Gordon Setter?

[mooker82]

Anyone a Gordon owners? Looking for insight, thoughts, or breeder suggestions. I currently hunt with a Brittany but he is going blind so we are looking at starting a new dog. There are not many Gordon owners locally but they look promising to me. I'm looking for an all around dog that can be a pet indoors, upland dog, and water retrieve.

 

[spressomon]

I grew up hunting over a Gordon...in the 70's; fantastic on bob white and pheasants; but high maintenance coat when in the weeds. I've heard the breed has diminished significantly and to tread carefully.

For a versatile hunter, upland & waterfowl, I'd suggest looking at German Wirehaired Pointers...assuming you're not looking for a Brittany again. Finding a good breeder of GWP will also demand a bit more breeder investigation than say a GSP or Brittany. I sure loved mine for hunting, camping, wheeling and was a great all around companion...until he got cancer last year and I miss him dearly

 

[mooker82]

I grew up hunting over a Gordon...in the 70's; fantastic on bob white and pheasants; but high maintenance coat when in the weeds. I've heard the breed has diminished significantly and to tread carefully.

For a versatile hunter, upland & waterfowl, I'd suggest looking at German Wirehaired Pointers...assuming you're not looking for a Brittany again. Finding a good breeder of GWP will also demand a bit more breeder investigation than say a GSP or Brittany. I sure loved mine for hunting, camping, wheeling and was a great all around companion...until he got cancer last year and I miss him dearly

Thanks. I know many are bred for show so finding a good hunting breeder will be first priority. I've looked at Springset kennels and they breed smaller hunting Gordon's that look promising.

The Brittany had been fantastic but I am wanting a larger dog. I have thought about the GSP and wirehair. Most GSP around here do not hunt. I was not sure how a wirehair would handle our high temperatures with their coat.

 

[spressomon]

In a given litter GWPs can run the gamut from slick coat, almost GSP in appearance with a little beard, to full on wooly 4" coat.

Mine was in the 3" range...and its typically hot out here for the first 6-weeks or so of most upland seasons so I would have him stripped down to 1/2" and that suited him just fine. Then when the colder temps and snow came he'd be back at 2" and was in heaven. He wheeled with me everywhere...and we both preferred it , again during the warmer weather months in the west, when he was stripped back to 1/2".

My GWP, Sieg, was respectable on chukar out here but not in the league of my buddies Brits and GSPs. But he got me into more birds than I could shoot...and with his off-field personality it was an easy decision for me.

FWIW I've got first pick of an upcoming litter of Pudelpointers...venturing off in to 'no-man's land' for my next canine companion.

 

[mooker82]

Thanks again for all the information. We hunted with a pudelpointer a few years ago an it was a great dog.