For the past 2 years I have been trying to make up my mind whether I prefer the Brittany or the German Shorthaired Pointer. When I was shopping I decided to buy both breeds and to train them and work with them side-by-side and see what differences I noticed along the way. First, I must say that I have enjoyed the experience immensely. In the end I knew I would have to make a hard decision because both dogs are highly qualified hunters and companions. I always intended to have a litter of pups down the road and felt like I only had the time, energy and resources to focus on one pointing breed at a time.

I have decided to stick with the Brittany dogs and currently have my german shorthair up for sale. Both are excellent pheasant hunting dogs and have been working at a pheasant preserve these past two seasons. One of the biggest things I have noticed is that the Brittanies seem to be more interested in people and human contact. As much as I tried to bond with my shorthair she just felt stand-offish and distant. Both dogs were raised in the kennel and the shorthair seems to suffer the most from this. If you can keep your dog in the house as a family companion, that is always the best situation for bonding and socializing.

I’m not proclaiming that Brittany dogs are better hunters, more friendly or even better looking. I just enjoy being around the Brittanies more. I hope to own a few other breeds througout my life and see if there are any real differences when you compare one breed to another. Largely, I think it is more about the individual dogs personality and traits that are inherited.  Working as a hunting guide this year I have had the opportunity to hunt behind several nice breeds like Vizlas, Weimeraners, English Setters, Labs, English Pointers, French Brittanies, Chessies and in the end I am simply drawn to the American Brittany.

Posting this for a friend who had bigger than expected litter of puppies, 11 puppies in all. This is a picture of one of the 5 week old male german wirehaired pointer puppies pointing a wing. You can see a lot more photos and the litter pedigree at his website brucegwp.blogspot.com. Sounds like a real nice litter of hunting dogs for those that like the GWP. If you are interested you can also call Bruce Jabaay directly on his cell phone (616)443-6718. He wants to make sure he finds good hunting homes for thes fine puppies.

Another great litter of german shorthaired pointer puppies is available in Northern Utah. These are from strong german lines and are solid liver for those that really dig the solid liver puppies like me. This litter of puppies were whelped on September 13th and are currently 18 days old. Three females are currently available from this fine litter of GSP hunting dogs. If you are interested in learning more about this litter of pups you can contact Scott Jacob of Sweet River Valley kennels at (801) 330-3986.

A few weeks ago I had a friend who was trying to decide between two well-bred german shorthaired pointer puppies. We thought it would be interesting to see how the two pups performed when placed in an enclosure with some live chukar chicks. The goal was to find out if one pup had more natural desire or prey-drive than the other. Take a look at the movie and see which puppy you think has the most potential as a hunting dog.

The real question is whether or not this test is conclusive? While one puppy definitely appears to be more interested in the birds, both could turn out to be great hunting dogs. I would guess that the more agressive dog may be a little more challenging to train and will probably be more head-strong. In the end, my friend chose the puppy that hung back (honored?) from the other puppy while still interested in the chukars. Which puppy would you choose to take home?

When choosing a puppy from a litter it seems there is always a real go-getter in the litter. The pup that is always first to the feed dish, first to explore the backyard, first to run up to new people and the first to chase a carded pigeon. Sometimes the most outgoing puppy is a female but more often it seems the spitfire is a male pup. The question is – will the pup stay aggresive and outgoing. Usually a bold puppy will stay that way and will continue to have a burning desire to go and do. Some people look for this quality in a new puppy with the mindset that the most aggresive dog will be the best hunter or bird finder as an adult.

Then there is the wallflower. This is the puppy that stays back and watches things develop around them. Perhaps this is a smarter puppy that learns from its litter mates mistakes. The shy or reserved puppy is often a very affectionate puppy. She is often the one that crawls onto your lap for a nap while the others are chasing balls and each others tails. Will the timid puppy be less likely to get out and point birds? Or, does this puppy just require a compatible owner to bring out the best?

While both puppies have good qualities and may turn out to be great bird hunting dogs, I tend to stay in the middle of the road. I tend to avoid the hyper-agressive puppy that is bouncing off the walls and bullying the other puppies into submission. By the same token, I also avoid the reserved or timid puppy that hangs back from the group or stays too close to Momma. To me the perfect puppy is the one who is not the most aggressive and not the most shy. The perfect puppy to me is the one that is happy and friendly but not overly so. The key is in the parentage. If the parents are the kind of dogs that you would be proud to own, then there is a great chance that the pups will be the same.

Yesterday I had my two nieces over for the day and they just love animals. We went to my neighbors house and brought home one of his 6 week old german shorthaired pointer puppies for the girls to play with. First, I had to set down some ground rules to make sure it was a positive experience for both Taylor and Morgan and the puppy. The main rule is that the kids don’t pick up the puppy. This can often end in disaster if a frightened child drops a puppy on a hard surface. Instead, I have them sit on the ground and then they are welcome to hold and pet the puppies. We were careful not to chase the puppy or be mean in any way. After 20-30 minutes of this the puppy had explored the cool grass, licked all the kids and was ready for a nap. In just the short amount of time I could see the puppies confidence grow as he learned that the kids were friendly and fun. It wasn’t long before the neighbor kids came around and the poor puppy was held and petted by 10 different children ranging in age from 1 to 9 years old. When raising a litter of pups, nothing can be more helpful than positive, safe interaction with lot’s of children. A variety of people and situations will help build a bold and confident young hunting dog.

Our friend Barbara McKell called the other night to check how our little “Annie” puppy is doing. We couldn’t be more happy with Annie’s progress and look forward to getting her into some birds this fall. Barbara has another beautiful litter of Brittany puppies available in Utah. The litter of puppies will be ready for their new hunting homes this week. If you are interested you can call Barbara directly at her home (435)384-2923 or on her cell phone (801)592-7602. She is willing to deliver pups anywhere in Northern Utah.

Our friends at Rooster Valley Pheasants had a litter of healthy hunting puppies this past week. Max loves to sit right down and watch the puppies nurse. The momma pup named “Polly” was very good natured about the intrusion. Their were 3 males and 6 females in the litter and should be some dang good hunting dogs. They are all mostly white with liver heads and will have very light ticking like their father Duke. It will be fun to watch these puppies grow and develop. If all goes well, we will have a litter of our own next year at this time.

Annie is growing up and getting to be quite a spunky little brittany pup. This week we took her on our run up the mountain with the ATVs. She did well and stayed right with the pack for the first mile or so. Then she got a little tired so I let her ride in her kennel on the four-wheeler with me. She had a little scuffle with my female GSP Abby. They are both very strong-willed and will eventually have to duke it out to see who’s boss. She will be one-year old next fall when hunting season comes and I hope to enjoy a great first season with her. The trainer says he likes her boldness and thinks she will be a good hunter.

Annie is just over four months old now and seems to be doing well with her training. She is having a fun time at her trainers house and loves to be involved as part of the family pack. She is well-fed and seems to have grown a few inches every time we see her. She is kept on a lead when they take her in the backyard as she likes to wander off and explore the world. I think it is good that she is both brave and curious enough to venture out. She likes to go on runs with the other dogs but mostly she likes people. She will sit still for anyone to scratch her ears or pet her. Chris did get her out on some wild chukar before the season ended and she did well with introduction to gun fire. I am sure that obedience training will be the focus for the next little while.