we lost our beautiful weimy new years day and are beginning to think about getting a new puppy. we think we may buy one around april/may next year so im trying to do some research now. we have a 1 year old son so i know that many breeders will not sell to us, however im hoping we can find someone who will as i know we have lots to offer a new dog.
we are looking at GSP's, english springer spaniels or a lab. i would really welcome ur experiences with these breeds. from what i have read so far GSPs are very similar to weims although often more timid. we love the weimy breed but dont want another as we feel we would compare our girl too much.
my husband and i both work part time. the days i work if my husband isnt at home we have one of the grandparents looking after our son so would have someone at home 99% of the time. the grandparents are very very dog friendly!!!

First thing is to make sure whatever you get is from a reputable breeder especially with a young child you want a dog with a good temprement.  Make sure you can see the pups with the mother and see what she is like.

I've only got experiance with Springers from your list.  They are great dogs but can be very bouncy and need a lot of excercise, they are good with children

thanks for ur advice. im starting looking now to find a good breeder as like u say its vital that the dog has a good temperment with a little one.
our weimy was very bouncy but she was so careful with our son. i think most dogs know to be careful, however im aware that not all do!!!!

I agree with shadbolt, my daughter has a springer now age 3 . My granddaughter is now 7 months old and the dog is really good with her.  I have westies and mine are good with young children as well as I have a lot of grandkids who visit ranging in age from 21 to 7 months.

SBT's are one of the very few dogs who has 'Good with Children' in theyre KC description, I would reccommend one, but you would need to train him/her to get the best out of them! :)

I have a friend who has a lab and he is fantastic with their daughter. I think it depends on the breed when people aren't happy to sell to people with young children i.e dogs that need alot of training people are more likely to not sell to people with children under 5 years i think this is really just being sensible. Another friend has a springer and although he is a bit crazy and bouncy at times he is also great with their children. I would decide on the breed then start contacting people through the breed club.

DO consider a Hungarian Wirehaired Vizsla. Fabulous temperament for a young family.

Diane

Or one without the wire :D :D :D

Oh but the wires are so cute :D

just had a look! they are gorgeous!! can u tell me a little more about them including temperment?

Hi
GSPs are coiled springs waiting to explode - especially when they are young.  As you say, many breeders would not contemplate selling you a pup due to the tender age of your son and I would advise you against getting anything with german or strong working lines.  I don't care what people say about them being a dual-purpose dog - there ARE differences between work and show bred GSPs.  However, both are very high energy and will require a LOT of training, so please do think carefully if you will have the time - what with your child, your job and running a house/family etc etc.  Many, many GSPs end up in rescue about 10 - 18 months - it is about this stage they hit adolesence and people realise that they no longer have the time or energy for what was once a cute bundle of fur and which is now just a single-minded nose on legs with raging hormones. 

Have you thought about perhaps getting an older dog who may be more settled and already used to children?

PS  A well bred and socialised GSP should NOT be timid or nervous!!  If either dam or sire is, DON'T GO THERE!  (No matter what the excuses are that are made!)

Thanks for all the replies so far. they have all been really helpful and i will have a look at the other breeds.
gunner- we are also considering an older dog. i regularly look at the rescue pages for the 3 breeds we like. i appreciate what you are saying about GSP's. our weimy was very hard work but worth every moment of madness. she was fantastic with our son despite being quite poorly when he was born. (this still didnt slow her down much though!!) do you have experiences with weims? from what i remember from my days on here when ours was a pup u do!! would u say they are similar temperments to GSP's?
from what people have said so far perhaps a springer would suit a family more. i know my husband is very keen on GSP's tho!!

Slightly off topic but Wirelincs your dogs are gorgeous, i have never seen one before!

I've only lived with a GSP of those. As a young dog he was very boisterous - but I didn't have children so he didn't get used to being gentle around them, and my training wasn't the best. ;) Gorgeous dogs - wouldn't be without one - not nervous, but full of energy, and hunting is what they love best in the world, which can make life difficult training-wise and finding somewhere far enough from roads to exercise wise. I don't know how that would compare with a weim. Well worth it, but A LOT of work.

GSPs and Weimaraners are both from the HPR sub group.

As few Weims are worked in comparison to GSPs you will find more "working bred" GSPs than Weims and so with the age of your son it may be wise to consider a show/pet bred GSP rather than one bred purely for working (yes I do know that they are supposed to multi task).

Obviously due to the Animal Welfare Act any HPR you buy will not be docked UNLESS the breeder can demonstrate that their puppies are likely to go to working homes, this may or may not influence you on your choice, I do not know.

GSPs tend to be more air scenting dogs whilst Weimaraners tend to ground scent more, the latter are more tracking dogs that also retrieve etc whilst the GSP tends to be the HPR of choice for many who shoot over, or trial their dogs.

Weimaraners are probably the "hardest" of the gundogs (with the possible exception of GWPs) and therefore you may well find a GSP more biddable.  They can have an annoying predisposition to whine IME though.

Get a puppy from reputable breeders who belong to a breed club so that they adhere to their code of ethics with regard to age of mating, breeding, number of litters and who conduct the relevant health screening on their breeding stock, hips and heart with GSPs not to mention eyes.

Labradors are from a different sub group and again a pet/show bred one would probably be best with such a young son.

The same applies to ESS.

They can have an annoying predisposition to whine IME though  :-)

That reminds me.....working GSPS with German lines are likely to be quite vocal.  Whilst noise is not tolerated in the field in this country, in Germany it is a requirement that the dog will bark whilst about its work.  It is part of the Kleeman-Sieger trial that the GSP will track a wounded animal and hold it at bay whilst the hunter catches up.  Whilst in pursuit and marking the quarry it is required to bark so that the hunter knows where it is.  

Also, if you have cats, I would suggest avoiding any German blood at the forefront of your pedigree as again as part of the KS trial they are required to track and kill a small furry, such as a fox.  This CAN be trained out of them.  However,  if you want an easy/ier life and a dog that is less PRONE to barking and less LIKELY to have such a strong prey drive such that the neighbourhood feline population remains intact, then please avoid anything german or working! 

> Whilst in pursuit and marking the quarry it is required to bark so that the hunter knows where it is.  

In my GSP's case hedgehogs. :rolleyes:

And he is rather whiney - not all the time, but when he wants something - like 'it's dinnertime' 'it's time to go for a walk' .......

Large Munsterlanders love kids - can't manage a whole one though! 

Only joking but if you like an HPR with hair & looking somewhat like a leggy Springer and no hoo haa about tail docking - then the Munster is worth considering. 

thanks everyone, esp tohme. very helpful! will have a look at musterlanders too! i thought we'd done well to narrow down to 3 breeds but people keep suggesting more lovely breeds!!! keep them coming though!!

~Of course you like an HPR with hair you could have a longhaired Weimaraner! ;)