What do I need to know about a GSP?

Owning 3 myself, with a medium sized house and a small-medium sized back yard. Exercise is key. I take my dogs out to run off leash every day. A lot of people say they are too tired, or don't have enough time to do that, blah blah blah. Honestly, it may seem like work at first, but I find it more relaxing and enjoyable than just sitting at home the rest of the evening after getting home from work. Keeping your dog on a routine schedule will also help out a lot.

Because of this, all 3 of mine are couch potatoes during the day at the house. They start to get a little antsy around 4, and when I start getting them ready to go run, they get wild. And typically are passed out before 9:30 every night.

I wouldn't say that exercising the dog every day is an absolute must, but 4-5 days a week, and you will find your dog much more enjoyable in the house.

As far as being the same or different than a a lab, I would say that a GSP has a higher energy level than a lab, but temperaments are pretty close to the same.

Are you planning on training your GSP for any sort of hunting? This is where a major difference occurs between labs and GSP's. In my experience in working with GSP's and labs, you cannot break down a GSP in training like you can a lab; a GSP will shut down and quit working if you put too much pressure, much faster than a lab will. Training a GSP requires much more patience than a lab. My 3 GSP's taught me more about patience than I ever would have thought.


ETA: Are you in the Baton Rouge area? I'd love to help you work with your pup for hunting, and/or just obedience training you would be interested.

I've never owned a GSP, but I grew up owning English Pointers ever since I was a kid for quail and dove hunting.

Exercise is the most important thing with pointers, and really all working breeds. They have a ton of energy. Good obedience training and making them work will keep them from getting bored though and using that energy to wreck your house. I hate seeing people get hunting breeds and don't train them at all or give them tasks to do, then get pissed when they misbehave and tear stuff up. Like all dogs patience is key while they are young, but pointer breeds may take a little more of it haha.

GSPs are beautiful dogs and you should definitely get one if you are willing to take on the responsibility of it.

ETA: What JTM said about them shutting down is definitely true. We hunt ours in the brush country in south Texas, when they get tired out there and their pads tore up from the brush and cactus, barking orders at them does nothing but shut them down even more. We have 3 in our family so we keep them on a good rotation to not completely wear them down.

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What do I need to know about a GSP?

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They're from Canada.. Like to rear naked choke, former UFC champion, speak terrible English., etc

Get a pair

I'll put it a little more bluntly than the rest of he posters have here, don't waste your time trying to duck hunt them. They don't like the cold water and more than likely your dog won't fetch a dead bird. I say this because I have wasted 1,000's of dollars trying to get one to retrieve and he simply won't. I do have a female that will out swim most labs, but the cold water is a big challenge. She'll fetch any dead bird and love doing it, but if the water is ~40 degrees she likely won't get to the duck.

Save your time, $, and countless hours of frustration and don't retriever train it because it more than likely won't have the natural drive to do so. It's probably not what you want to hear and most will likely disagree with me, but that's what I have learned about these dogs over the last 4 years.