Is there any such thing as a dog like a Pointer, but lazier or with less prey drive?

[RubaiyatOfAnyone]

Stupid title i know 😄
i posted this accidentally in The Litterbox before helpful posters pointed out that a Pointer was an unlikely sort of cat, so i’m trying again.

i’ve slightly fallen in love with my friend’s German Pointer. He is a lovely dog. I’m a bit concerned about the obvious prey drive for this sort of dog, and possibly also the sheer amount of exercise it would need to be happier.

is there any sort of breed or known crossbreed that has the looks and family-friendly temperament of a pointer, but a bit more chilled out? Thank you!

A small pointy nosed working lab.
Labs mellow at 18m, pointers.. ..maybe 6 years.

Get a whippet.
if you get a whippet choose one from a show line rather than a working or racing line. Mine has no prey drive whatever and is super lazy - except for the half hour of zoomies on a walk.

Most GSPs and related breeds (Hunt point retrieve - HPRs) are wired (I have two HPRs, work one, plan eventually to work the second). They were developed to hunt at a distance from the handler and are quite happy to go self-employed, so you need to keep a close eye on them and train train train.

Some lines are bred more for show/pet than work, esp Weims, Vizslas and GSPs. If you want one as a pet, do NOT get one out of working parents, especially not if they have working test or field trial awards. If there are recent imports from abroad in the pedigree, check if they were brought in for working ability (German-bred GSPs and Weims always will have been, the Germans don't piss about with their native breeds.) Even pet-line ones can be keen hunters.

They are usually intelligent and very active, affectionate and enthusiastic, and slow to mature. Fabulous breeds but approach with care.

Irish Wolfhound.

I have a pointer cross. No guarantees , but looks like a pointer (those crazy genes are strong) but smaller, and just about calmed down at 4. Two years later than my labs. Became adept at handling rabbit/ pheasant/ hare/ squirrel/ rat corpses every other time off lead. Wouldn’t recommend if you don’t want to hunt.

I’m an experienced dog owner and wouldn’t get a full one, knowing what I know now. There’s a level of wired which goes beyond eg Springer into Pointer…maybe an older rescue viszla type or mix if no kids?

I don’t think there’s a dog that looks like a pointer that isn’t one - but to get to the point (pun intended) I were you I’d get a lab. No good can come of getting a highly strung HPR breed and hoping to change it. Labs are great and The Madness is (largely) over by 2 and then they’re bullet proof.

an airedale? similar size, eventually mellow some have interest in rodents most don't.

My English pointer bitch is seriously the laziest dog I’ve ever known (and I’ve owned a few), and doesn’t have much prey drive…spends most evenings asleep curled up with the cat, lets neighbourhood cats in the garden and just stands looking at them. She only ever does a full standing like an arrow point to small garden birds, ignores rabbits and lambs. Oh, she does eat bumblebees though.

Thank you all, all really good points.

i should have mentioned i have young DC so rescue dogs are probably out.

My friends’ dog is indeed from a working line so probably a peak example of what not to look for in my case. i totally take the point that i’m looking at the wrong breed rather than trying to change a dog, but i just hoped there might be some good alternatives i hadn’t come across out there. I really don’t want to deal with dead wildlife on a regular basis, so realise this is not the right dog for me, but the personality as a family dog was/is lovely.

Thank you all for your suggestions. Off to google some of them now.

Actually pp makes a good point - people with English and French pointers seem to have less of the hunting trait issues, so maybe not all pointers are so wired. Maybe due to breeding of the rarer ones (not German pointers) in UK being for looks/ temperament and not hunting? I’m sure someone will be along to confirm or dispel this, but other than a different head shape they all look similar to me.

I wouldn’t change mine, she’s brilliant and very pretty. Just not what you’re probably looking for. She’s a full time job, no off switch, and there is a lot of wildlife slaughter prevention involved in a walk. Not a dog you can take your eye off…

It may be worth looking at viszlas. Similar size/shape to pointers, very good natured, the ones I know love kids, but want to stay close to their humans rather than buggering off after squeaky things.

"Show" v "working" lines particularly in HPR's are a misnomer. They are gundogs with the instinct to hunt, point and retrieve hence the name.

Some HPR's are stronger minded than others and so are more difficult to train, whether for working or just as a family dog. The german dogs are more strong minded, the hungarian ones less so, the Italian highly intelligent and very difficult to train. Even within the individual breeds there will be some with hgiher prey drive than others - wanting a pup without their instinct is looking for a needle in a haystack.

A Brittany may be an option, smaller than the majority of the HPR's, but still gundogs. A Lagotto is another option but you must always keep in your mind a gundog is called a gundog for a reason.

I have a friend with a GSP who thought they were getting a puppy from less wired parents.

I've never seen a prey drive like it, he caught a seagull out of mid air on a walk along the beach. Will run for absolutely miles. Beautiful dog but friend's DH takes it for a 3 hour run at the weekend and it doesn't tire him out. They've had to completely change their lifestyle around the dog.

They can't even let him in the garden off lead.... once saw a squirrel and jumped the 2m fence, then jumped a further 26 neighbour's fences before they caught him in the next street 🙈.

I'm in absolute awe of the work they put in and the way they've changed their lives to fit around the dog but I think if you asked her she'd say it's been hugely stressful and she wouldn't do it again.

If you want low-energy then I wouldn't go for any of the HPR breeds. They're really not bred to be pets and while people obviously keep them quite happily, they are a lot of work and can be incredibly anxious, clingy and high-strung.

That is somewhat of an assumption about all HPR's. There are many which are very good pets and are not highly strung or clingy.

Certain breeds have certain traits, but not all dogs within an individual breed are exactly the same.

Another vote for a viszla, we know three and they’re lovely dogs, chilled and loyal and good at keeping to heel off lead. And good with cats.

I do think the Germans are the hardest of the Pointers really (and sometimes not with great temperaments either).

A show-bred Vizsla will not be a slouch, but they would be a very different ballgame to a German Pointer.

Regarding how much exercise a dog like this needs to stay happy, they need mental exercise as well as physical. If you only get an intelligent breed fitter and fitter physically, it just gives them more energy to use their brains for ill LOL.

You need to exercise their minds as well as their bodies, in whatever form suits your family. Gundog training is an obvious, but there are all sorts of things you can do at home and in classes to use a dog's brains as well as its muscles.

OTOH the Visla I know has a huge prey drive, very high energy, needs a lot of exercise and needs to be muzzled on walks as it regularly kills birds, rabbits etc and his owners are not sure that cats or even small dogs would be safe.

I thought Weimaraners were more pet dogs these days and the most likely HPR dogs to be easier to own.

@schloss well, of course not all dogs from the same breed or group are exactly the same - but if someone wants a low energy dog then an HPR breed is not the way to go

And it's no assumption - it's experience - I work with dogs and know plenty of people who own the HPR breeds and without exception, they need long walks, lots of company and plenty of stimulation.

That doesn't mean they can't also make great, loving pets but as OP is after small and low energy, it would be irresponsible to recommend them in this situation.

I would always recommend a bitch in breeds of slightly stronger type, for a bit of an easier ride, but all HPRs are without doubt working dogs that need training and channelling.

Conversely, I don't think in my 40 years of dog ownership I have ever met a nice Weimaraner. Perhaps they are nicer now than they used to be, but if I see one coming I avoid it.

It's interesting how everyone has such different experiences.

My cousin has a pointer and a viszla - the pointer is actually fairly chilled out but the viszla is on a whole other level - she is anxious, destructive, has a super high prey drive and has killed wildlife in their garden multiple times. There's no way I would trust her to even look at a cat on TV, let alone in real life 😂

I'm in the same boat OP! We have a dog walking business and two of my favourite dogs are both german pointers, one short hair and one wire hair. Both different personalities but I love them both. But I wouldnt want to own one full time due to the big and bouncyness of them, the GSP is massive and as a puppy was alot of hard work tho he's very mellow now he's older. I'd love a smaller less energetic version so am researching other breeds. We will be doing gundog training so some other type of gundog is probably right for us. You must update if you find one 😁

To be honest I do not think the OP should have a dog at all - too many people want to find a dog which does not have certain traits, but are not prepared to put any effort into training them.

There are many who post on this board who have experience and/or work with dogs HPR's and others.

A previous post about the people changing their whole lifestyle to fit in with a GSP - I wonder if they have put in the effort to find suitable training for it - walking an HPR 3 hours a day without any mental stimulation is just asking for problems.

I do not like the constant "buy a show line" HPR (in this instance) - those of us involved with pedigree dogs do our most to ensure there are not show v working lines, the only breeds which tend to have very much split are labradors and some terriers. Working cockers do not fit the cocker spaniel breed standard.

I suppose what I am saying is I agree with you and totally agree an HPR is not a good breed for many.

@schloss I think we're both trying to say the same thing ☺️

I also own a working breed (beagle) and used to get thoroughly fed up of reading the constant negativity on here. Every thread about beagles used to end up with a load of people (who'd never even looked after one, let alone owned one) banging on about how awful they are and how they don't make good pets.

So I do get what you're saying about making assumptions - but equally if someone said they wanted a quiet breed that didn't struggle with recall I certainly wouldn't recommend a beagle 😂

I had a Vizsla ~ sadly we had to have her put to sleep a few weeks ago (she was 12), but I'd have definitely have another one day. She had no prey drive at all. Loved cats and (most) other dogs. We live by the sea and have a pair of seagulls that live on our wall, and she'd let them come in the kitchen and eat her biscuits. Also wouldn't go for a walk if it was raining, so that was a bonus. They're all different though.

Thank you all, this has been really interesting. English Pointers and vizslas both sound like brilliant dogs, but i know that no two dogs are alike and there are no guarantees re.temperament.

research continues…