Advice/thoughts welcome!

Am currently considering getting a pup soon, and although I currently have a lab i'm seriously considering either a gsp or a vizsla.

My lab is great, and I wouldn't change her - but frankly she's far far too hairy and carries far too much mud when she comes indoors!  I run the family livery yard and my dog spends most of her day outside running around in the fields - but the lab's double coat is a knightmare when muddy (and don't even suggest that I wash her as whilst she loves water she will not come near me if she thinks there is any prospect of washing involved!).  I also seem to have a labrador since its family tradition, and i'd like to pick my 'own' breed - and so have narrowed down to a gsp and a vizsla.

A friend has gsps who are all impecably well behaved (although she is very firm with them) - however i've heard that they can be quite a handful and that vizsla's might be a bit more 'biddable'?  The lab I have is very very strong willed and stubborn and i'm not sure I could face another like that!  She's also incredibly clingy - which is quite frustrating also and i've heard that vizsla's can be a bit like velcro too.

Any thoughts?

GSPs are known to be hard work.  They are extremely energetic and have to everything at a sprint start.  I think we are lucky with our bitch because whether we are around or not she tends to sleep.  As soon as you move though she is there anticipating your next move.  She follows me everywhere during the day and night. While sitting at the computer she has dragged her bed to my side and is now asleep. As soon as I get up she will be up and ready to follow me.

I've read they can be destructive if left alone or bored but my dog doesn't actually touch anything of ours except for my slipper that she likes to carry about and sleep with.  when she was a puppy she had a chew at a skirting board and once attempted to chew my table leg but I caught her each time, told her off and gave her a dog chew and that was as far as her bout of destruction went.

If I'd known then what I know now, training would have been much more stringent, but she is my first dog and I learnt as I went along.  I have found that she is a very quick learner but can be stubborn especially when out.  She is tone deaf when she picks up a strong scent and this is where early training should have been more stringent.

My GSP is a muck magnet though.  Yes, the coats are finer than a lab's but GSP's are drawn to mud and water.  She's a super water diviner.  Even last summer when the ground was dry and cracked you'd sometimes hear "splosh" and watch a wet and smelly dog appear from something wet.  It's not a problem though as we tend to just hose her down when we get home. I do bath her regularly too as she likes to roll in doo doos, but that's normal isn't it?

I find our dog a pleasure but then I'm biased. 

My lab is like velcro - every time I turn round she is behind me, usually carrying one of my slippers or a welly-sock!  Her coat seems to take a long time to dry though, am hoping that maybe a short haired breed will be easier to towel off quickly. 

We spend the morning at the beach and she's been in front of the fire here for last hour and her outer coat still not properly dry, lucky i like the smell of damp-dog!

Incidentally has anyone noticed that their dogs having problems retrieving from the sea rather than from inland water?  Mine is a pro at finding tennis balls in a mill pond, even when she didn't see where they landed, but having serious problems finding balls in an only moderatly-choppy sea this morning - wondered if it was the salt water interfering with the smell??

Our old mongrel used to be able to swim underwater in the sea and retrieve a particular (scratched for identification) stone - usually a halfbrick because there were so many there - so I don't think the salt water affected his senses in any way.

Hungarian Vizslas(or Vizslak if you want to use the correct Hungarian plural ) make great pets but are not for everyone!

We currently have two HVs and a HWV, they are a brilliant group of dogs but the two HVs are like chalk and cheese! Chloe who's 8 is the cutest little madam you will come across, as our first dog we were very lucky with her, she's very biddable(or was rather, now she does as she pleases!), affectionate and if you're busy as long as she's been walked will settle in front of the fire perfectly happy....but she is a 'velcro dog' occassionally!

Kayla, who is 3, is very sweet and loving and loves being trained as long as food rewards are involved....but she was a very difficult puppy. She was very stubborn and it took alot of work from me and my mam to get through to her but it was worth the effort. She is very greedy, not a vizsla trait, often they are very fussy and difficult to keep weight on.

Coat wise they are very low maintenance, after a muddy walk all they need is a quick hose down(Chloe more so coz she's smaller and closer to the ground!)and towel dry and a nice warm fire to sit in front of :)

Just a few points to mention besides the above, HVs can be quite nervous dogs so lots of socialisation is essential(one experience can affect them highly, especially if it's negative) and because they become so attached to their families separation anxiety can be a problem unless they are taught from an early age to accept being left.

Hope this helps a bit, any more questions then just shout up. Of course I'm biased too but I hope you find the right breed for you :)

Hi
I have a couple of GSPs and know people who own Vizslas.  I would say that there is a great difference between the working bred dog and the show bred dog as far as drive and huntiing ability go.  Don't expect a working  bred GSP to just wonder around your fields minding his/her own business if unsupervised without bogging off after rabbits/pheasants etc. and generally getting into mischief.  They are dogs that just LERRRV to be with people (Vizslas too) and were designed to be with you all day long out in the field hunting.  They do love to please and adore working with you on the hunt and can be trained to a high standard.  However, they are intelligent dogs and can find ways around things and need kind, firm consistancy.  If left on their own they can be destructive and will create their own entertainment.......digging up your deep litter shaving beds, excavating the muck heap, redesigning your show bridles, running claws down your best saddles, chewing rugs, opening feed bags. burying grooming brushes, chasing horses on the lunge!  Oooooooooo.........the list of possibilities for a GSP on a livery yard is endless. :-) 

If you decide to go for a GSP, research your breed lines and unless you intend to work your dog, go for a show bred one.

:D :D :D

Based on Gunner's post I would say mine is definitely from the show lines ;)  However, even the show lines are exuberant, just not nearly as hyper as the working lines.  The breeder of my dog told me that it's not a good idea to have a working line GSP as a pet as they "tend to end up doing the wall of death around your lounge"

One thing I regret regarding my own dog is not taking up field trials as these dogs do love using their brain as well as being active.

Thank you for that advice - definately a show bred line then - hadn't really grasped the significance of that until now!  My friend has three gsps at the moment (granny, mum and daughter) who are very 'energetic' but well behaved - but then i'm thinking now that hers are from showing lines which maybe helps account for hers' impeccable behaviour!