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Most of the dogs we breed go to hunting homes and never see the inside of a show ring.  We have also bred dogs that have completed most of their championship, but then we decided that they weren't what we wanted for our breeding program, so we placed them in hunting homes before they finished their championships.  We have always felt that having a dog in a great home is more important the completing a title.

The dogs pictured below are dogs that were bred and/or owned by us, or that were sired by one of our stud dogs.  These dogs all completed their show championships!  Cruiser currently has 19 champion offspring (plus 2 Senior Hunters & 1 Master Hunter).  We have bred or co-bred 40 show champions, and have finished the show championships on a handful of other dogs that are out of Idawire-bred dogs. 

(Click on one of the photos below to see full-sized photos in a slide show.)

Hunting Dogs vs Show Dogs

There are people who are under the mistaken assumption that if a dog is a good show dog, it can not be a good hunting dog.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  A dog can be a great hunting dog without being a great show dog, or be a great show dog without being a great hunting dog, but the best hunting dog is a dog that is also a corret show dog. 

A dog with correct conformation in the show ring, will be the dog that has the best structure and movement in the field.  A well-built dog will be able to hunt hard all day, while a dog with poor structure (conformation) will be more likely to break-down and suffer injuries.  A dog with an ideal coat is exactly what you want in the show ring AND in the field!  A correct coat will protect your dog from burrs and the weather, while an incorrect coat will bring discomfort to the dog, and more work for the hunter, pulling burrs. 

So, don't discount a show dog as a hunting dog... because in fact the dog that has the conformation, structure, and coat will be the dog most suited to hunt all day!

Idawire Dogs in the Show Ring

There is a definite "show type" that comes from a breeder who focuses almost exclusively on the looks of their GWPs, placing a lower priority on field work.  These dogs create a beautiful picture and have the correct structure and coat for the field, but because their breeders weren't focusing on field work, these dogs may or may not have strong field ability.  Without selctive breeding for field work, the field ability may have faded over generations.

There is also the "field dog" type.  These dogs are typically bred for field work only, and they usually have high drive in the field, but the may look like an English Pointer or a German Shorthaired Pointer, or even a Griffon.  When a breeder focuses too much on field ability, and ignores conformation and breed type, then the dogs may not have a consistent look. 

Our dogs are typically the "Field Dog" type, but because we focus on conformation, structure, and coats, in addition to field ability, our dogs are usually more consistent in type, like the "show type."  Because we don't focus exclusively on show type, our dogs aren't the flashy show dogs that judges are used to seeing, but their soundness, correct coats, and easy-gait (movement) allows our dogs to be competitive in the show ring, even when competiting at specialty shows.  And, when we bring them home, they have correct temperaments, and they have the desire and structure to hunt all day!