Dirty Harry

My GWP loves picking crows. He crunches them to make sure they are dead, just like he does with foxes. He’s very soft mouthed with game.

What do you want to use one for? I have 2 GWP that are used for everything.

I was given that picture a few years ago and live just outside Tewkesbury. Must be a local artist

If you are serious about having a trial dog I'd make an effort to speak to one of the top trailers and get some training tips. Personally I think you need to keep it as a trial dog and don't shoot over it yourself. Take it out, have someone shoot one bird over it put the dog away. You need to be able to put it on birds a lot and make sure its steady as a rock. My dog was rock solid until I started shooting over him and it all went Pete Tong, but he's a great walked up shooting dog, which is what I really want.

YouTube, Hunter the German Wirehaired Pointer. GoPros are great but you can't appreciate distance on the videos very much. I've got a head mount for it and one for the dog. Great seeing it from their point of view.

Thanks. That was on a hare if it’s the one where he’s running hard. I never tire of that and I get more out of the dog work than actually shooting.

Just watched that video. I know some of the people there and have shot over the GWP and 2 of the Brittanys. I think it was a novice training day and probably not fair to judge the dogs based on that. Two of the dogs were are now in open field trials and another has a novice award. I was shooting with the GWP ad his owner last month on the 12th. I've tried videoing some of what I have done but its not easy shooting, handling and trying to record at the same time. Also video of a dog running a pattern in a big field is a bit boring. If you search for Hunter the German Wirehaired Pointer on YouTube I put a couple of videos on there. Some are shooting, some are just for fun. Have a look at some of the videos from Scott Linden or The Flush on YouTube. Quite a few HPRs on there but hunting in the USA so generally the dogs do not flush, but the pointers and setters retrieve.

My dogs adapt to where they are working to be honest. On a moor he really does get out far and wide. I've been fortunate to have a whole moor to myself with not many grouse so he really did have to work hard for them. Basically he knows what he's there to do and I just watch him work and wait for the point. He is steady and waits until I get there to flush. He's not as steady to shot as he should be but as it's me shooting over him its not normally an issue. When I'm shooting with him at home he still has to cover the ground in the big open fields but then we get into woods and spinneys he needs reigning in. No point him going on point when you can't see him. He has a lot of drive so you have to be ontop of him to keep him where you want him and every now and then we have to have a management meeting. Pigeon shooting he loves but he's a pain in the ****. Noisy and wants to retrieve the bird before it's hit the ground. I don't do much of it so it's more a training thing. Corvids he likes to make sure they are dead. He's been pecked a few times so usually gives them a good crunch, unlike game birds. He's actually very soft mouthed and will bring birds back with their heads up. He hates foxes and always makes sure they are dead. I've trained him for blood tracking. It's one of those things you train for just in case and the only times I've really needed it I've had my friends GWP or Teckle with is and not him. With training he will switch in to tracking mode easily and when he's on a track would generally ignore bird scent. I don't have the option of having multiple dogs for different purposes so I have a jack of all trades. In fact a spaniel would be no use to me as the ground I have is too big and there are not enough birds and a retriever wouldn't hunt how I need it to so a HPR was the obvious choice. I have trained with a FtCh pointer and it was spectacular. I was also counting with pointers and setters a few weeks back and to be honest when they were all on the hill counting there wasn't a big difference between them, just the standard of training and experience.

Having seen the recent post on Pointers that started the discussion on HPRs I was wondering what people actually use their HPRs for. I have GWPs and use them for rough shooting, grouse counting and walked up grouse, tracking when stalking should the need arise, foxing, rabbits, pigeon and a bit of crow shooting. I have done working tests and trials with the one also. Everything I have shot they will retrieve, even the roe.

I shoot over my German Wirehaired Pointers. This season I’ve shot grouse, pheasant, partridge, ducks, snipe, woodcock, rabbits, foxes and deer over them. He runs in sometimes but I shoot on my own ground and to be honest I don’t care if he does as long as he makes the retrieve. I think a lot of people get HPRs and don’t have the right ground to work them so just use them as a beating dog and that really isn’t what they are bred for.

I've got three of the DT ones. They belong to the club I'm part of but I've used them for some training days for HPR's. They work really well but you obviously need a supply of birds to make it worth while.

Anyone having an issue viewing the site from their mobiles? I've just tried and it says I'm banned and don't have permission to view the site.

Yes, they will also retrieve cats. I think its more a case of not many people have the ground to hunt them as they should be and trying to make the dog to a job its not really bred for. I agree with your comments about temperament and epilepsy but in recent years things have improved a lot.

I have two but the older one is now retired. I use the younger one for rough shooting, grouse counting and shooting and a bit of tracking and fox control. I shoot over him a lot during the season. I wouldn't have one for beating or picking up as I think there are better choices for that however I know people who do very well with them at this. My younger one is 40kg and solid, very fit and full of energy. They can be very strong willed and you need to be firm with them and get them under control form the start. Don't think you can leave them to it for 12 months and then start training. They are a big dog and need to be under control. Mine have great temperaments with dogs and people. Both would come on the school run and loved getting fussed by all the kids on the way out. In my experience they are a harder hunting dog than the other HPR's except for maybe the Brittney. They are fearless where cover is concerned and love water. Mine has retrieved everything asked of him including foxes and a muntjac. If you are on facebook look at Totally GWP or look at mine on youtube.....Hunter the German Wirehaired Pointer. He's 4 now but the video only goes up to age 2.

I’ve got one. Very good quality and great to deal with.