Home Forums Birds & Dogs Hunting Dogs Pointer vs. Lab?

I have only had labs for gun dogs. Right now Im in the market for a new dog. Its been two years since my old boy died. I have never hunted with a pointer. My real isuue is- are they good water dogs? I hunt spruce hens, ptarmigan, duck, ect. I need a dog thats versitle. Im looking at Griffon pointers right now. Anybody own one? Are pointers good swimmers?

I started my hunting life behind some of the early Griffons in the USA. They are the most versatile dog there is, IMO. They are great water dogs; they have an undercoat for warmth and webbed toes for swimming. They are almost fearless dogs, too. The breed was developed to be the ultimate everything dog, and they come very close.




There is also the option of a pointing lab now.

My GSP swims like a fish, and water retrieves, but when the water gets too cold I won't take him along. The swimming is just a bonus with me, as I hunt upland way more than WF.
A friend runs GWPG's and they are hunting machines. His big male will bust ice, and is a powerful swimmer. Great upland dogs too, prey drive is unending.

Can't say anything bad about well-bred Griffons. BuT Labs were my first love.
(I hope Duchess the Wonder Dog doesn't read this.)

You had better hope!

She'll pout the rest of her life...in your presence...

Her grandmother used to help me post here, BTW.

She was on the back of the couch with her head over my shoulder as I typed, but I think she was asleep. No harm no foul.

My GSP is fearless and swims in any weather/temp. He got his first taste of water chasing around a 2 year old lab so he was well trained in the water.

A couple years back he went out on the ice and went into the water after a couple pintails on one of my dad's ponds. It was 17F and snowing. As I called him off he flat out ignored me, typical of pointers, and jumped in. I figured the hike was over and we would be heading back to the house, but he climbed out, shook off and didn't seem too bothered by the whole event.

Not approved behavior by me by any stretch of the imagination, but he seemed fine in the cold weather. He didn't move away from the fire after we returned that night but I didn't blame him!

I love both labs and pointers and all dogs, so I may be of no help here....

Some good advice guys. I've owned labs and love them but I am ready to give something else a try. Im a little concerned because nobody up here has a pointer. There are only two breeders up here that I can find. I may be trecking down to the lower 48 for a new dog. I am going to be heading down to central/northern California for two weeks in Feb. Anybody know a good German short hair/Griffon/wirehaired pointer breeder in California?

I'm a die-hard GSP fan but if I lived in Central Alaska, I'd probably look for a dog that was better suited to very cold weather. Griffon's are definitely a smart choice but whichever breed you choose, do yourself a favor and make sure you get one that's well-bred. That way you'll know you're working with a dog that has everything the breed has to offer.....and post lots of pics!!

Have you considered a pointing Lab?

I hunt here in the PNW, saltwater estuaries, large bays , rivers and impoundments. I ran an AWS for many years and ended up with a GWHP, a hunting machine, a scent of bird is like a dose of speed. He love hunting ducks, he can tell the difference between a duck and a seagull when they are just a speck on the horizon, if it's a duck he stares and quivers in antisipation, a seagul or cormorant he give it a glance and keeps looking for ducks. He's not as fast a swimmer as my AWS but she was like a seal. He won't give up on a diving cripple and has learned to watch for them to come again and if he is close enough will dive after them. Sometimes I think he likes duck hunting more than upland , he doen't have to find them, they come to him.

I'm not a lab guy but hate to see a breed get messed with. If you hunt waterfowel, get a lab. If you hunt upland, get some kind of pointer. Don't crap up a nice working dog by breeding "tweeners". If they're an actual breed now, I stand corrected and take that back....FWIW.

I always love seeing that pic!

I understand GWHP (wirehaired pointer) whats AWS and PNW? Forgive my lack of gundog abbreviations...

PNW- Pacific North West.

AWS- American Water Spaniel an old time market hunting retriever that excelled as a upland flushing dog. In the days of small skiffs and canoes they were very popular. If the Chessy was the retriever of the east coast the AWS was king of the upper midwest. It is the Wisconsin State Dog.

You got it right.

Well sorta. If you hunt waterfowl get a Chessie!

I have hunted over a few AWS that were fantastic dogs.

Rememeber all the well breed dogs are going to be good dogs no matter the breed. Its the training that makes or breaks a dog.

I have hunted over dogs that came from some of the best and most respected breeders, only to either been ruined by bad training or lack of training. Your not teaching the dog to do what its genetics were designed for, your refining it to do it for you!

In the abstract I could agree, but there are way too many good pointing Labs out there to think the concept doesn't work.

The concept doesn't work. First they can't run with other pointing breeds as far as stamina. Second they were not built to run like that, and to make them do so is irresponsiable.

Creek Hunter,

I agree in part. Still, the hunter and type of hunting can determine whether the pointing lab is the right fit.

I know now that I have slowed down a lot and climb less and slower to a point that a less rangy dog is better for me. The staedy-Freddy type of dog is now my fit. These setters about kill me when they get red hot with chuckar scent in the next county.

It would be awfully hard on a dog that isn't bred for range to be pushed on out a lot, as it isn't right to use a dog that can't tolerate much cold as a duck dog up north. Traditional labs are excellent meat-getters in heavy cover hunting, and I think they would be a real joy if they also pointed.

So, we agree really.