GSP Lab

[esox86]

I am looking to get a pup and need some input. I have had both a Lab and a GSP and would love to have either dog over again, however that is not an option. I do plenty of waterfowl hunting so a water dog is a must. My shorthair loved the water and would retrieve pheasants from water on a dime but ducks were a different story. Some guys have mentioned maybe the oil on the feathers was detering the dog but i suppose that is a topic for a different post. The lab obviously had no trouble retrieving waterfowl... its just what they do. I also hunt pheasants on a regular basis and while my lab was a great upland bird dog, after hunting behind the GSP i cant ever see hunting pheasants without one. Sooo... get to the point! right? I need a dog that is going to see action in both the field and marsh. A lab in the duck boat and a shorthair in the field would be ideal so in my mind a lab shorhair cross just might be the ultimate hunting dog. Does anybody out there have one of these and if so how do the work out? (And i would get one of each but 2 dogs is not an option for me.) Also if anybody is planning on having a litter of these dogs please let me know i am VERY interested.

[Rick]

Unfortunately dog breeding doesn't always work out like your dreams. I wouldn't bet on getting what you want with that type of breeding.

A springer spaniel is a nice option if you do a bit more pheasant hunting than duck hunting and you typically do early season duck hunts.

Make sure your breeder has a nice line of spaniels that love the water. Nothing compares to a lab or chessie though for ice cold water retrieves in late season duck hunts.

[gixxer01]

How about a wirehair? Denser coat than a shorthair. Unbelievable retrievers. Won't handle the cold water like a lab, but can hold their own.

[eagle_3464]

I know many here will roll their eyes at the mention of a pointing lab, or a lab that points naturally. To those, I say attend an APLA event and you'll likely change your atttitude toward the lab that points. I have watched numerous labs stick points and hold them as well as shorthairs. That being said, I would recommend checking out labs that point naturally, you get the both the upland and waterfowl all in one dog. Plus one of the best family pets there is. BTW, I will be expecting a litter late May.

[iceman2010]

A friend of mine has a GSP Lab cross... hasn't worked out so well for him. From my understanding he says that he can certainly see both the traits of the lab, and the gsp, his problem has been that there isnt enough of these main traits that you get a lab, or a gsp for. I have been out hunting with the dog on several occasions and she finds birds just fine, it just seems awkward when she gets birdy... At the same time, he never brought her to a trainer or anything which i think would help, bring out the best of both breeds.

[MNHuntress]

I vote for the GWP. That's why I got mine, handles both cold water and field great.

[H20fowlr]

Here's my solution:

[LABS4ME]

If interbreeding were that simple, I feel there would be A LOT less purebred dogs in the world.

We all would love to create the absolute perfect dog in regards to specific criteria we want to achieve... Problem is most times you do not get out of a mixed breed what you anticipate... it is a [PoorWordUsage] shoot and the problem is you now have a dog that does not fit your exact criteria... I'm not saying in the least that many mixed breed dogs aren't great at whatever it is you've trained them for... I've hunted behind some dandys... but in essence 'your' dream of a lab x GSP is probably to have 100% of each of their traits when in reality you may end up with not even 50% of each of their traits.

Pure breeding of dogs came about as a way of ensuring that the pups will be a certain type of dog, meeting certain criteria, and a certain structure of dog, with fairly consistant attributes. While a particular breed may not meet every one of your wish lists desires, it's best to focus on what is most important and buy a dog according to that. The weakneses can be looked past... it's the majority of what you want that is most important. ie: hardcore waterfowler? I'd say Lab or Chessie, upland? shorthair, brittney, setter, spaniel... Grouse? Setter, Brittney..both ducks and pheasant equally? I'd lean towards a Lab or Wirehair or Springer... these are my generalizations and many have had luck using their Shorthairs on both ducks and pheasant and their Lab for grouse etc... I am just stating the obvious...

you can teach most any dog to hunt most anything... my friend had an unbelivable pheasant dog... a German Shepard. The breed just tilts the odds in your favor when looking for attributes like retrieving or pointing...

Find a litter you like, buy the dog, nurture it and intensly train it for your desires and you WILL have the dog of your dreams.

Good Luck!

Ken