Question to you and DSlayer. Of the Griffs you have seen do this, was it a shock to the owner? Did the pup have the bloodlines of dedicated field dogs and come from a selective breeder who focuses on the traits required to succeed in the field?
And did the owner put in the required work?
I am really curious to know. In my mind, I have convinced myself this can be avoided with the proper research and pup selection. There are far more labs in this world that would prefer to sit on the couch or sniff at heels then there are rock stars in the field...
Well, as I said, the dog at the Invitational was a worked dog. It takes a LOT to get to that level, and it earned a Versatile Champion title (unsure how that happened, but whatever).
Here's the thing: if you REALLY want to put in the effort, you can get any dog to hunt. I mean, with the right direction, I bet you could force fetch a shitzu. But if the dog doesn't have the DRIVE and DESIRE to do work and find birds, it doesn't matter how much work you put into that dog. You can NOT create drive through training...you can only foster what is already there.
I honestly think Griffs are closer working dogs. Sort of like munsterlanders. Are you going to find the oddball that charges through field and ranges well? Probably. But from what I've gathered this isn't the norm. If that's your thing, great! I personally like my dogs to do the work for me and find the birds.
Plus, as you're finding out, it's a smaller pool to pick from. Griffs aren't a hugely popular breed. There are fewer breeders to pick from, and of those even fewer that are concentrating on traits you're interested in (temperament, biddability, drive, desire to please, etc.) and not ones you don't (breed conformation, color, style, etc.).
Here's a true-to-life scenario for you. My best friend had his heart set on an Irish setter. Beautiful dogs, obviously, but they've been severely tainted by the AKC and the show ring, particularly in North America. He thought he stumbled on a good hunting breeder and bought a pup.
Long story short, he put in way, way more time and effort into that dog than he should have to wind up with a less-than-mediocre hunting dog. She has barely enough desire to get into the field and find birds. Her fetching is pathetic. It breaks my heart to see him plead with that dog to pick up a bird.
He was with me every step of the way in training. The dog just didn't have the goods.
If you do your due diligence, I'm certain you can find a good Griff from a hunting line. Just know that you can't TRAIN in stuff that isn't there. I mean you can to a point, but the dog has to want it, too. Some dogs just don't.
