German Wirehaired Pointer Club of America

[dualgwp]

Let's have some fun, all of us who own this breed know how down right silly they can be, and entertaining. Their antics can get them in trouble, make us laugh but sometimes have some amazing outcomes.

My newest yougster loves to carry stuff around the house. Shoes, socks, the bedspread, whatever he can find. Last week my hubby and our grandaughter were playing cards and Louie was sitting there watching and apparently observing. After awhile, he just got up, reached over and ever so gently picked up "one" card off the deck and sat there with it in his mouth. He looked pretty silly with the card sticking out of his mouth, but gave it up easily.

I think he just wanted in on the action!

[Butterfly]

Our GWP Jake is a real card. Last fall my granddaughter was here and she gathered some rocks from outside and brought them in the house. She would rub them together to make "rock dust". Anyway when she left the room to get a drink Jake went over and took her rocks and put them in his cagte and then went and laid down in the other room. Like he had done absoleutly nothing. This became a game. She would hide her rocks, he'd find them and put them in his box. This went on a long time and was really funny. He'd watch and wait till she was out of sight then the game would begin.

[ANGUS]

My Angus makes for great conversation ,,when I have company over the whole night seems to revolve around what he is doing,,for the most part Angus will lay next to me or some of my friends,act the real gentlman.but if he thinks the night is going to quite he will start he own conversation with the company,with his inside voice he will talk to everyone and if he doesnt get the reaction he likes he will poke you with his nose and continue his talking,and if that doesnt work he lays over his back and does his dead dog trick....we will try to get him to sit up or come back and lay down by my chair,,,and you can not move him,there is no way..I have tried pushing him up calling him over nothing will budge him.we all start to laugh and that seems to be his cue...he sits up and seems happy with himself........he is so dramatic....

[cheerio]

Comtesse does not seem to like playing with toys. However, she spends hours of pleasure emptying the toybox, where she seems to dig deep as if she was looking for the right one, you know, that special one she knew she would find in their, and put it on the familyroom floor. She then proceed to dig for a second one, and the third, and little by little empty the box while lining up in the very same pattern all the toys acrros the room. Once her job done, she jumps on the sofa, lay down and stare at her hard work...
Strange girl!

[Eric]

I just have to chime in here.

I share a house with a Wire and a parrot who rules the roost. Any people or pets who are perceived to be unwelcomed visitors are told so in no uncertain terms by the bird. For some reason that is lost on me, he (the parrot) is in love with my Wirehair. When he was crated as a pup the bird would climb in with him and defy anyone who tried to open the door. When he is sleeping on his bed the bird gets down from his perch and comes over and cuddles in with the dog, preens his whiskers and plays with his ears. If the dog wakes up the bird is licked and licked until he is thoroughly soaked. It is all quite ridiculus.

"Outside" birds though are still fair game.

[cheerio]

I knew that the GWP was a bird dog, but I never realized quite what it really ment up until now!...

I have to say this is an incredable story. When I think that Cheerio, my previous GWP, destroyed every feather filled pillow, quilt and coat in my home...

Any pictures of these 2 lovebirds (I means lovedogbird )?...

[Dalamar]

I am new to the breed and I was a bit concerned with bringing in a breed that I had read sometimes has problems with small furry animals. I will admit that my pup did do some chasing on those cats. However, I did just watch one of my cats cleaning her. Never ceases to amaze me that she just lays there and lets the cat lick her clean. Ususally her head and ears. Just thought I'd share.

Lee
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Lee
Casper, WY

[cheerio]

Thank you for sharing. There is nothing like a big GWP accepting the care of a small animal. It seems so nice, so loving. But one thing I have noticed with my new rescue is how fast she was to accept my 2 cats, and how fast she is at running after the ones who dare crossing our land!...
I guess if it is not the family cat it is fair game!

[Dalamar]

I think they know exactly what we want most of the time. I came to this breed from the ranks of the Lab Lovers. (Amazing isn't it, how many of us have made that transition?) While my Lab wasn't stupid, well you know what I mean, this pup is just plain SMART! The things my Lab did were always because that is what I wanted, but he did it with that big bumbling way they have. This GWP does it with style! When I taught him new things he always looked at me as if to say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know that was what you wanted." This pup looks at me as if to say,"Well, it's about time you caught up. I don't know how you can be so slow!" We train my way, slow and easy, not too fast and she seems to be running ahead of me waiting for me to catch up. I worry a bit about hunting upland birds, I've only done it once with a dog. but, I have a feeling, she'll be right there waiting for me to catch up. The retrieving part has been smooth so far. Nothing drastic, just a bit here and there, she is only 5 months old after all, and I'm not wanting to hammer anything home as I suspect this would cause her heart ache and discontent. I did get Bill Tarrant's book and that seems to be a wealth of information. I stopped at putting the chrome on as I'm not there yet. I guess we'll see where she takes me from here.
Anyway, I guess I got a bit off track and I'd better close now.

Lee
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Lee
Casper, WY

[Eric]

Sorry Cheerio - I don't have a pic of the Wirehair and the Parrot making out but will post one as soon as I do.

One other thing I forgot to mention. When a parrot is courting, one of the ways they show affection is to regurgitate food for their mate. (yuck!) This is what he is doing to/for the dog. Normally a hand raised parrot thinks they are a person, this one apparently would thinks he is a GWP. What an odd and amusing relationship!

[Soni]

I love watching Baron (our rescue GWP) and our yellow Lab play. They gently wrestle in the house - thank goodness! With his rearend stuck up in the air, Baron vocalizes with all sorts of moans and groans as he and the Lab tustle about - more noise than anything else. I never hear peep out of the Lab and she never sticks her rear in the air. But, great fun to watch. Once outdoors, these two are another story - more like full body blows and some darn rough stuff. We just need to be sure we're out of the way! Considering how they play outside - it is amazing we've never had to tell them to "play nice" in the house - they just do. But they do have a good time!

Every day we consider ourselves lucky to have been in the right spot at the right time to stumble across this great dog!

[Keith]

I like watching them play too. Their instincts to a large degree dictate the way they play. I see the pointing instinct come out in some dogs lying in wait for an ambush. Sometimes just being still and pointing until just the right time to charge each other. And pointing squirrels that come steal food from their dog dish. Just standing there not moving waiting for just the right moment while the squirrel is right under them. Sometimes it works and they catch a squirrel that waited a little to long or got a little to close. And the retrieving instinct. Always carrying something. They will grab the first object they can (one of their favorites is a paint brush) and then taunt each other until the chase is on. And they can play that game for hours. But the strangest habit is one dog that always has to find just the right rock in the yard. Once she finds it she will stay there licking it until I tell her to kennel up. She then carries it to her kennel. Periodically I clean out her rock collection when her pen becomes to cluttered.