I think I’m pretty open minded when it comes to pointing dogs. I’ve had a few posts about my Setter, Cowboy, and I want folks to understand that I’m not against long haired dogs.
My first memory of any dog in our house was a setter named Bit. She’s the first dog I got to hunt behind. My dad started with Brittanys back when they were still considered a “spaniel.” We had some of the best I’ve ever seen and he loved them over all other breeds.
I always wanted an English pointer. I got Em when I was 30. She was the best dog I’ve ever owned. She created my love of the breed. They are still my favorite.
Since then, I’ve had more Brittanys, a few German Shorthairs and a Setter. I have hunted behind many of the other breeds including the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon and German Wirehaired Pointers. Even a few Poodles, Weimaraners and the occasional Vizsla and Pudelpointer.
I expect I’m forgetting a few. It’s been a lot of dogs.
I’ve seen good ones in all breeds. I’ve also seen some bad ones. Maybe the bad ones needed more time or better trainers? Maybe they were not the best combination of sire and damn. It happens. Breeding is tricky.
Anyone that tells you that one breed is “superior” to another might need to rethink their process. They are all different and designed to do different things. You can not easily compare them only based on a few factors. “Don’t judge a fish by how well he climbs a tree“ – a quote that’s probably not Albert Einstein….
In my opinion, pointers might be better for the heat than a setter, but I’ve seen plenty of setters that could handle the heat just fine. My pointers don’t deal with the cold much better than I do. My experience with Shorthairs is that they don’t care how hot or how cold it gets. I’ve only dealt with 5 or 6 of them in my time. My first one was easily one of the best 5 dogs I’ve ever owned and he might just be top 3. My second one was the worse bird dog I’ve ever had out of any breed. I’m hunting with a buddy now that has one that can go with me anytime he wants. “Hank” is a sho nuf Bird Dawg.
Anyone that generalizes a statement and tries to include every member of a breed might just not have enough experience to comment. I’ll guarantee you that I’m no breed expert on any of them. I do know they they were all designed with a purpose in mind. You have to keep that in mind and make sure you get the right dog for your situation.
But you also need a breed that you love to look at and be around. There’s more to owning a dog than just hunting.
Much like me as a teenager, there isn’t anything wrong with Cowboy that a haircut won’t fix.
