Your options are unlimited, I professionally train bird dogs and retrievers, as gun dogs and some compitition, You need tofigure out what you feel will best suit you. If your hunting timber, I feel for an average hunter a closer working dog is more enjoyable. Reason is if dog attemps to stretch out little bit and gets outta site, you don't have to panic. Whether dog is broke or not, respect to you, and the game is manditory. So you've got brittanies, vizsla, german shorthairs.. If you are gonna be running more open woods or fields, your pointers and setters are better. Now don't get me wrong some of the breedsI mentioned before can get out and strole pretty good also. The biggest thing is what you enjoy, everyone has there own opinion, the dog and you need to have your bond, if your not happy with the choice, that bond can end up being null and void!! Understand, puppies are enjoyable, and you can start alot by yourself, a broke dog is also very nice what I feel about buying a dog is at puppy stage you guys seem to be alot tighter, the trust is more comfortable. You can take the dog somewheer when he's ready and have him trained to be steady. The bond is still there. The biggest thing that I can say with dogs is "patience" keep everything black and white, to yourself and your dog, because you both are learning. Jonesy