Put a deposit on an English Pointer

[12 Volt Man]

I had a Pointing Lab for 6 years, she was a great dog. I did not train her much other than basic commands. She picked up pheasant hunting naturally and was a joy to hunt with. I had to find another home for her last spring when I sold my house and moved to an apartment while my new house is being built. The new house should be done within two months. When it is done I will get an English Pointer with Elhew lines.
I hunted with a guy who had one of these dogs last year. I was completely amazed watching this dog. The dog is what made the trip. I had more fun watching the dog than actually shooting birds. Based on this experience and what other little bit of research I could do online, I decided this would be my next dog.
The dog will be used for Pheasants and the occasional chuckar if we go to a hunt club. It will be raised around my two kids (girls) who are 3 and 5. I will have a nice concrete pad underneath a deck that is about 10 feet off the gound. This will provide a nice covered area for the dog run. I plan on having the dog sleep in a crate inside at least for the first while.
I plan on training the dog to hunt the best I can. I will look around to find someone local with some quail or pigeons to train with.
I gave a deposit on a pup that appears to come from a reputable kennel and the parents look to have great lines. Here is a link
Blue Grouse Kennels The litter is the Geronimoe/Haley one. I get first pick from the Males. Here is a link to the pictures of the pups that were born last week. Puppies

Any advice on picking the best one, or Pointers and hunting dogs in general will be appreciated.

 

[one-shot-one]

nothing like a puppy

never had a pointer, but have picked out some great puppies for my self and family members (1-setter, 3-springer spainles, 1-gordon setter, 1-lab, 1-lab/golden).
i like to go and set down with all the pups and watch them for a few minutes. i pick out my fav. 2 or 3 and ask to see them separate form the rest. watch your picks for at least as long as you did the whole litter even if you think you know the 1 you want. it is all subjective with young puppies but look for the begainings of the traits you want in your dog. watch for good nose, intrest in surroundings, little or no fear. almost always one will win you over.

 

[gun-fucious]

we had Britney Spaniels when i was a kid
the pretty much came pre installed with "Find the Birds 2.0" on them.

They were trained by hunting with the older dog
The young ones took a couple of seasons to settle in.
One would sprint off and flush Pheasants 100 yards away

My dad had some colorful words when that happened

 

[Jaegermeister]

Bring a baggie of pheasant feathers

I rescued a field bred English springer spaniel from our local Humane Society three years ago. I got a heck of a deal. Someone paid huge dollars to get a started dog that was six months old from a kennel. I spent $60.

We was made to sleep in a kennel outside at the previous owners. Springer spaniels are love sponges and should not be kept outside. He cried all night and had behavior issues, so they got rid of him.

I saw him on a local TV spot for adoptable animals. I brought a baggie of pheasant feathers. After meeting him in a play room, I pulled the zip-lock out of my pocket and opened it. He stuffed his nose in the bag, took a big sniff and his eyes were huge. Feathers were sticking to his nose. He knew exactly what those were!!!!

He went home. I invested in an Innotek collar and went to work training him and making him a member of the family.

I like English pointers much better than German short-hairs. Make sure to check health records. I'd get a big one that seems dominant in the litter. If you aren't going to use him as a stud, get him fixed. Fixed males are a lot easier to put up -- less humping. Fixed males will still hunt hard. I think the lack of a sex drive keeps them focused on hunting.

Also, before you drop big dollars on a dog at a kennel, check your local animal shelters. There are lots of labs there usually. You can save money and invest the time and enjoy the fruits of your labor.