Any Sporting dog is better than no Sporting Dog

**Just Plain Phil** · 10-01-2010, 10:32

Ikor, if the person you are referring to is in Cape Town, apart from his three GSP's He now also has Two English Pointers.

Jagtersdok, If it is Big Game that you wish to track you might want to look at Ridgebacks.

**ikor** · 10-01-2010, 11:02

Phil;

He is, (well outside CT but you know what I mean) but I have not spoken with him in several months. Next month we will get together if possible.

A good pointer (seen lots of goofy ones too) is a great dog but they tend to range far and wide for a guy who is on his own and does not hunt from horseback or a wagon, etc...or that is my experience watching them on local plantations in the states. However, when I was a kid a friend of my dad's had a lemon pointer bitch that hunted pretty close, so maybe some of it is in the training as well as breeding.

**jagtersdok** · 10-01-2010, 11:51

Ikor
Thank you very much for the info, your input has shed new light on the topic for me now.

**Just Plain Phil** · 10-01-2010, 12:20

Originally Posted by ikor

Phil;

He is, (well outside CT but you know what I mean) but I have not spoken with him in several months. Next month we will get together if possible.

A good pointer (seen lots of goofy ones too) is a great dog but they tend to range far and wide for a guy who is on his own and does not hunt from horseback or a wagon, etc...or that is my experience watching them on local plantations in the states. However, when I was a kid a friend of my dad's had a lemon pointer bitch that hunted pretty close, so maybe some of it is in the training as well as breeding.

Some of the Folk in the Eastern Cape will use nothing but EP's.
Then again that is Big Country.
For me they range to far, I got to "Get There".

**jasonb** · 12-01-2010, 07:36

thanks Phil i am in Heidelburg in Gauteng, i would app any help you could give me, mainly i would want my dog to point, i agree with you on the subject on field trials, i want a dog not a robot.

**jasonb** · 13-01-2010, 14:35

thanks guys for all your input, it seems as if i need to do alot more research and finally decide on a breed of dog, Phil i got the pm thanks will get in touch with Slang and try and sap some knowledge out of the man.

**RyanD** · 24-07-2010, 17:10

I am also looking to get and train a gun dog, I need to pick between a GSP and English, I know a fellow who competes at national trial level and a vet who is a national judge. Both assure me the english is the better dog. If run over the same ground the english will yield more birds than the gsp due to their greater range. Fine I get that but I dont want to walk up to flush a point that is 900m away from me! It is maintained that the english has better manners and is less inclined to fight, and the english can be trained to retrieve.

The GSP to my mind will serve me better as I hunt heavy cover and want a pointer and retriever. He also apears to be the better guard dog when at home. I live on a farm so space is not a problem.

Is there such a chasm between the breeds? In my position if I go the English I will get acess to a top dog as I am known to the breeder and I will have the help of an experienced trainer who runs his dogs at national level. If I pick the gsp I am ignoring their advice from the outset which I feel would not be a good foot to start my training off on.

Thoughts??

**ikor** · 24-07-2010, 20:41

In general, you are correct, but dogs are always individuals. If you can find an English Pointer that is not from Field Trial stock you may very well find it hunts close enough to suit your hunting style. A puppy is, of course, always a dice roll. Look at mom and dad to see what the pup will usually be like.

I have only seen a very few German Wirehair Pointers but the breed seems to have a very high percentage of dogs that have protective temperaments...much more so than any other breed of Pointer I know. I have seen many, many English Pointers and have yet to see one that would care if you carried off the whole house. These, however, are American dogs, and many are kept kenneled...those in SA might be different.

Once again, look to the parents to see what the kids will likely do. In your shoes I'd probably choose the GSP but I would find a trainer with experience in training the breed and not trust an EP guy to know the differences in the breeds and how they prefer to work. JMO