Quote Originally Posted by Monty's_Mom View Post
A very important consideration is heat and cold tolerance since you will be outside a lot with your dog. Illinois can have both extremes.

I love the look of Weims and Viszlas. Looking for a good one will involve a lot of research and will be more expensive. Weims can become too protective and health issues from bad breeders has become common. Vizslas aren't as bad for this but they call them velcro dogs for a reason. Separation anxiety can easily happen. A Standard poodle may be a great choice but again, you will have to do your homework to find a good breeder. Since you are not trying to find a hunting Standard Poodle, you will have an easier time.

I have a 10 year old GSP male. He is often a couch potato but that on switch is easily flipped. Its all about the hunt for them. This can be toned down but I doubt it can be totally trained out. Training a GSP (or Vizsla or Weim for that matter) to not chase deer is very possible but it does require a lot of training.

Any dog you get will have to be trained for a Leave It command and a perfect recall/Come command. Training Whoa is a good idea too. It can stop your dog when they are about to cross a road or do something else they could get injured by.

If you get a puppy, make sure the parents are tested for hips and eyes, along with other possible breed specific issues. A health guarantee for genetic issues that is at least 30-36 months long is essential. OFA will not let you test hips until after they are 24 months old. PENNHip can be done younger but it is more expensive.

We had a Siberian/Malamute/Wolf cross. Chase was a great dog. Hated being on a leash but we have never had a better camping dog. Totally silent until there was something for humans to be concerned about. He didn't run off to look for trouble and bring it back to camp such as looking for bear. Loved to chase squirrels but he never barked or whined when he did. I doubt it was the breed mix but the dog and how he was raised. We lived in the north in a place with 16 people. He could roam free.

Don't be afraid to look into rescues even young adult rescues. Depending on where you look, some may be great for you but perhaps they didn't have enough "hunt" in them for the previous owner/breeder.

If you decide on a Lab, and that is a good choice too, find parents that are on the small side and be very sure of hip testing etc. Upland hunting and pointing lab size lines are a good place to start. They will be able to handle the trails better.
Thanks for the reply!

I'll be in central Illinois so it doesn't have the harsh summers or harsh winters, just in the middle. I decided to choose an American lab puppy (since the English ones are a bit bulkier and not as outdoorsy). Isn't the 'Whoa' similar to stop then? Or are they both interchangeable? I was actually talking to a friend about making sure they have their dew claws removed, two vaccinations, be de-wormed and their parents should have certifications by the OFA and CERF. However, I was looking at a site called 'puppyfinder; and I realized that not all dogs will have their parents certified with OFA and CERF. Would this be a big problem? Also, I'm making sure to get a breeder that as 1 year - 30 month health guarantee as well. I'll be getting this puppy in around 2 1/2 to 3 years so I'll be doing some more research before.

I do have one question tho for how long do you not give a puppy any freedom (by freedom I mean letting it wander around the house while it's not potty trained) or until what age? I was thinking if you get them around 7-8 weeks of age, you can crate train them for 2 or so months after that to get housebroken. Would this work or is it still a too young age to do so?