl. They fill a specific need just like the German versatiles. Personally, I don't mind PLs even though they don't fill my needs but if my needs change, I would like to have the option.

Doc E

Sorry, but your ignorance is showing. (NOT stupidity, but Ignorance = not knowing).
Labradors ARE NOT classified as Flushers by ANY organization. Neither are they classified as Pointers. Labradors are classified as retrievers -- period.
Some Labs Flush, some Point. Pointing Labradors are Labrador Retrievers that just happen to point instead of flush.

My PL took 3rd Place in the Washington State Gun Dog Challenge (Pointing Division)last September. 1st Place was a great EP, 2nd was a superb Viszla and a lowly PL was 3rd............... Who just happened to beat a number of GSP's, GWP's, a WPG and about a couple dozen other "traditional" pointing breeds. Now I guess you can see why we have them and are no longer ignorant of the facts

Muliefever

Well put Doc! Try totell these Michigan boys that their labs shoud be "Flushers" I don't know if it is something in the water out here ot not, but, I have never seen so many amazing pointing labs in my life! It is truly amazing to have a dog never mind the breed that can do so many things so well. If you could find aDOG that is a amazing in the upland/pointing world and equally as amazing in the waterfowl world..Man it doesn't any better then that! And in most cases PL are just that. There is a dog out here in West Michigan named "Gator" a Black Male who is by far the best Multi Purpose dog I have ever seen. I have the pleasure of training with him and his owner. If my female (his niece if you will) turns out to be half the dog he is I will be in awe!
Besides GSP's shiver.. j/k

JW

Just nothing more than a dog bashing thread.

Each to their own.

JW

MTdrahthaar

Doc has an exceptional dog, obviously has put many hours into this dog. I think many still view PL as some kind of novelty. If the trait is there, you can develop it just as with any dog. I haven't seen many Casey's that is for sure. There are a few Drahthaar's that have completed 40 hour old blood trails 1000 meters long, doesn't mean they all are going to do it at that level. Training, training, training.

I saw a Rottweiler retrieving snow geese for some dude at Freezeout Lake, heck of a retriever that dog was.

To each his own.

crazycoonhunterNE

I have a pointing lab, ok not really, she is half black lab half gsp, and looks exactly like a chocolate lab, If she had pups with a chocolate lab, I could market the pups as pointing labs, noone would no the difference.

daleh

All Dogs can do anything if you spend enough time with them. Some dogs do things that we say is amazzing. Some dogs are lucky and come up with birds when no one else can. In pointing dogs there is one in 1000 that is above the rest. In Retrievers and flushing dogs the number is much higher. Is there the best dog on earth? I don't know, but i sure would put mine up to the test for all commers.

Muliefever

Nice looking dogs!