Obviously, I prefer the English Pointer breed for several reasons. I feel that if you do your homework and get a pup from well bred, proven parents, you have great odds of picking a good pup, even if you are inexperienced. EP's are natural athletes, and a lot of what they do comes with very little training. If you have access to birds, that's about all it takes. If you wish to compete, then there is a bit more to it, but, for the most part, that comes easy too. When I was a kid, my dad liked German Shorthairs, and I know that some of those dogs are good as well, but all the ones I've had to train have been nuts! I won't own another one. I have friends that have Wirehairs and Drathars, and some of them are great dogs, however some of them are very mean. I have a friend that has a big Wirehair, and the list of things it has killed is very long, including other dogs, so they aren't a dog I would choose.
I also know guys that run their Labs and Pointers together, but it takes a great deal of training, and I think its kind of pointless. Both breeds have their strong points, and I don't think they really complement each other. Pointers are big running, ground covering machines, If there are birds to be found 9.5 times out of 10 they are going to find them before the Lab. However, in tight, close cover a Lab can be a great asset. If you decide that you would like a pointing dog, I would be glad to help you find a good litter of whatever breed you choose, as well as help you with the training. Good luck, big running pointers are a blast!
Micah,
Pointing S Gundogs.