All things being equal breeding wise from what I have seen after hunting over a bunch of both, The Vizslas is a better pure pointer and the GSP is the better all around hunting dog.
I would take a French Brittany over either. My FB was a natural retriever and loved the water. Cold weather and water did not phase him one bit. They have the energy to run with big dog's, though they are naturally close working dogs. I ran mine along side my Elhew EP and he would range farther of course. All the FB's I have hunted over had high heads! I am guessing I have hunted over at least 15. In fairness I wouldn't hunt them in big water so sea ducks and divers are pretty much out. If you hunt divers in calmer water it would be no problem. They will surely steal your heart, that I can assure you! They are a SOFT dog, so if you have a temper or are a heavy hand they are not a breed for you.
I have a friend that runs Vizslas both in the Field and in Field Trials. I will openly admit that I am bias to EP's and ES's! But her dogs are top notch and have made me a believer in the breed. I also got a chance to run behind some Vizslas's in Hungray while I was working in Slovakia. I did not hunt but was afield with them hunting. They are great dogs when properly bred. They are a SOFT dog, so if you have a temper or are a heavy hand they are not a breed for you.
GSP's Arguably the greatest versatile hunting breed. I have hunted over some very nice dogs with high heads. Unfortunately the majority of the GSP's I have hunted over did not have high heads. To a lot of guys that doesn't matter. And I agree overall it's not that big of a deal. But I love high heads. I don't think the GSP as a whole does anything great outside of being your best friend! However they are a solid hunting dog with many skills. It will be up to you or your trainer to develop those skills. Maybe I am wrong on this but from my experience hunting over GSP's the smaller framed dogs are the ones that seem to have high heads and seem to me have more drive.
I agree with 30338 the very limited Drahthaar's I have hunted over (I believe 3) were exceptional versatile hunting dog's! I think if I were looking for a Versatile Hunting Breed that is what I would go with. I just can't say they are better than GSP's due to the limited number of dogs I have hunted over.
What matters in the end isn't what anyone of us thinks, it's what floats your boat. Do your research on breeders, check references and I mean actually call them! Make a list of questions before hand. I honestly believe that with the right properly bred dog, training, and hunting any of the hunting breeds will get the job done. Some will excel in one area that others may or may not and vise versa. All will steal your heart I can promise you.
Last thing, it is a big commitment and expense. No dog is going to be great without continued training and hunting. Good Luck and keep us posted.
