My wife and I have agreed on the GSP as a family dog/hunting companion pending a few things that I'm hoping some of you can help with. The idea right now is to adopt unless there's good reasons not to.

First I'm basically a weekend hunter. Deer/dove/turkey; the basics. We have three kids, a 7 yr old boy and twin 1 yr old boy/girl. Where I hunt is the in-laws place and they have multiple indoor dogs; terriers, mainly. The area I hunt is also is run with Hereford bulls.

So my questions: Would there be any difference in male vs female where the kids are concerned? Strangers? Any issues in getting along with other dogs that are specific to that breed? As a hunting dog,(understanding they're not a herding dog) would there be a natural want to bark/go after the bulls when we're out and about?

Keeping all these things in mind, would it just be a safer to go with a pup and train the social issues from there?

I hope none of these questions sound stupid, we just want to make the right choice. And if there are other considerations I'm not thinking of, please throw those in there as well.

BTW, we live in town and have a large fenced yard but intend to crate/house train.

Thanks for your help.

GSP's are great family dogs, almost as good as EP's

I know of no issue as to male or females being beter with children.

BUT it's all socialization and you mentioned adoption and young children!

i got my pup fully trained at 19 mos old, she is great with people 10-12 and older, BUT under that she's not real sure as to what they are, not agressive but I would NEVER leave her alone with the younger ages, and I do mean NEVER.

IMHO with kiddos your age I would get a pup and let them grow/bond together-unless you are 1,000% sure that the pup you are getting is VERY socialized and self confident.

Even with a pup, NEVER EVER leave it alone with a 1-4 year old. The strength and speed (even pups) of birddogs is unbelievable, if you have never had one.

Hope you get more and better input than I have.

Phil

PS-I live in Houston area and my dog is a house dog too, just got to religously exercise-not just a nightly walk.

Thanks, Stick. And, no, we wouldn't ever leave the dog alone with the rug rats. The dog might get hurt!

All kiddin' aside, I guess what I meant to ask is one sex more protective of the family than the other? But you do make really good points against adopting an adult dog.

I've had a pretty aggressive Chessie before but it's been awhile and the wife had a chihuahua that died before the twins were born. This seems to be a dog we can agree on for the family and the hunting hobby(especially with the 7 yr old as he starts getting interested in the outdoors).

What Stick wrote, but get the best bred pup you can find.

Landmark, I really don't think that there is a difference if the pup grows up with you.

i know Bill and I lean toward females (I realy don't know why I do)?

i've seen Bill's three pups and they are just awesome too.

My son has a big Honky Tonk/elhew male that is just adorable.

So, like Bill says pick the genes (or as Bill alluded to the best breed (Bill was that EP or breeding)?

Phil

I have both males and females and several different breeds, Vizsla, EP, Brittany and DD. I'd be very careful if by "adopt" you mean get a dog from a shelter or a rescue. It's not always the case and I realize there are cirmumstances, but those dogs for whatever reason were not kept by their owner and in my experience, those dogs haven't worked out. You're going to spend a lot of time and money, might as well buy a well-bred puppy to grow up with your kids. I have three males and four females (aside from the female puppy I have for sale). I haven't noticed a difference in the protectiveness or gentleness between the sexes. Whatever you get, make sure it's well socialized. Good luck and show us pictures when you decide.

Hey Landmark, you need to buy that pup from 2B.

I would suggest buying a pup and a female at that. I have 2German Shorthairs myself. My female doesn't chase cows and doesn't mind letting little kids ride on her back and drag her around, she was also VERY easily house trained. My male thinks chasing cows is the best thing since quail hunting. He's not aggressive at all towards kids but avoids them as much as possible and he's actually the younger dog, he was a little more difficult to house train as well. I know not all dogs are like mine but I would think that generally all this is pretty normal. I would get a young pup and let it grow up with your children. Just my 2 cents. Good luck!!

Thanks for the replies, everybody. I may have a deal going and should know something soon. So, you may see me back in the gun dog section with more questions. Or, if nothing else, a pic of the new addition to the family.

Can't go wrong with a GSP - although I originally picked mine up from a trainer with the intent to be a hunting machine (dog didn't deliver the potential the trainer set forth), she has turned into a great pet. Super friendly, doesn't bark, never heard her growl or seen her snap at anyone or any other dog - just loves to run and play and be around people. Very mild mannered dogs that love social interaction. I plan on adding another to the family in the spring.

I have a female GSP, she is a great dog.She stays inside. Excercise is very important. Probably be a good idea to invest in one of the tennis ball throwers. Save your arm a little. Abbie will play fetch under her tongue is dragging the ground, and still go a few more times. But I tired GSP is a happy GSP.

Socialization is a very important thing. Not just with humans, but with other dogs as well. She is nice to everyone and has never shown a single side of aggression besides when we are playing and even then, it is just fun. I have recently gotten her to where she will bark when someone knocks on the door. It is great because she won't always bark, but if we are asleep or not active and someone knocks, she barks. But if we are active, she won't. Smart dog.

Aside: The other night, it sounded like someone was jiggling the back door at like 3 am. She was asleep under my bed (I was studying...) She started barking and bolted out from under my bed. I grabbed the back up and went to investigate, not sure if she scared them off or what, but no one was there. Makes sleeping easier knowing that she will have my back if someone is trying to get in.

Back to the Questions:
We hunted a place several times this fall with a ton of cows. Never once rolled/ate any cow patties, nor did she even show any interest in the cows. For her first time around cattle, I was very impressed.
I would actually feel comfortable leaving her with a baby. I wouldn't on purpose, but if it happened, I feel comfortable that she would not do a thing to harm the little munch kin.

I personally have no desire to own a male dog, but then again, we have always had females, so I am a little biased. But I don't have to deal with humping or territory marking...

I would def get a pup and not a dog that you don't know the history of. Bad owners could potentially ruin a family dog. Just don't forget, they are not labs, they get their feelings hurt a lot easier. This can make training easier I feel, after a couple spankings. Never had to think about a shock collar except for the week she began going into heat for the first time.

I am so happy with my little girl, I am planning on breeding her next year. Good luck, you won't be upset with a GSP.

Congrats on the GSP decision. IMO this breed is tops and will give you many years of love and companionship for the entire family. I definitely recommend getting a pup for the family and allowing it to socialize with the kids and other dogs. I hope you have done all your homework and realize what type of commitment this breed requires. Think of your dog as a future triathlete and be prepared to spend alot of time allowing him to get daily exercise. They love to crash but only after a hard hunt. They love to lay by the fire in the house, but you must let them hunt or at least run. I spent many late cold winter nights after work running my dog not only on my bike, but also along side the truck in a safe area of course. A walk or jog just wasn't always enough. They love to chew, dig, whine and be with you all the time. But there's nothing sweeter than your trained stud or bitch working the brush and hunting wild birds for you and your family.

The GSP can be hyper which is one reason why they need so much exercise. Please be sure you can get the dog out daily for a workout. Of course, you'll also need to dog proof the house if the dog stays inside. And oxner is right, buy the best bloodline you can find.

Thanks again everybody. Sadie is laying in her open crate beside me now. This is absolutely the sweetest dog I've ever owned; and the smartest. We get out everyday for exercise and she was able to experience jumping into the local park pond for the first time today. We're working on fetch but she's still so much a pup that she's distracted by a bug fart.

If you can find a pond with mallards on it, there's some easy, good exercise for them My girl will swim after those ducks for an hour straight! Then she'll get out, shake the water out of her ears and go right back in! She loves it and then sleeps good that night!