The new hunting buddy thread from a few hours ago had me thinking about a tough decision I've had on my mind for the past couple months. If y'all were to choose between a GSP and a chocolate lab, which is your choice? I'm barely leaning towards a GSP, but I don't know if the energy level they come with will just be too much for me being a first time dog owner, as in the dog would be my own, not one of the dogs my family had growing up.
Which dog to choose?
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Last: 6 yr ago by arrow
What do you hunt most of the time would be the 1st question that needs to be answered.
I chose a lab. I only upland hunt once a year.
I chose a lab. I only upland hunt once a year.
As asked above what kind of hunting do you do?Those breeds are for totally different types of hunting. Also, if you are bent on getting a chocolate lab, do your research on its pedigree. Recessive dogs can be great (see Cajun roux line), but are very hit or miss. *takes cover*
Fishin Texas Aggie 05
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WIREHAIR GSP
I've had a GSP for about a year and love it! He is a lot of work though. Two walks a day to make up for being at work 9 hours. He's extremely loving and a wonderful dog all things considered
My GSP will be a year old this week. He is a firecracker so if too much energy is a bad thing for you.. then go with a lab. A GSP will retrieve just as good as a lab in my opinion but if you're going to need a dog that will hold on a quail cubby or flush pheasant then the GSP is the choice for you.
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Go look at both and let the dog choose you. There will be one dog that comes to you immediately.
GSP! EOT!
I've owned and hunted with both. From purely an aesthetic and personality preference I like GSPs. While I agree a GSP will retrieve for you, I don't think they do it as well as a Lab. My experience is GSPs won't take a line even remotely like a Lab and they are a little more work to sit still with me either in a duck blind or under a tree for dove and some have needed a little more motivation from me to retrieve in cold water. Of course none of my labs would point/flush for me. I'd go with Oso's advice though. Meet both and go with the one that picks you.
Get a Dachshund!!!
I'm not understanding the "go get the gsp" comments on this thread. Without knowing what the op is using the dog for any recommendations are not useful. You can, at times, use a knife to tighten a screw, but that doesn't mean it's the tool for the job. This isn't "help me decide between a lab and chessie" the breeds in the op have completely different uses.
First question I would ask is whether this is going to be a hunting dog...or a family/companion dog.
If hunting - as others have already asked, what is the primary type of hunting. If companion - then breed doesn't matter nearly as much aside from personal preferences and what the common/general traits of the specific breed are versus what you can commit to. And, honestly, if a companion dog that isn't going to be a primary hunter...get a good pound puppy. If a hunter, then you'll likely want to go with something a little more qualified or specific.
If hunting - as others have already asked, what is the primary type of hunting. If companion - then breed doesn't matter nearly as much aside from personal preferences and what the common/general traits of the specific breed are versus what you can commit to. And, honestly, if a companion dog that isn't going to be a primary hunter...get a good pound puppy. If a hunter, then you'll likely want to go with something a little more qualified or specific.
Paging Sean! I believe he has had both breeds plus a cross of the 2 and might be able to provide advice based on his current experience.
I think all of Sean's dogs are GSPs.
AggieChemist said:
I think all of Sean's dogs are GSPs.
Sean is a big fan of pointing Labs.
I've decided that if I ever get a hunting dog it will be a lab because I primarily hunt duck and dove, never been upland hunting yet.
I realize there are a lot of GSP owners on the OB and in this thread but Im gonna say it anyways. I think those are some ugly dogs, dont like the multicolors of the coat but then the solid and different color of their head. Much prefer the uniform look of a lab or similar. Just my .02
That being said, as several others have said, you should probably choose based on the type of hunting you will primarily be doing with it.
I realize there are a lot of GSP owners on the OB and in this thread but Im gonna say it anyways. I think those are some ugly dogs, dont like the multicolors of the coat but then the solid and different color of their head. Much prefer the uniform look of a lab or similar. Just my .02
That being said, as several others have said, you should probably choose based on the type of hunting you will primarily be doing with it.
I thought Fred and The Duck were both 50-50??AggieChemist said:
I think all of Sean's dogs are GSPs.
Fishin Texas Aggie 05 said:
WIREHAIR GSP
Wouldn't that be a German Wirehaired Pointer?
If your GSP is flushing pheasant regularly then he is doing it wrong. Labs are flushers. GSPs are pointers.highvelocity said:
My GSP will be a year old this week. He is a firecracker so if too much energy is a bad thing for you.. then go with a lab. A GSP will retrieve just as good as a lab in my opinion but if you're going to need a dog that will hold on a quail (covey)cubbyor flush pheasant then the GSP is the choice for you.
My two older dogs are 1/2 Weimeraner, 1/2 GSP. My youngest is a GSP.
Labs and GSPs are both great dogs, but as others have said they are very different. The lab will definitely retrieve better. It won't point. GSPs are 'versatile' dogs by definition so they'll point, retrieve, etc. but they primarily lean towards the "point" and can be a little stubborn when it comes to retrieving. They are kind of hit or miss on whether they are great water dogs.
Those two breeds will be about even on the "Destruct-O" meter their first 2-3 years of life. And generally they will be highly destructive. They're both intelligent and very curious. From a pure personality standpoint they're both great. Very loyal, very friendly. Good around kids and other pets as a general rule.
You have to ask yourself what you really want the dog for. Is it a couple of dove hunts and maybe a duck hunt per year? If so then the lab is for you. But if you want to hunt upland birds, and you have the space/time to run your dog then the GSP is probably the better option.
I have a bit of a reputation of being a lab-hater, but I'm really not. I like to give my duck hunting friends a hard time about their tennis ball fetchers, but the reality is they are very good at what they are bred/trained to do. When you bring them to a big upland field you can't expect them to hunt like a pointer. As long as you understand what you're getting, and you don't expect them to act like a pointer then you won't be disappointed. (FWIW, I also wouldn't expect my GSP to make a 400 yard blind retrieve on a downed duck)
We'll all I can say is I've got a chocolate lab who's grandfather was Dakotas Cajun Roux and he's great. I've never had a smarter dog.
Sean98 said:If your GSP is flushing pheasant regularly then he is doing it wrong. Labs are flushers. GSPs are pointers.highvelocity said:
My GSP will be a year old this week. He is a firecracker so if too much energy is a bad thing for you.. then go with a lab. A GSP will retrieve just as good as a lab in my opinion but if you're going to need a dog that will hold on a quail (covey)cubbyor flush pheasant then the GSP is the choice for you.
My two older dogs are 1/2 Weimeraner, 1/2 GSP. My youngest is a GSP.
Labs and GSPs are both great dogs, but as others have said they are very different. The lab will definitely retrieve better. It won't point. GSPs are 'versatile' dogs by definition so they'll point, retrieve, etc. but they primarily lean towards the "point" and can be a little stubborn when it comes to retrieving. They are kind of hit or miss on whether they are great water dogs.
Those two breeds will be about even on the "Destruct-O" meter their first 2-3 years of life. And generally they will be highly destructive. They're both intelligent and very curious. From a pure personality standpoint they're both great. Very loyal, very friendly. Good around kids and other pets as a general rule.
You have to ask yourself what you really want the dog for. Is it a couple of dove hunts and maybe a duck hunt per year? If so then the lab is for you. But if you want to hunt upland birds, and you have the space/time to run your dog then the GSP is probably the better option.
I have a bit of a reputation of being a lab-hater, but I'm really not. I like to give my duck hunting friends a hard time about their tennis ball fetchers, but the reality is they are very good at what they are bred/trained to do. When you bring them to a big upland field you can't expect them to hunt like a pointer. As long as you understand what you're getting, and you don't expect them to act like a pointer then you won't be disappointed. (FWIW, I also wouldn't expect my GSP to make a 400 yard blind retrieve on a downed duck)
I seem to recall you saying on several occasions you're not that big on duck hunting but do it from time to time but are a hard-core upland guy.
Makes sense you'd prefer the GSP over a Lab.
There's really only one true option and its neither a GSP or lab... (and come to think of it fairs a good bit better with the quail than his chocolate lab buddy)
Oh yeah? Well Charlie doesn't like your attitude and he thinks you're ugly too!Quote:
I realize there are a lot of GSP owners on the OB and in this thread but Im gonna say it anyways. I think those are some ugly dogs, dont like the multicolors of the coat but then the solid and different color of their head. Much prefer the uniform look of a lab or similar. Just my .02
Yep. I duck hunt maybe 3x per year and even then I really don't know what I'm doing. But I hunt 4+ different states for upland birds most years. Pointing dogs fit my niche.
I don't own one personally, but I've hunted everything over my buddy's Drathaar and it's an unbelievable dog.
You sir have a way with words.. I don't recall ever hearing/seeing that phrase used but I award you internet points for making me laugh.....Sean98 said:
Those two breeds will be about even on the "Destruct-O" meter their first 2-3 years of life. And generally they will be highly destructive. They're both intelligent and very curious. From a pure personality standpoint they're both great. Very loyal, very friendly. Good around kids and other pets as a general rule.
OP drops the hunting dog debate bomb and walks out never to be heard from again.
highvelocity said:
A GSP will retrieve just as good as a lab in my opinion but if you're going to need a dog that will hold on a quail cubby or flush pheasant then the GSP is the choice for you.
You haven't hunted with pointing labs, I see. And i've seen a golden retreiver do the above just as well as a GSP.
With the right training, almost any dog can do it.
What the hell is a pointing lab? I've got an east-texas friend that claims that his chocolate lab, as pictured in my post above, points.
Also damn right about the Golden
Also damn right about the Golden
Here's why I get the reputation as a lab-hater....Corps_Ag12 said:highvelocity said:
A GSP will retrieve just as good as a lab in my opinion but if you're going to need a dog that will hold on a quail cubby or flush pheasant then the GSP is the choice for you.
You haven't hunted with pointing labs, I see. And i've seen a golden retreiver do the above just as well as a GSP.
With the right training, almost any dog can do it.
No. No, you haven't. Can they point/hesitate? Yes. Do they point as well/long/consistent as an english pointer? No. they won't cover the expanse of ground that a pointer will, and if they do get rangy they'll bump birds far more often (because even a pointer will bump wild pheasants).
I have seen people pull a cattle trailer with a cadillac. It can do it. It doesn't mean it's made for it, or that it will do it as well as a truck will. What you are doing in this situation is taking what a dog does naturally, and telling him "ignore hundreds of years of breeding" and instead do what I tell you to do even though you aren't naturally suited to do that thing... I don't understand why anyone would want to do this.
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The labs i've hunted with performed just as well as the GSP's did. The GSP's got tired no sooner nor later than the labs did. Granted, this is a small grouping of the breed as a whole (lab, specifically black); but in my experience they performed equally.
I duck hunt at twice a week during the season on walk-in hunting and hunt a springer spaniel from Allenby. Love the breed. I have not hunted her in uplands other than training with planted birds. She has been a great family companion and she has been fun to hunt with. I realize this isn't a breed you are considering but wanted to throw it in the ring.
Look, I found a picture of a Lab "on point."
?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=high
Call it a point if you want. I would rather eat dirt. Look at that crinkly tail. And that's not even the worst picture I found. A lot of them it's hard to tell if they found a bird or they have to crap. I'm not going bird hunting at all if I have to look at that.
Full disclosure: I have a Lab, one that was even marketed as a pointing Lab. He's nothing but a retriever. He's a hell of a dog. Never pointed a damn thing, just the way God intended.
?maxwidth=640&shape=thumb&fidelity=highCall it a point if you want. I would rather eat dirt. Look at that crinkly tail. And that's not even the worst picture I found. A lot of them it's hard to tell if they found a bird or they have to crap. I'm not going bird hunting at all if I have to look at that.
Full disclosure: I have a Lab, one that was even marketed as a pointing Lab. He's nothing but a retriever. He's a hell of a dog. Never pointed a damn thing, just the way God intended.
I think Panhandle is working hard to steal my lab-hater title...
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