I'm on my second wirehair (GWP). The first one didn't have a lot of facehair but I can't see how this one knows where he is going at all!

Should I trim the hair from it's face or leave it alone,

I've thought it might slow him down and make it a slower hunter.....what's the advice here?

If you wanted a "fast" versatile dog you'd have gotten a GSP Since you got a GWP leave the moustaches! It makes a wirehair a wirehair to me. Some do trim across the bridge of the nose and the eyebrows out of the eyes was ala a Schnauzer. The 'staches have to stay though. I love the way they look all shaggy muzzled, I told my wife maybe my next dog would be one and I'd name him Otto. She frowned and we'll have another GSP.

Vapodog,

never cut a wired hair breed hair as it will get softer and longer which will be more easily proned to attract burr's and seeds. What you need is a stripping comb or a Coat King by Mar's.

If you want to slow him down take 2 baseballs run a 12-16" cord thru each & attach them to the collar so that they dangle agAInst the front legs as he runs when he steps on them & when they swing up to hit him in the face he will slow down BUT he very well lose his desire to HUNT. I did this to one of mine & got lucky he still loved to hunt he just started to run slower & bowlegged.

quote:

Originally posted by Planemech:
If you wanted a "fast" versatile dog you'd have gotten a GSP Since you got a GWP leave the moustaches! It makes a wirehair a wirehair to me. Some do trim across the bridge of the nose and the eyebrows out of the eyes was ala a Schnauzer. The 'staches have to stay though.

Down here, south of North Platte, we lost a lot of birds to hail and heavy rains this year but the silly dog still likes to hunt the game farms for chuckar and I hunt the wirehair with a pointing chocolate Labs from Hershey chocolates.

Years ago bird hunting was all about getting a limit....today it's all about watching the dogs. I swear this wirehair can't possibly see where he's going on a frosty morning.....he looks like a giant snowball running thru the weeds.....his face frosted with frozen dogbreath!!!!~

Guess I will trim only the hair in front of the eyes like the snouzer posted.

It's a good thing he don't have a lot of hair on his tail as he'd have to move so I could tell which end is which!

Thanks for the posts folks.

Planemech....c'mon down this fall...we still have quite a few birds and the quail population isn't bad.

I just might head that way! The hatch was dry and it's been brutally dry since about that time back east here, the lawns are brown, cover looks pretty good but man we've had had spotty bird nubers for all but chickens for the last 3-4 years. 100 pheasant years used to be routine, 30 is a good year now. Quail numbers have come back to OK.