# Drahthaar info needed



## Tripple FFF

I have been looking at picking up a drahthaar pup I would like to talk to anyone who has spent time with these dogs and breeders to make sure I pick the dog and breeder who will be best suited for our family. We have a pretty good idea what we are after but some times good insight comes from other peoples input and opinions.


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## TEX-O-BOB

Rattle DDGuy's cage he's a DD specialist. and knows pretty much everything DD in this area.

Also check out the DD web sight. http://www.vdd-gna.org/


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## Tripple FFF

Thanks I have been through that website alot and the list of Utah breeders there also it has alot of good info. That is where I found the dog I belive I want, I am just fishin for some additional info. I have always ran springers brits and labs so this is a big change from my normal hunting companions.


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## Huge29

I had not ever heard of those before your post, after looking them up I can see that they must be a serious hunting dog because as ugly as they are they are certainly not meant for show.


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## Tripple FFF

You sound just like my wife, thats all she has told me for the past year while I have been searching for my next pup.


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## fixed blade XC-3

What's the difference between these and wire hairs?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> What's the difference between these and wire hairs?


Genetically? Nothing. They are the same dog. The DD society just has strict rules about who can breed their dogs and who can't, etc. and that plus an extensive testing system makes the difference between the two. 
I would contact Shane Loveland at http://www.vomwasatch.com/.


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## MB

Give me a call, I might be able to answer your questions or tell you who can.


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## Packfish

Huge29 said:


> I had not ever heard of those before your post, after looking them up I can see that they must be a serious hunting dog because as ugly as they are they are certainly not meant for show.


That is funny. I have the PP and he's the Big Brown Ugly Dog- not a better looking dog anywhere- of course we look sort of a like


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## TEX-O-BOB

fixed blade said:


> What's the difference between these and wire hairs?


Nothing. one is registered with the AKC and the other is registered with the VDD. They are both "German Wirehaired Pointers".

I will say this, if you close your eye's a grab a dog from a random litter, you're probably going to get a better pup from a DD litter because of their breeding standards. BUT, that is still no guarantee.


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## bwhntr

fixed blade said:


> What's the difference between these and wire hairs?


 -O|o-
I agree with Tex, get a hold of DDguy.


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## DDGuy

TEX-O-BOB said:


> Nothing. one is registered with the AKC and the other is registered with the VDD. They are both "German Wirehaired Pointers".
> 
> I will say this, if you close your eye's a grab a dog from a random litter, you're probably going to get a better pup from a DD litter because of their breeding standards. BUT, that is still no guarantee.


Actually there is a difference. Some GWP are very close or nearly identical to DD in both looks and genetics. The majority of the GWP breed is going in a different direction than the DD and has lost some versatility, and in time will lose more. It may not be evident to the untrained eye who sees a handfull of each breed in a year. If you are only concentrating on breeding a wirehaired bird dog you will lose versatility, and many GWP breeders are doing just that. To maintain versatility you must breed for it. I see hundreds of DD a year and enough GWP to see there is a difference even in looks. It's only logical for the breeds to separate. Form follows function (as it should be), and if you are breeding for a different function you will in time get a different look. Don't even get me started on the GWP show people that believe function follows form. In general the DD has a better coat than the GWP, though the proper wiredhair coat not a set trait that breeds true automatically. A breeder needs to keep a close eye on this as well as many other traits.

Breeding a versatile hunting DD with correct conformation, coat, temperament, and character is kind of like the guy on the Ed Sullivan show trying to keep 10 plates spinning on poles at the same time.

I'm sure most of you guys are saying, "who's Ed Sullivan?"


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## Tripple FFF

How trainable are these dogs are they really time consuming to train? I have had a few GWP people tell me the GWP takes alot of time to come around, I dont know how devoted of trainers they are or anything else about them. So I am fishin for some pretty basic info I have one dog I am just finishing and dont know how much time a new pup will need compared to a lab or springer pup. I am pretty sure the pup to come to our home is going to be a DD they seem like the best dog for our family but please keep the info comin guys I appreciate all you are able to share.


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## Red-Grouse

Tripple FFF said:


> How trainable are these dogs are they really time consuming to train


 If they are well breed they are a cinch to train....Um you have to hunt them....They are very natural hunters if you get them out and introduce them to some wild birds they catch on quickly.



> I have had a few GWP people tell me the GWP takes alot of time to come around, I dont know how devoted of trainers they are or anything else about them.


 That is a relative term.. Most of the GWP's I have been around are hunting by 1 year...I wouldn't call that slow...

Good luck you won't be sorry...They are great dogs and are very smart and very loyal.

They say "If you want birds hunt with an UGLY dog"


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## DDGuy

I agree with Red-Grouse. A few may be slow developers, but if introduced to game and hunting situations early they are as precocious as any breed. I have seen some 4-6 month old pups do some amazing things. A couple of years ago I sold a pup to a guy in the Big Horn Basin of WY and he had killed over 60 pheasants with him over points by December and then started in on the chukar and killed a bunch of them. I can't remember the number, but it was more than I was getting in UT!
They can learn pretty fast if they have birds to learn on. I wish we did!

As far as training goes, you can train them to do about anything. Most DD are force fetched because you would never pass the tests without it. The testing system puts a fair amount of pressure on the dogs at a relatively early age. Only the ones that are stable enough to handle it are used for breeding, so most can. As with any breed there is the occasional hard-head, but they are pretty rare.

Find a breeder that you are comfortable with and tell him what you want in a dog. Tell him what kind of game you hunt, where the dog will live, and what your family situation is. One thing that is common in Germany but not so much here because of distances is Puppy School. Breeders will get together once a week with puppy owners to socialize, introduce to game, water, etc., and later for training. Puppies thrive on this and it gives them a great start, not to mention giving first time owners some training. It also gives breeders an early look at what they have produced.


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## Tripple FFF

With thier furred game drive will they try to eat my wifes small house dog?


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## Red-Grouse

Tripple FFF said:


> With thier furred game drive will they try to eat my wifes small house dog?


ha ha ha ha not likely especially if it is introduced to it as a pup...They are not aggressive...they don't typically pick a fight but they won't typically back down they will defend themselves when pushed...Now cats are a different story.........There fur drive is incredible on rodents.....but they are disciplined so you control the situation.....


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## DDGuy

My wife has a sheetz zu or however you spell it. When he was a pup he was a real little jerk, always biting and trying to dominate my DD. She just ignored him except for the time she rolled over and laid on him and I had to rescue him from that.

Toughness and aggression are not the same thing. Toughness is a very valuable trait, where aggression isn't to be tolerated at all.


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## toasty

Does anyone know of any litters that will be available in Utah in the next 6 months? I've also studied this breed for about 2 years and am finally ready to pull the trigger (pun intended).


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> Does anyone know of any litters that will be available in Utah in the next 6 months? I've also studied this breed for about 2 years and am finally ready to pull the trigger (pun intended).


Shane Loveland has a pregnant female dog right now (the real word gets edited). Look at his website: http://www.vomwasatch.com/litters.html. It's the "L" litter out of Eva Vom Wasatch (Brit). I don't know who the sire is because he doesn't have it up on the site yet. I only know because his kid told me at school.


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## huntall

I will have a litter due in late February also.
Parents of the litter listed on my website.

Bryndis vom Uintah X Excel vom Erthal

vom Coldwater Canyon

www.coldwatercanyon.weebly.com


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