Trying to decide on a breed of dog.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I grew up raising, training and working labs and pointers. Labs are a good choice.

Boxers have a personality that most dont, and they are awesome. Mastiffs require a bit of attention early or you end up with a large problem later in life. Good dogs, but require training.

FWIW, the best dogs Ive ever had were rescues. Im a fan of mutts, they seem to get the best of everything, whereas the purebred dogs sometimes lack brains, personality, etc. I love my English Mastiff, but he just doesnt have any brains. My Mastiff/boxer mix was the smartest dog Ive ever had.

Go to the pound and check out the dogs there. The rescue groups are cool, but id rather save a dogs life than deal with some uppity tree huger wanting to check out my house to make sure I am responsible enough to adopt from them.

[KBScobravert]

I just put my Vizsla down last week because of lymphoma and he was only 4 years old. According to my breeder it's the first case lymphoma in one of their dogs in 15 years, so who knows. Research a breeds health, i hunt my dogs and spend thousand on there training, i need birdy dogs with good bloodlines. I'm about to put a deposit down on a female Brittany, 10 month wait though.

Out of the ones recommend on here.. Lab, Golden Retriever or Border Collie if you want a smart dog easy to train. Or Ridgeback, Dobi, Pit, Et cetera for home protection.

RIP Gauge...

German Short Haired Pointer for a bird dog? My uncle has several that he uses to hunt and a few of them are champion dogs. Their prize just passed away at 13 years old. Hud was a National Quail Champ, runner up National Camp at the GSPCA in Kansas and won field trials across several states for years.

[Ratt]

I just put my Vizsla down last week because of lymphoma and he was only 4 years old. According to my breeder it's the first case lymphoma in one of their dogs in 15 years, so who knows. Research a breeds health, i hunt my dogs and spend thousand on there training, i need birdy dogs with good bloodlines. I'm about to put a deposit down on a female Brittany, 10 month wait though.

Out of the ones recommend on here.. Lab, Golden Retriever or Border Collie if you want a smart dog easy to train. Or Ridgeback, Dobi, Pit, Et cetera for home protection.

RIP Gauge...

Man, I'm sorry to hear about your pup

Our family went through almost the exact same thing with our 3 year old Vizsla last year, except it was meningitis. I still tear up thinking about Cherry and what kind of condition she was in when we let her go.

OP:
My family loves Vizslas. My sister has had three over the years, my mom is on her second one (Cherry was hers, but really a family dog since my wife and I lived with my mom the whole time she had her), and now that the wife and I have finally bought a house we are thinking of getting one as well. They do require a bit of exercise, but the dog park a couple times a week will help. They get to about 38 or so pounds on average, so not too big and not too small.

Annie, my mom's current Vizsla, uses her front paws like hands. She opens doors, she hugs you, she pets you, she shakes...they're just cool dogs all around. Really like people in a dog suit. They call them velcro dogs because they're intensely loyal, affectionate, and social.

I agree with rescuing a dog. A rescue dog, as long as it's properly vetted (for aggressiveness if from an abusive home, food aggressiveness, etc), will be the most appreciative, loyal dog you have ever owned if you treat it well.

Here's Annie in the back seat of my wife's Mini Cooper, lol:


And here's Cherry jumping like a Kangaroo (she could jump over a 6 foot fence with ease if she wanted to. Happy and healthy here, a few months before the meningitis really set in:

[Ratt]

German Short Haired Pointer for a bird dog? My uncle has several that he uses to hunt and a few of them are champion dogs. Their prize just passed away at 13 years old. Hud was a National Quail Champ, runner up National Camp at the GSPCA in Kansas and won field trials across several states for years.

That's a Hungarian Vizsla, but the GSP, Vizsla, and Weimaraner are all closely related.

[Diabolic]

Boxer or Doberman.

[Tyrone Biggums]

I'm partial to Labs. Border Collie's are cool too, I just think they require more attention than I could fairly provide and can be a little more inquisitive and rambunctious than a Lab. Labs are just more my speed. Golden Retrievers are like Labs, but the hair absolutely ridiculous. My dad has no fewer than three GR's in the house at any time and I don't see how they can stand it. You flat out can't keep up with the hair.

[KBScobravert]

That's a Hungarian Vizsla, but the GSP, Vizsla, and Weimaraner are all closely related.

Sorry, I meant to word that as an option for another bird dog.

[Ratt]

Sorry, I meant to word that as an option for another bird dog.

Any of them (if trained properly, obviously) make great bird dogs. It helps if they come from a breeder who specializes in hunting dogs, but even if not, all three breeds are highly trainable. The Vizsla my mom got comes from a pointing/hunting line in Illinois. Their neighbor has a GSP he uses to retrieve birds.

[ELVIS]

Jr just got a "scarface razors-edge cocaine diesel gotti escobar" bloodline dachshund.

god bless.

[Baron Von Crowder]

Any of them (if trained properly, obviously) make great bird dogs. It helps if they come from a breeder who specializes in hunting dogs, but even if not, all three breeds are highly trainable. The Vizsla my mom got comes from a pointing/hunting line in Illinois. Their neighbor has a GSP he uses to retrieve birds.

We had pointers for quail and labs for retrieving. I kinda miss quail hunting, it was cool to see the dogs working and just be outside.

[TeeShock]

Doodle

[lowthreeohz]

i have a lab/austrailian kelpie mix, he's smarter than he should be but an amazing pet. rescued him from some place in Tyler on July 2, then prompty took him floating on the guad, to the dinosaur tracks, a concert in a barn, and 4th of july parade. the lil guy didn't miss a beat and only ever had 1 accident in the house, ever. he knows tons of commands and i've only spent maybe a few hours combined teaching him everything. dude just gets it. i dont even have to put him on a leash when we go outside, he'll find a sunny spot on the driveway and lay there for hours while i tinker in the garage.

[DieselSmoke]

German Short Haired Pointer for a bird dog? My uncle has several that he uses to hunt and a few of them are champion dogs. Their prize just passed away at 13 years old. Hud was a National Quail Champ, runner up National Camp at the GSPCA in Kansas and won field trials across several states for years.

What Ratt said, breeder who specializes in hunting dogs. I had to fill out a 78 questionnaire, give references of my vet and guys I've bird hunted with and a phone interview just to be considered for one of these Brittanys. This breeder is also a trainer, find a good trainer who familiar with your breed. Sounds like your uncle has a good bloodline of GSP's. The Ranch i hunt in Hico only uses GSP's for pen raised quail and pheasant hunts. Never had one but seen them work and they're good bird dogs.

[Baron Von Crowder]

What Ratt said, breeder who specializes in hunting dogs. I had to fill out a 78 questionnaire, give references of my vet and guys I've bird hunted with and a phone interview just to be considered for one of these Brittanys. This breeder is also a trainer, find a good trainer who familiar with your breed. Sounds like your uncle has a good bloodline of GSP's. The Ranch i hunt in Hico only uses GSP's for pen raised quail and pheasant hunts. Never had one but seen them work and they're good bird dogs.

I would have written "go fuck yourself, my money is as good as anyone else's" and sent it back with the check.

[Country cracker]

I have a 1 year old black lab that is kennel trained. free to good home if anyone is looking. Our yard just isn't big enough and he really needs more room to run around. I can literally spit from my back door to the back fence. Will come with the kennel if you want.