Thorn Creek Kennel
Utah

Keva Tanyi | Apr 18, 2022

I bought a female Griff from Duffy in 2020. She is incredibly strong, fast, intelligent, and has a wonderful temperament. She is not only great at hunting, she is also a service animal for individuals with developmental disabilities. Everyday she helps individuals with autism and fetal alcohol syndrome as well as comforts some of our homeless population we help. I would absolutely buy from him again. I also like the fact that I am able to reach out with any questions I have 2 years after getting my Griff!

Linda Smith | Mar 18, 2022

Our griff, Tess, is currently 8 months old. She is an inquisitive wiggle worm with a huge, delightful personality. We worked with Duff for over a year prior to pulling the trigger on a new puppy as we have also have a 13 year old Griff. The experience and conversations with Duff were informative and professional. When we drove to Utah to get Tess, we were impressed by Thorn Creek Kennel and its operation. We truly believe that Duff is 100% committed to raising the finest hunting dogs and companions, plus ensuring each puppy gets a great home and family. This is NOT a puppy mill. When you contact Duff he will take the time and interest in knowing your needs and desires.expect several phone conversationswhich is great! We are extremely please with the current level of hunting and obedience that Tess is demonstrating and look forward to many years of companionship, in large part due to a great breeder and kennel.

Chad Herbers | Feb 6, 2021

My griff is now a couple years old. I am continually impressed on her hunting abilities and even more so about her as a pet. She hunts birds from grouse in the mountains of Colorado to pheasant and quail in the plains of Kansas. She is truly remarkable. I have multiple griff breeders within a 1 hour radius and 1 in the town that I live in. I will pass up every one of them and drive the 10 hours to go back to Duffy, Thorn Creek, for my next one. Truth be told, my father just got his puppy from Duffy and his drive was longer and passes even more breeders. I cant speak highly enough about Duffy and his griffs.

Chris Huntsman | Jun 18, 2020

We have had an amazing experience with and highly recommend Thorn Creek Kennel! We have the absolutely perfect Griff, Oakley, who is now 2 years old. We were impressed from the moment we saw him and took him home. We couldn't have asked for a better behaved dog. He has never had an accident in the house. He is absolutely amazing, amazing with little kids, people and animals! Highly intelligent and trainable. He has done extremely well in water since a pup and is a great bird dog! We were mesmerized at how interested he was with birds from the beginning and he even caught a bird in the yard not too long after we brought him home! I can't forget to mention how he is the most beautiful dog you have ever seen! He is absolutely gorgeous. We love taking our griff back to Thorn Creek every time we are on vacation! Its quite a drive but they really care about him and we know he is in good hands (and don't trust anyone else)! Thank you Thorn Creek Kennel for our treasured Griff!

The Nutter Family | May 1, 2020

Thorn Creek is highly recommended. Our perfect Griff pup Guss journey to our family is amazing. Today is his 1st birthday! He has his own Instagram if you want to see photos. @gus_the_lv_griff I researched for years before I found Duffy and Thorn Creek Kennels. There are many great folks out there and in my opinion if you want a Griff, then Thorn Creek is second to none. When I first contacted Duffy back in 2016 there was a waitlist of a few litters at that time. Duffy and I kept in contact back and forth for a few years. In these conversations he took the time to dig in with myself and my wife about what kind of a Griff we wanted and our lifestyle. Well at the time we were not expecting a baby however we expressed the importance of having a good family dog that will be raised with a child and also bee a good dog in the field. I am a bird hunter of mostly upland game and occasionally waterfowl. Fast forward to early 2019, my wife and I were expecting our first child a son named Wyatt to be born in early August. Duffy called to tell us we would be having a pup in the next litter that were to be whelped in late April early May and that we would have our pup in July. We live in Las Vegas so I flew to Salt Lake, rented a car and picked up our pup and drove him back home. Having a pup in the house just a few weeks before a baby was actually perfect. In his first year of life he has been side by side with is and our son and is very gentle and playful with him. He also went on successful bird hunts with me. He was never shy of the gun due to the training Duffy gives them. Mainly quail is what we hunted last season. First time out of the truck he froze on some birds. He even retrieved them and tracked one down. I was impressed for sure. Wife notes he caught a pigeon that got in the house near the babys crib. I could go on all day but you can check his Instagram if you want to see some photos of how great this Griff is with the family! We are also open to any questions you may have about the experience. We LOVE Thorn Creek Kennels and Duffy!! The Nutter Family Chase, Korinne and Wyatt and Gus

Joe Wolfe | Mar 11, 2020

I have been evaluating my 2nd pup "Roi" a male that I got from Duffy in July of 2019. I have been comparing him to My first pup "Rio" a female I got in September of 2009. Rio scored a Prize 1 at a NAVDHA natural ability test when she was 14 months old! She has been a fantastic hunting dog, companion, and family friend. Her drive, sense of smell, and understanding of my mood has been outstanding. Hoping she will be a mentor to Roi so I can duplicate her qualities. From the first day I picked up Roi last July I noticed how he relied on his sense of smell to find his way back to our motel room, then the next day to my sons condo at 5:00 am in totally strange surroundings and once after getting separated in a cornfield at 5 1/2 months old he was backtracking back to the farm 2 miles away where we started the hunt! I thought Rio had a great nose but Roi is off the charts! As a 6 month old pup he found pheasants for me that had Rio tracking in a spot where the bird wasn't! Roi has a hunting drive that consumes him! We are making huge recent progress with discipline in keeping him from chasing flying or running game! His nose usually finds something when we walk the dogs; keeping him from pursuing it has been a challenge! Last nights walk through the cut cornfield behind the house I was able to "whoa" him when the first group of honkers was 30-40 yds away! He stood there shaking with excitement but he did hold! there must have been 1000 geese throughout the field that got up as we walked and I managed to keep him close so that was a major turning point! He has not been as quick to train as Rio was but that may be that he is a male and has a more energetic nature than she did. I think his potential is tremendous I just need to be able to harness it for hunting. He is a strong water dog and is fearless about swimming in a fast- moving river or on the lake when waves were big enough to make me very nervous! when you get a dog from Duffy they have confidence in their physical abilities and are extremely agile! His back yard is like a playground with various obstacles and items that build balance and mental curiosity. Both my dogs have a medium to harsh coat and exceptional cold weather tolerance (we hunt in sub-zero a lot!) I have been very pleased with that. From some of the videos Duffy sent of Roi's litter it explained why neither Rio nor Roi was not gun shy in the least and was instantly interested in game, as well as being very athletic when I got them. I was able to watch Roi's litter progress via text and email videos. I believe in Duffy's breeding program after having a fantastic hard hunting companion like Rio for over 10 years now and looking forward to the next 10-12 with Roi!

Harold Houck | Mar 11, 2020

Duffy is a great breeder to work with, answered any and all questions in a timely manner, extremely knowledgeable about the breed. It was a very clean, well kept kennel and activity area. Dogs food and water bowls were clean. There were no visible urine or feces that I saw. I could not have asked for better service than I was given. Our pup is starting to turn into a great dog. If you are looking for a WPG I would highly recommend purchasing one from Thorn Creek Kennel.

Annie and Ned Morgan | Mar 11, 2020

We have two Griffons from Thorn Creek and honestly cant say enough about how amazing these dogs are! Our middle aged male, Eddy is a fantastic hunting dog and an incredible family dog as well. Our new pup Freyja is also turning into a fabulous dog and we are excited to get her our this Fall to hunt. These dogs are incredible athletes, are social and very healthy. Our experience with Duffy is also so positive. He really got to know our family and hunting requirements before helping pick our puppies, and consequently they are perfectly matched to our needs. Without a doubt all our dogs will come from this breeder and kennel.

David Cline | Feb 29, 2020

Not long after I brought home my Thorn Creek Griff "Kato" I made an attempt to share my experience on getting my first dog in over 40 years from Duffy at Thorn Creek. It was probably a good thing I didn't follow through with it at the time. I was a novice with regards to what a great breed and hunting dog WPGs were. Three and half years later having worked with a professional trainer; testing Kato on serveral occasions; having him hunt several seasons, and all around becoming a "trained" dog owner, I am better able to share this experience. Having done some work before deciding on what dog breed to get, I found the WPG to have most all of what I thought I was looking for. I couldn't be more please with how this has been the case. From the WPG's versatile hunting ability, to their never quit stamina and obedience, to their friendly dispostion, I am already planning out my next Griff. Not to say Kato is replaceble. He has become a big part of our family. Living in Utah, a dog is in the home a good part of the year. Kato's agility and inteligence make him a perfect roomate. When we get our daily walk in, he can chill with the best of them. It is one of my greatest joys to see him on a hunt or just spend the day in the canyons watching him do what he loves best, tracking and pointing. As dogs go Kato is medium large. Which is perfect for travel which we have done quite a bit. There is not a day which he doesn't get some compliment or the quite common question "what kind of dog is that?". I have come to appreciate not only Griffs but the attention to details in the breed and the value in a good breeder such as Duffy, especially for a newby like I was four years ago. For all the ups and downs of working wih a quality dog breed from puppy to mature hunter, Duffy has been invaluble. I am more than greatful to share this experience due to the incrediable dog Kato is.

Lane Gardner | Dec 27, 2015

It is hard to imagine my life now without my Griff Hance and all of our adventures together. He is truly a perfect fit for me and my interests; Duffy did a superb job of matching our personality and stamina. I had been seriously looking into getting my first hunting dog for about 6 months, researching many breeds when I came across Wirehaired Pointing Griffons and they appeared to be just what I was looking for! I am quite active and wanted a medium sized dog that could come with me on all of my adventures, not just hunting. After finding Duffy practically next door with these amazing dogs I knew that was the line I wanted. Duffy was great to work with, talking through questions, ensuring I was going to be able to get the dog work and be active, and helping to socialize him at the kennel. Hance is a great fit for me because he loves to play, can chill out if needed, but he will also push me to get out and stay out, even if the weather isnt perfect, searching for that next bird or adventure. At times he can be a little timid around the house and new places, but he is tenacious in the field, with an outstanding prey drive. His goofy fun loving personality and intelligence fit in great with me and my family and provides us with much entertainment. He knows when its me we can wrestle hard, and when its my toddler nephew to play gently. I am looking forward to the many years to come with an outstanding adventure buddy and hunting companion. In short, I needed a dog that could hike the red-rock desert canyons to the high alpine peaks, get birds all day long, and be able to chill out and be my companion in the house, and I found that with Duffy and Thorn Creek.

Tyler Merryman | Nov 21, 2015

Our Griff, Harlow is an amazing addition to the family! Duffy was a pleasure to work with, and has been an invaluable resource for myself - a first time gun dog owner. Harlow's temperament is so gentle around our children, and she is so eager to please. I am happy I waited for a pup to become available from Thorn Creek - it has definitely been worth the wait! I'm so happy to be a part of the Thorn Creek family!

Lorie Garnett | Nov 10, 2015

Duffy was an excellent breeder. We researched various breeders and this breed for over a year, and waited another year for one of Duffy's dogs. We researched breeders in 5 different states, and narrowed it down to five breeders, and after interviewing with all of them and learning their priorities, we knew Duffy and his line was right for us. Over a year later we have a perfect healthy pup! He is smart, obedient, exhibits great potential and interest in the field, and is the perfect family pet. Duffy worked hard to match Chief's personality with that of our family's, in accordance to our activity level and our interests. He was absolutely right! He also worked with us to ensure that we were ready for puppyhood, especially with this breed. He was available for advice and always gives great feedback--even when we just send photos of our pup. Chief had a hernia from birth, and Duffy even paid for the surgery to have it removed "because he promised us a perfect dog." I absolutely love Thorn Creek Kennel. It is a dog's paradise, and Duffy knows his stuff! We think of him and our experience fondly! And we can't imagine life before Chief.

Jeremy Ziegenbusch | Nov 9, 2015

My Griff, Roxy is an amazing hunting dog and family member. She received 1st prize at her NAVDHA hunt test at 13 months old. Duffy is a great breeder and very knowledgable. I am 100% satisfied with Duffy and my Griff, Roxy.