German Shorthair
 

My son and I rase game birds and we are looking at getting a GSP to enhance our farm.
We currently have a lab as a family pet.
Does any one one have on any tips on picking out a good GSP or any negatives on the breed ?

RE: German Shorthair
 

first you need to research the breed and find out what you want, and the price your willing to pay for a pup. i think you should start with proven bloodlines. it may cost you more at the beginning, but you can get a pretty could idea at what your going to get.
also if your interested i have a litter of pups right now 3 wks old will be just right for next year. my stud dog is out of shooting starr kennels. my female is out of snips ticked off 10x nstra champion bloodline. dogs should have alot of natural ability. if you would just like more info , or if you have any questions on any other kennels i'd be glad to answer any questions that you have.

RE: German Shorthair
 

Any time you pick out a bird dog your best bet in finding a good dog is hunt over the parents. If not in season go out and have the owner work on wild birds. I know that may not be possable but it really is best. Blood lines are meaningful but not as much as knowing the parents of the litter are good hunters. IMO a bloodlne of champion great grandparents or older means very little.

RE: German Shorthair
 

If you like NAVHDA type dogs, try Shooting Star Kennels, or SharpShooters.

You may try Brenda Roe, her dogs go back to Hillhaven Hustler and are known for bidibility, calmness, quietness, and just all around nice gsps.

For hell bent for leather types, big running and gunning gsps, try Rabidou dogs.

For the record, BLUEGRASS GSPS (and I don't know this guy) has two of the breeders recommended (shooting star and Brenda Roe) right in that litter.

RE: German Shorthair
 

Thanks everyone, we found just what we where looking for infact we where so happy we purchased two gsp...

RE: German Shorthair
 

congrats on your new gsp's i think you will enjoy them.

jashoffa i would have to disagree with you on the bloodlines, don't get me wrong you are capable of getting a good dog out of parents that hunt good, but your chances greatly increase of getting a good dog when you can consistently go back and trace good bloodline. good breeders consistantly improve the line by weeding out non desirable traits, this is not usually done with the casual breeder who has two dogs that hunt good.
champion bloodline is that, proven dogs in the field. if they didn't prove themselves in the field, they wouldn't earn the title.

RE: German Shorthair
 

BlueGrass,

Personally, I like to take it one step further, and see and hunt overa pup from a first breeding and if you like THEM, then go and get a pup from the second breeding. Sometimes two bloodlines together just don't mesh well. Example Rawhide's Clown threw some awful pups and he threw some good ones depending on what bloodlines you crossed with him. He threw a ton of run and drive but also threw a ton of soft stubborn pups with the wrong bloodlines.

RE: German Shorthair
 

I knew you would went I made my post.

Let me expand upon what I strated to say in my post. I said blood lines are meaningful.
However, a great-grandparent has only passed on 1/8 of it genes to the litter. This is what I was saying.

A champion parent or grandparents is a indication of a good dog but even better would be a parent or grandparent that has a prize I or II in the NAVHDA Natural Ability Test.

Even so I would Want to see at least one if not both of the parents work some birds.