KillStone Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 i am desperately trying to get the required permission of the parents to get a dog. I shoot probable twice a week at least and shoot pigeon-decoy and roosting, pheasants, inland duck and geese, woodcock, partridge on stubbles, snipe and rabbits. I really like the look of the weimaraners and gather that they can be good gundogs. would this breed be at home in my rough shooting and other disciplines such as the pigeon shooting? Also i have very limited experience of trainin gundogs and are these dogs good to train as they do appear fairly intelligent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 In short, no, get a lab or a spaniel. An HPR (Hunt-Point-Retriever) is not the best choice for the shooting you are doing, they work best with ground and plenty of it, but if you insist on having one get a GSP (German Shorthaired Pointer) or GWP (G Wirehaired P), they are more likely to have a good working lineage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ziplex Posted March 9, 2010 Report Share Posted March 9, 2010 Agree with WGD, I have a GSP and she likes to run.......she'll sit in a hide but gets bored very quick and ends up going to sleep . She's in her element hunting/pointing and whilst she will retrieve you can tell by her behaviour that she wasn't really meant for it. Fantastic dog she is with a lovely temp' and a wonderful family dog too but she was bred for running and that's what she does with ease. I have a young Springer too and they are like chalk and cheese, ie: she's natural retriever, doesn't want to range out, not really a hunter etc, etc. Definately a Lab' or a ESS i'd say, and i've learnt the hard way! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lloyd90 Posted March 10, 2010 Report Share Posted March 10, 2010 (edited) Definately lab or a springer I had a Lab first. I wanted a springer to go beating but my mum said there too nuts lol so I got a Lab. I have trained her very amatuerly so far and without any help could train her enough to beat well on my local shoot, and she will put up wild birds so I could probally shoot over her. Luckily the breeder I had her from field trials labs so is helping me train her ever more Got her retrieving well and she is looking to make a bloody good dog I have also seen some springers that are brilliant workers. Friend of mine has a pup and it looks like it will turn out to be a stunner, you cant go wrong with one of the 2 for the shooting you have described Edited March 10, 2010 by Bigthug87 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattw Posted March 12, 2010 Report Share Posted March 12, 2010 Having grown up and lived with weimeranas all my life they are great dogs, BUT, be under no illusion they are not easy to train, they have a strong will which is not easy to manipulate. Once trained you will not find a better or more loyal dog. I wouldnt recommend one to someone who hasn't had a dog before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
682gold Posted March 22, 2012 Report Share Posted March 22, 2012 Agree with above, think the world of mine but they can be demanding and not for a novice owner, had springers, labs, even german sheppards all alot easier going, having said all that he still the best dog i've had Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy198712 Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 i got a Vizsla, slightly smaller, golden, soppy and a great balence between family dog and working dog, but the breed need to run and run and run and run...... then run... and they love to!! i like putting him in the porch, hiding stuff and them him sniffing it all out, he loves it. what i'm saying is HPR dogs, want loads of physical and mental stimulation, sitting still for long times isnt really in there nature. hes amazing and easy to train, but puberty is being a tad trying what ever dog you get, you wont regret it i'm sure, but some are better then others at certain things. i dont know much about gun dogs, this is my first one, thats just my experiences. Andy. 24, first dog! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenshooter Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 ,,,,but the breed need to run and run and run and run...... then run... and they love to!! Getting the message!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy198712 Posted March 24, 2012 Report Share Posted March 24, 2012 its so funny to watch some times lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arwen3513 Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 weimeraners are one of the larger of the HPR breeds, they can be bold and stubborn, and you would need to find the right working lines as there are lot of show types. they can be a one man dog and would take about 3yrs to train, to get the best out of HPR breeds ideally you need to be hunting over open spaces, where game is maybe spread over large areas. if it is a weimeraner you want, speak to a wider audience first, take a look on myfastforum and at chiendog posts i think a ESS would suit your shooting styles and fit in a hide much easier, (smaller exit required at the very least ) jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greymaster Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 It would be a torment to get an HPR and do all the gamefinding yourself, or bring it in with decoys. The HPR is first and foremost a gamefinder and will hold your quarry on point while you get there, i.e within shooting range, then, if trained, it will flush on command and watch the bird down, and, if trained, retrieve on command. It would be a torment to have the HPR sit in a hide and wait your pleasure. The weimaraner has a poor reputation at driven shoots simply because they are not meant to be peg dogs or beating dogs. Taking one along instantly announces that you have the wrong dog for the day. And when it exhibits its bred in traits, the gamekeeper goes nuts. Sure, they can be trained to beat in a narrow range, and be trained to sit at a peg and watch birds fall out of the sky, but what a waste of dog. You wouldn't use a Red Rum for donkey rides on Blackpool Beach. For your woodcock, partridge on stubbles, snipe and rabbits then the HPR is the correct dog. Mind you, only if trained to sit on flush of rabbit - else you end up shooting your dog a yard behind the rabbit. Get an HPR if dogwork provides more satisfaction than shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Get an HPR if dogwork provides more satisfaction than shooting. and you've got the ground to use it. Wonder if the OP's got a dog in the last 2 years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greymaster Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Yes, just noticed that was two years ago. That's time to get the wrong dog, realise it and pass it on for rehome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Yes, just noticed that was two years ago. That's time to get the wrong dog, realise it and pass it on for rehome! Have I missed something? Has that happened? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greymaster Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 Not that I know of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy198712 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 can you run me through using a HPR for rabbits?? i think something to consider is time spent hunting for the dog VS time spent being a pet. alot of people buy a dog for X type of hunting, then realise they really wanted a pet for occasional hunting...? just my thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pidge Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 Hunt the dog, dog comes on point, gun gets into position, dog flushes on command and stops to the flush, rabbit is shot. Rabbit is then retrieved on command. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy198712 Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 ah right, so would the dog flush between the rabbit and its hole thus sending them outward? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty Harry Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Andy that would depend where the rabbit was found. I don't think the dogs are that smart to position themselves between the rabbit and holes. If shooting rabbits with a hpr or any dog for that matter you need to have the dog 100% sit to flush so you don't have an accident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy198712 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Totally agree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stratts Posted April 2, 2012 Report Share Posted April 2, 2012 Hunt the dog, dog comes on point, gun gets into position, dog flushes on command and stops to the flush, rabbit is shot. Rabbit is then retrieved on command. Blimey how long does that take to train and what sort of dog is ideal for this sort of thing? Is it the sort of thing you could train yourself or a specialist would have to do? Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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