I have an English Setter, and an English Springer Spaniel. My Springer is old and retired, and if my Setter wasn't still quite young I'd get another Springer. My style of hunting, I prefer a flushing dog over a pointing dog.I mostly hunt Ruffed Grouse, which are runners like Pheasant. Because they are runners I feel a flusher gets the birds in the air quicker, and with less running than a pointing dog, who must work the bird and relocate on point several times until the bird holds for the dog.Ussually when a bird does hold it's in some really thick covermaking it hard to kick the bird out, and shoot at the same time. Of course, knowing how to read your dog is the key to knowing when to find a clear area to stand and wait for the imminent flush. Those here who hunt grouse regularly, whether with pointers or flushers know how nice it is to be standing where you can actually swing the gun on a flush.

I'd have to agree with the poster who advocateded getting a lab. Labs are really a jack of all trades dog, damned tough, and good with kids. If you decide you prefer hunting one species of bird over another a lab can become quite the specialist too. Of course, any breed of dog which you find compatible with your family life can make a great hunting companion too, if properly bred and trained. Hunting with a dog is a partnership, therefore, any breed of bird dog will do what you want it to. You just have to understand how the dog hunts, its limitations, and your role in how things work.