American Pointing Labrador Association Hall of Fame Member GMPR Grits of Black Forest SH

Write-up by Julie Knutson, picture provided by Dale Merritt

Grits was the first yellow dog Black Forest came out with.  A son of Thor, a famous pointing Lab from Minnesota.  Grits pointed birds from the first bird encounter he ever had and every one after that, bird allowing.  When the Thor line came through and Grits was the first to gain national attention, the standard for pointing took another major jump.  Grits pointed more like the pointing breeds than conventional pointing Labs; he was the consummate hunter and staunch pointer without ever hearing the word whoa or any other control cue in the field.  Grits himself produced dozens of GMPR’s, MH’s and qualified all-age field trial dogs. Having won countless upland competitions, Grits had probably the most significant effect on raising the standards for what could be expected out of Labs in the upland field, and to this day, in the pedigrees of the most remarkable pointing Labs, it is very common to find Grits lurking only a generation or two back.  His contribution to pointing may never be fully recognized, but those studying bloodlines will find a strong correlation between pure and natural pointing and the presence of Grits in their dog’s heritage.

Read more about Grits

Read more about American Pointing Labrador Association Hall of Fame