would realy appreciate some breed information.

trainability?
minium exercise (mins) a day?
same sex agression?

Chloe x

munsterlander

i thought you wanted a spinone??

:)

I knew two male Munsterlanders that were bought for working to the gun a long time ago. They weren't very trainable - rather hard dogs. One did a lot of damage to the owner's car - ate two seats and more besides! Both were owned by experienced dog men.

Neither made the grade for working to the gun. One finally killed a sheep and had to be put down. The other (the seat-eater) lived to old age but was never very civilised.

I have been involved with working gundogs for 27 years and never met any more Munsterklanders than the above: an indication that perhaps they aren't the world's most amenable dogs.

Please don't beat about the bush MB, let us know what you really think!!!!!!

Hi Chloe!

I own 4 Large Munsterlanders and have had the breed since the end of 1987. They are very much a working gundog breed, not glamorous but eyecatching. They do need mental & physical stimulation and they do enjoy the company of humans and other dogs, they are not a breed to be kennelled, far too sensitive for this. The males (I have found) tend to be softer in nature than the bitches, the bitches are a bit more independant, Curtis (my boy) is a big wuss.

They love lots of exercise (Only of course when physically mature to take it), they love swimming, whatever the temperature, they love lying in muddy puddles. Their black & white hair gets everywhere especially when they moult. They can be vocal and some can be headstrong but never resort to physical punishment, I find a quick shout will suffice. Some chew, some don't, think you'll find that is the same for every breed. I know of a Boxer who destroyed the total interior of her owners car, so they all can do it, MB!

The best bet is to go see some in the flesh, go out on a walk with them, see if you can put up with this hunting breed, listen to owners, speak to as many breeders as possible. All breeders want to make sure that their dogs go to permanent loving homes, so you will get vetted in the process!

If you email me privately (Click on my "name" in blue at the top of this box) you'll see my email address, if you let me know whereabouts you are in the UK I can give you some names of owners/breeders.

The Large Munsterlander Club has a website too more details here.

Hope that helps!

thanks very much for the help, i am deciding between a spinone or a munster at the moment!!
im going to have a hard time choosing, i could give a dog:

about 80 mins swimming, playing with ball etc a day
the dog would have to get on well with same sex
and children
and like being fussed by lots of people.

which out of the munster and the spin, would be better suited??

many thanks
Chloe xx

If you have not had a dog before I would pick the Spinone over the Munsterlander.

i have had two labs before.

are spins easier to train than the munster then?

i will be going to crufts to the gundog day, to meet both breeds and decide then.

Chloe xx

It's not a trainability issue IMHO but I would say (looking from the outside) that perhaps IS are a little less rambunctious than LMs. All the HPR breeds differ from labs in that they tend to be a lot more independent, that is after all their job, and they all have their own discrete characters which attracts their fans. The LMs I have met have been very outgoing, exuberant individuals and if trained carefully can do very well in agility, working trials etc. The IS I have met have tended to be a tad more sober but still likeable, loveable clowns; although they do belong to the same sub group their coats etc are very different and so it may come down to "do you like whiskers" :)

You want to meet our Cadmus the Spinone then :D To be fair Tohme, our other one fits your description of them :)

Chloe, will post over on your Spinone question my experience of what the breed is like to live with.

Lesley

I had never had a dog before until I bought Addison, my first Munster...what a brilliant introduction to any breed he could've been. If you suit the Munster's personality, you shouldn't have a problem. :D

True, everyone has to start somewhere :) I like their attitude to life; they remind me in some strange way of Billy Connolly, very enthusiastic about everything!

It's usually the owner that's doing the swearing though! ;)

Hi Chloe,

make sure you come on Friday (March 5th), we're in the ring in the afternoon following the Britany's. There will be lots of people to talk to (incl. Lily Munster, I believe) and lots of dogs to fuss over. Where in the UK are you? Maybe you can meet some Munsters in a 'non show setting' sometime? Regards, gundoglover

Don't get me wrong - I am interested in all gundog breeds - from a working point of view. I was simply reporting what I had seen - the two dogs I referred to were both acquired in the late 1970's/early 80's and I knew both owners personally and I have no reason to gripe.

However, as I said, I have been involved with working gundogs for many years and had many breeds brought to me for training/instruction - Smooth and Wire-haired Viszlas, Spinones, GSP's and GWP's, Weimars - but never a Munsterlander which I find is strange. Any idea, then, why the LM doesn't seem to have made it in the world of working gundogs over here when other continental HPR breeds have? I'd be interested in owners' comments.

It is maybe because the Munster is very much a "one-person" dog and responds well to it's owner. The breed is still very much a working gundog for the owners sole use or in competitve working tests/field trials.

I believe, that the UK working tests/field trials don't really suit the Munsters abilities and that's why they don't shine like the GSP but they do work better than several of the other HPR breeds here. The sire of my younger 2 Munsters is infact a Champion as opposed to a Show Champion and all the dog's belonging to his owners/breeders have to earn their keep.

Click here to see more or here is the site of the German Munsterlander club, the breed is only sold to hunters in Germany view them here

Christine

Hi
Sorry I,ve not been taking notice of the forum - had a bitch with gastric tortion. She's pulled through and is desparate to get out shooting again but the Vet says not till Christmas, however resiliant a Large Munsterlander is! Yes folks my husband and I work our Munsterlanders and get invited back and get paid for it.We currently work on five different shoots on a regular basis.We have seven munsters including one 13 year old (now retired)- who the guns still ask after cos he was such a damn good game finder and retriever.
My first munster came to me "second hand", as a two year old in 1984, from a pet home. I had had Irish Setters previously purely as pets. He introduced me to a whole new world of working gundogs (the dog's idea not mine!)and in 1986 won a novice working test (the first we had ever entered) and a fourth in a novice field trial (again the first I had ever entered).
As Lily Munster says they are very much one person dogs and often my husband and I find that my dogs won't work for him and vise versa. However the first bitch that we had would suss out the best shot, without a dog, on the shoot and do his picking up. Husband and I don't shoot - just work our dogs. Better shut now - sure to be boring everyone.

Lynn

Brilliant, Lynn!