I've had 3 GSP, 4 WPG, two GWP, and 4 DD. When Joan (Griffon club Secretary and newsletter editor) and Ed Bailey (co-founder of NAVDA) were actively involved in the Griffon Club, there a few good dogs with decent coats, many that had soft coats and lots that didn't appear to have much desire for game or water contact. The Baileys efforts improved the breed, but the resulting genetic base of these superior dogs was too narrow to maintain. So, the Club decided to outcross with a very similar breed, the Ceskky Fousek. Some Club members, most of which couldn't recognize that their dogs weren't anywhere near as great as they thought they were, opposed this and created their own "purebred" Griffon club. Keep in mind that ALL the versatile breeds share many common ancestors which came from various breeds. This won't be popular with the Griffon purists, but I wouldn't have one of their dogs if it was gifted to me. My limited experience with the GWP was a mixed bag. The first one was outstanding. The second, from the same breeder but different sire and dam, was hit and miss when it came to duck hunting. Some days he refused to retrieve and others he didn't. We finally parted ways after he made a long retrieve of a duck and promptly shredded it. IMO, you stand a better chance with a DD because the sire and dam HAVE to meet minimum performance levels in tests in order to be approved for breeding. Not so with the GWP. Some DD can be very independent, and I recommend you visit the breeder to size up the dam and sire if he's available. If you haven't had hunting dogs before, take someone who has with you when evaluating the parents and breeder.
