Dirtysailor
Western PA
MH
Posts:134
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| 01/28/2011 9:52 AM |
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Just thought it would be interesting to know why folks got into shorthairs and not other breeds.
For me I was hooked after I hunted over my FIL's Babe. Got my first shorthair after tracking down her pedigree in a local breeding and have never looked back. That will be 6 yrs ago in June and I am now an addict. |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4448
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| 01/28/2011 10:00 AM |
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| Is there a sexier dog? |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3164
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| 01/28/2011 10:08 AM |
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Number 1: Running companion for my husband
Number 2: Can't have just one  |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 01/28/2011 10:12 AM |
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| Decades ago, my neighbor in Germany had a Deutsch Kurzhaar and I fell in love with that dog. The best! 10 years later me and my American Bulldogs watched some folks train their GSPs in a local field which wowed me. Another 10 years later I came across a guy in rubber boots who whistled and motioned his GSP all over Daffin Park in Savannah. The wheels in my head started turning. Another 10 years later I finally got it. |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Gunnar
MH
Posts:288
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| 01/28/2011 10:15 AM |
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| Line you DS I hunted over someones dog and was blown away. |
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therozypozy
MH
Posts:470
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| 01/28/2011 10:21 AM |
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Well, we had two labrador retrievers which my daughter and I trained for agility and obedience and we would travel for various trials. My husband said he wanted to have another dog so at least one would be staying home with him so I jumped all over that! We got the AKC book of breeds and went through that to see what dog would be a good fit for us and fell in love with the GSP. I am just so amazed at their natural ability to "point" and the fact they can still retrieve.
So we got our first GSP 7 years ago and I just love that dog so much we now have our new addition to the family, Java, who is now almost 6 months old. We still have one of the labs (the older one passed away when she was 14 1/2) which has become my husband's best company when we are gone. My daughter decided on a border collie for agility. So we now have 2 GSPs, one lab and one border collie.
One day I am going to take these GSPs out for some bird training and perhaps get my husband interested in field trialing. We will soon be empty nesters with my daughter starting college in the fall. Not really looking forward to that as my daughter and I have traveled alot with agility trials with the dogs. I am going to really miss her company on those trips. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 01/28/2011 10:38 AM |
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| I have had dogs all my life starting with Cocker Spaniels, then Greyhounds (before people did greyhound rescue we had them), then a lab, and then back to Cocker Spaniels. I have always been fond of the sporting breeds and my husband and I loved hiking in the mountains. My cockers always went with us and we were perfectly happy with them until I just got to where I no longer wanted to deal with the coat. So, as our last cocker was getting older we started looking at different sporting breeds. Had to have short hair, had to be athletic, had to have a wonderful sweet disposition. I had it narrowed down to a viszla and a shorthair. So, we started looking for a puppy. At the time we were looking there happened to be a litter of puppies 10 weeks old in the vicinity and that litter was a shorthair litter, so we ended up with a shorthair 8 years ago named Belle. And as you all know you can never have just one and besides Belle needed a buddy, so I got Halo. I say I got Halo because Belle was really my husbands dog. Allot has changed in my life and Belle and I have traveled many good and bad roads together. Today I have 4 shorthairs. I added my boy Ringo almost three years ago, and this last summer I had my first litter of shorthairs when I bred Halo. I kept one of her little girls, Fauna, and that puppy makes 4. I am done adding shorthairs for at least a few years. That may change when it comes time to think about breeding Fauna, but until then I have hunt tests, obedience, conformation and therapy dog work to keep me occupied. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Max2
Oneonta NY
MH
Posts:1109
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| 01/28/2011 10:53 AM |
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| In the fall 1995 a new friend at the time had invited me to hunt woodcock with him & his english pointer. I thought it was the coooooolest thing !! My friend said to me that I would do the shooting. I was nervous .The dog went on point my friend walked in and flushed the bird I shot the bird as well as another bird in the same afternoon. maggie retreived those birds right to my friends hand and I must say I was in awe ! I said to my friend that afternoon " I have to do this " I was so excited. I said I want a dog like Maggie ( english pointer ) and he said that I should think about getting a GSP instead if I was serious about it. Here I am on my second shorthair and totaly hooked . We all have our reasons for getting a GSP and this is one thread where everyone is absolutely correct ! |
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Chris |
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MainCreeksRemi
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:824
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| 01/28/2011 11:02 AM |
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DH's love for hunting.....and we love the sporting breed.
We did some research on Weims first....and met a few but found out they just weren't the dog for us. We talked with a few people about GSP's and thought we'd go check out Main Creek Kennels......and came home with Remi. 
We have 2 labs and now one GSP. I know its safe to say there will always be a GSP in our lives!! |
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Loved by Kelley:
Remi (7/3/2010) GSP
Morgan (5/17/2008) Choco Lab
Nallah (8/6/2006) Black Lab |
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 01/28/2011 11:25 AM |
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| I grew up with labs just family dog ones...both yellow...then in high school my friend's family had bred their boxer and I got second pick of the litter for dirt cheep...I ended up loving the shorter hair of the boxer and the docked tail...I had cropped the ears of the boxer and never liked that...loved the floppy lab ears (and some boxers have)....so years down the road after my boxer died at an old age of 13 I knew I would eventually want another dog...so I started looking around online and came across an ad for a solid liver GSP...I loved it's look short hair, docked tail and I always wanted a chocolate lab...so I researched the breed to make sure it would fit in with my family...I took my kids with me to the breeder so they could pick from the 4 pups left to choose from (2 solid livers and 2 white ticked...males)...we had decided that this would be my oldest sons dog so he got final decision...he wanted a spotted dog and not solid and he chose Blitz....of course we knew we would be getting a second for my youngest son...which we did and after loosing the one he picked at a young age of 7 months we now have Striker who is just perfect for him...I have dreams of having a solid liver one but right now money doesn't allow... |
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Phillyo118
UK
MH
Posts:681
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| 01/28/2011 11:34 AM |
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| Because they're the most handsome and gorgeous creatures on this planet, after me. |
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"From the dog's point of view, his master is an elongated and abnormally cunning dog."
"My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am." |
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JMSGunner
Bucks County, PA
MH
Posts:785
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| 01/28/2011 12:38 PM |
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First of all I really wish we had like buttons for Pixie and Phil.
I got one because my boyfriend who I live with had two growing up. Sammy and Dutchess.
My father also had a shorthair/weimaraner mix growing up.
We live on 2+ acres, hunt, and have fairly active lifestyles so we figured this would be a great dog for us!
I never had my own dog until Gunner just have lived with people who had dogs. I had to wait 24 years for my first puppy! I couldn't have picked a better breed and can't wait for a 2nd! |
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Jackie & Gunner
Impressive Gewehr von Catskill 4/19/2010
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russ nickell
KC Mo.
MH
Posts:83
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| 01/28/2011 2:23 PM |
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It's what they had at the aniaml shelter when I was looking for a bird dog. Turns out I was lucky that day. |
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vnrose53
MH
Posts:379
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| 01/28/2011 2:50 PM |
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My Mom was crazy about Weimaraners so when we finally got a dog (I was 14) that's what we got. When our second Weim was very old, I happened to find a GSP as a stray, and by the time we found his owner, we were in love! We also thought that it might be good to get a different, but similar, breed so it would be easier to treat the new pup on its merits rather than be reminded of our beloved Coco. Turns out we got 2 GSP puppies, and that was that--although I still think Weims are the most beautiful dogs in the world. I love the GSP's mix of noble dignity and silliness. |
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Willowglen
Fort Collins, CO
MH
Posts:216
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| 01/28/2011 2:52 PM |
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Well back in 2000, my dad was finally in a position to get a dog and him and his partner went through the dog breed book marking the breeds that fit their needs. They both had always loved the look of the Weim and ended up finding a breeder who had a 4 month old female who was returned because the family didn't have the time because of a new baby. Once the breeder got the puppy back, she realized that she was turning out better than she thought and wanted her shown. Since that was the only one my dad had found that was ready to go, he agreed to have her shown. The woman that was recommended to show Sophie just happened to be Kathi Boyd of Rendition GSPs. Well it wasn't but a month or two later that they decided that Sophie needed a playmate and Kathi just happened to have a litter of GSPs which is where they got April.
April was bred in 2004 and that is where I got Jasper. I got Autumn in 2008 from Kathi Boyd. I'm hoping to breed her some time in the next couple of years, if I can find time between graduating from nursing school and getting married. While I am more of a conformation person, I'm hoping to get involved in field trials once I'm done with school and have the time. Autumn's sire is a DC and one of Jasper's littermates is one point shy of finishing his DC. I would love to continue that in my own breeding program. I can't imagine having any other breed! |
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Christine
Willow Glen GSPs & Weimaraners
www.willowglengsp.com
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trueblushorthairs
MH
Posts:129
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| 01/28/2011 2:56 PM |
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| In 1958 my grandad drove 1400 miles one way to buy a liver shorthair from John Merrell. His brother had a kennel of 25 pointers but Granddad White didn't want a pointer. That dog could run all day and out hunted Uncle Roy's dogs, so uncle Roy bought some shorthairs and gave his pointers away. When I was born, my parents brought me into the house and Cal, that shorthair, licked my foot. Every summer we fed cows, put up hay, drove the tractor, ran the ranch roads with me and Cal in the back of a 1966 Ford pick-up. So, when I got out of college, I decided it was time for a birddog. Bought two brits from Delmar Smith, but I wanted a shorthair. So, 13 years ago decided to buy a "huntin' dog" again. Bought a field trial bred RR Billy grandson and was hooked even harder on shorthairs and field trials. My ex-wife called that first trial shorthair, "our half a million dollar birddog". He's still worth at least that much. I'll never own another breed again! |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
MH
Posts:1208
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| 01/28/2011 6:44 PM |
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Husband had them growing up for hunting. We've been throwing the idea around getting a dog. Been years since I had one - had a black lab. Didn't really have the $$$ to plunk down with a breeder but thinking about saving for one. So out of the blue, my girlfriend's neighbor was fostering one that his cousin had to give up because he was going through a divorce so that is how we got Windsor! We love him to death! |
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hdxbones
Posts:4
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| 01/30/2011 5:37 PM |
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Posted By Smylinacha on 01/28/2011 6:44 PM
Husband had them growing up for hunting. We've been throwing the idea around getting a dog. Been years since I had one - had a black lab. Didn't really have the $$$ to plunk down with a breeder but thinking about saving for one. So out of the blue, my girlfriend's neighbor was fostering one that his cousin had to give up because he was going through a divorce so that is how we got Windsor! We love him to death!
My father purchased our first GSP, Heidi, back in the 1960's, when I was about 5 or so. A few years later he bred her, and one of the pups, Gunther, became my dog. My dad hunted over both dogs, and I always went along. We lived in a rural area, and Gunther was my companion on all my childhood adventures. When I was 12, and old enough to hunt, I bagged my first pheasant over Gunther. We hunted and played together for another 8 years or so, until his time here came to an end. Several years later, I obtained another GSP puppy, Axle, and he and I, and my young children, formed a strong bond. I hunted over him also, in addition to being a family pet. Sadly, he passed unexpectedly, at the young age of 5. A short time later, I had another GSP, a female, but life's circumstances at the time didn't allow me to give the pup the attention she needed. A good friend had recently lost his longtime pet, and he willingly took her in. That was about 15 years ago, and she's old and slow now, but still with him and happy.
When Smylinacha called me one afternoon to tell me about the GSP in need of a home, I knew I'd have another dog if I went to meet him....so I went anyway....LOL ! When I was introduced to Windsor, I knew immediately that he'd be going home with us. I guess I'm a sucker for GSP's, after 4 of them you'd think I'd know better. Well, maybe I do know better, 'cause Windsor is number 5 now, and we couldn't be happier!
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gharner
Middletown, PA
MH
Posts:565
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| 02/03/2011 10:36 PM |
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Jackie- I thought the same exact thing about the "like" button haha
I always loved any hunting breeds, and thought GSP's were great looking dogs. I eventually figured the energy was perfect...I needed a dog that can keep up with me. I got exactly what I wanted |
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Gatormom
St Paul, MN
MH
Posts:203
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| 02/04/2011 6:51 AM |
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| Growing up, my family had beagles. My dad always said that I hunting dog made the best family dog. My first dog as an adult was a cocker spaniel, as was my 2nd. I got tired of the constant grooming, and my both of my cockers had various health issues, requiring extra vet visits (high maintence/costly). So 14 years ago, I got my first shorthair. It fit what I wanted in a dog, intelligence a good walking partner, a good watchdog, and all around companion. Contrary to what I hear and read otherwise my shorthairs are very good with our cats. Maybe, I'm just lucky, but my shorthairs have been very healthy, and other than routine appts (shots and neutering), I have never incurrred extraordinary vet bills. |
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Barbara
Kaiser (1996-2010)
Gator
I am simply thankful that least dogs exist, and I'm humbly aware of how much less a person I'd be - how less human, if they did not exist - Rick Bass |
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