I've had a Golden, I'm on the second lab and I also have an English Setter.

The Golden (Vincent) was truly my best friend--the most intuitive smartest and most loyal dog ever. He was the best and I cried like a baby when I had to put him down. I wasn't hunting for those years, but he made a heck of a 'climbing' crag dog. But, I'd bet with an hour or two at most of 'splaining; he'd of hunted any way I told him. He could climb a 5-7 and 'a 'rapped' him down 'Jacob's ladder' at Seneca rocks and he smiled the whole 80 feet down. What a dog!

In recent years I had a lab that hunted upland birds as well as any; with a concentration and stick to-it-ofness that put 'fancy' dogs to shame. Connor put bird in hand with a big old smile and a 'let's get another' look hard to ignore.

My 3 year old 'English Setter' is birdy as ya want and locks up like a 'Michaelangelo'.

My next dog will likely be a 'Brit'. I've watched a few good ones and I think we'd do OK together.