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GWP or GSP?

Dirty Harry

By Dirty Harry,
in Dogs and Dog Training

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al4x

al4x

Posted
Posted

ooh this'll start a debate but IMHO the GWP tends to be calmer and mature faster. Mine is a cracking dog round the house and is taking to her first season really well. She comes out Lamping rabbits etc and believe it or not sleeps in the truck most of the way round. They are a bit bigger than a lab but seem to take up less room as their frame is smaller. So far no regrets with my GWP the only thing to bear in mind is they do love people and company so don't take well to being on their own but as you've another dog it shouldn't be an issue

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Browning

Browning

Posted
Posted

I've only ever had GSP's so can't comment on owning a GWP, however I do see both working every

season and have to say there's nothing to choose between the two on terms of working ability.

 

I guesss the GWP will be a little hardier due to it's thicker coat, but my GSP's have never had problems

as we don't get very bad winters here.

 

The only negative I have for the GWPs that I have seen, is that they have all had a tendancy to be a little

aggressive towards other dogs.

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Gully

Gully

Posted
Posted

I've just bought a GWP pup from RED on here. I looked into them both and read the same about the GWP being a bit calmer and hardier. Picked mine up on Saturday and the little lad's fantastic, I'll put some pics up when he sits still long enough. RED's still got some pups available and they're just turned 9 weeks.

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Greenhunter

Greenhunter

Posted
Posted
ooh this'll start a debate but IMHO the GWP tends to be calmer and mature faster. Mine is a cracking dog round the house and is taking to her first season really well. She comes out Lamping rabbits etc and believe it or not sleeps in the truck most of the way round. They are a bit bigger than a lab but seem to take up less room as their frame is smaller. So far no regrets with my GWP the only thing to bear in mind is they do love people and company so don't take well to being on their own but as you've another dog it shouldn't be an issue

 

Have to agree with al4x about GSPs maturing later than GWPs. My GSP is 4 and still acts like a pup sometimes.

Excellent temperament with other dogs in our household tho. :)

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al4x

al4x

Posted
Posted
Gully,

 

I did see the GWP's that Red has for sale :drinks:

The look like cracking pups.

 

Can anyone tell me if either of the breeds moult worse than the other?

 

Harry

 

I can't say anything about the GSP's but my GWP doesn't moult much at all, you can pull the coat much as you do with a border if they get too long

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tiercel

tiercel

Posted
Posted
I have decided that I want either a GSP or GWP but cant decide which.

I will be training the dog up for rough shooting and it will be a family pet.

It will be living with a 9 year old mini Schnauzer.

 

Any advice on which to go for?

 

Cheers

Harry

 

As a now converted GWP owner I would go for the GWP. That said; if you have never trained a HPR breed before get ready for some shocks to the system. The HPR breeds are bred to hunt and hunt BIG. NTTF can tell you they hunt them in Canada where the dog maybe over a mile from you hunting, while you watch on through binoculars. However, it is not really as daunting as it may seem. As soon as a dog finds game it will come on point, and should stay on point till you give the command to flush.

 

When I had my first GWP it was a real shock that all the training methods I had used in the past were mostly redundant, apart from the basics that is. Another factor is the intelligence of the GWP on a dog scale they are up with the top. They will quickly learn new disciplines but just as quickly find bad habits. You have to keep on top of them.

 

They are very loyal one man dogs, but still enjoy being one of the family. They do not take to abuse well, ie: if you shout at them they will sulk and it could take a good two weeks to make up the ground you have lost. If you were to lose your temper with one and just for example give it a clip that could set your training back at least a month.

 

All that said, I would not have a different breed of dog now. Once you have them working for you it seems that they will take to a new discipline as if they have been doing it all their lives, within a very short period of time. From retrieving on a marsh, ferreting and rough shooting they seem to excel in every thing they do. The one I lost this year to lungworm was even picking up on a shoot, and even wiping the eyes of a few retrievers. There is only one job I would not like to do with a GWP and that is beating it goes against all the dogs’ natural instincts to run big. I tried it once, and the dog ******** off to join the walking gun and retrieve the birds for him.

 

I cannot tell you anything about a GSP as I have never owned one, but I have tried to give an honest insight into the GWP.

 

TC

 

Edited to add:

 

It takes me so long to type a post I usually forget what I wanted to say. Vis. The aggression towards other dogs, neither of mine has displayed this trait. However, they will not back down if a dog becomes aggressive with them either. In fact I have found both of mine to be very well balanced when confronted with a strange dog. Personally I think it is how you socialise the dog when it is a pup. get that right and you will have no problems with other dogs. Again that is said for dogs meeting on neutral ground. The GWP can be and mostly is very territorial. But if introduced properly they will integrate with any other dog on their own territory. As you are contemplating a pup you will not have any problems on that score.

 

TC

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Browning

Browning

Posted
Posted
The aggression towards other dogs, neither of mine has displayed this trait. However, they will not back down if a dog becomes aggressive with them either. In fact I have found both of mine to be very well balanced when confronted with a strange dog. Personally I think it is how you socialise the dog when it is a pup. get that right and you will have no problems with other dogs. Again that is said for dogs meeting on neutral ground. The GWP can be and mostly is very territorial. But if introduced properly they will integrate with any other dog on their own territory. As you are contemplating a pup you will not have any problems on that score.

 

TC

 

Absolutely agree with Tiercel on this point, and I should have made that clearer in my post, just because the GWP's that shoot with us can be aggressive does

not mean all GWP's will be. Good point Tiercel.

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Browning

Browning

Posted
Posted

Harry, I see you are in Gloucestershire. If you would like to see a GSP in action on a shoot day you are welcome to come along to

Warwickshire for the day.

 

I can't offer you any shooting but seeing them working could give you in insight into what they are all about and what an

absolute pleaure HPR's are to work with.

 

PM me if this is of interest.

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