ORIGINAL: NEBHNTR
I have a GSP and a Lab and both are good hunting dogs. Depends what kind of habitat you will be hunting? A GSP will be able to cover a lot of ground and be able to be hunted over for a couple of days in a row. In my expereience with labs they just don't have the stamina to hunt for that extended amount of time. I know there are exceptions out there about stamina of dogs. Also as long as you introduce any dog at a young age to kids they will grow up with them and get along great with kids. This will come down to how well your able to train and guide your dog as he grows.
i agree with what you have seen with lab vrs gsp..BUT here is what i also saw..
at preserve where i see lots of different dogs,some are born and raised there..dogs like the GSP.ES,BRITTANYS all seem to have body and stamania too go all day hunting if in shape..
now on to LABS..the big labs over 80 pds have a very difficult time in oct in warm weather hunting..most only hunt about 2 hours..those dogs are great in water but not so good on upland do to heat and their size..
now on toLABS that do much better and if conditioned and not overfed by wife on table scraps and cookies, they do fine..
the LAB that has long rear legs, round head not boxy head,AMERICAN LAB are ones i want to be hunting behind..they are real thin loking and females go no more than 60 or so and males no more than 80..
a 80 pd lab male really looks skinny to me with muscles on those rear legs..labs just were not bred to hunt all day in woods and brushBUT they do if you get a AMERICAN LAB..
what i do is after 2 hours, i sit down, put leash on my dog and give him some water..also if you have creek nearby, which i always hunt where i know there is water..my dog will go into water and cool down,thats secret to having lab that will hunt all day..WATER to cool them down..
most of time i do not hunt more than 4 hours when we go out..lab can hunt everyday but i dont do it..they do get real tired as all dogs do..
dog i want is one that hunts CLOSE,20 yds out,that looks for you and makes sure that he or she is right out in front of you..that is not afraid of bears, deer ,yotes,fischers,raccoons,porcupines, bobcats,other dogs,other people,wind, rain, thunder, hail, snow blizzards,heat,hunters traps..
i want dog that hunts rabbits, squirreals,raccoons,grouse, woodcock,pheasants,ducks,yotes..i want dog that does not chase deer..
i want dog that almost takes shotgun out of your hand..one that sits and finds and retrieves a lost grouse or pheasant or rabbit..try getting the other breeds other than beagle to go into a thick briar bush after a dead rabbit..
the dog that i have seen that does this is AMERICAN LAB, long legged ones with skinny waist..
is lab best for lets say ,GROUSE noooooooooooo.. GSP/ES/BRITTANYS all exceed in that area..with me it all comes down to this..i want dog that does it all, not great but does it..
lab is one that does..i am looking at llewellin setter in next few years as i only hunt grouse now, BUT i may go with POINTING LAB..if i can find a POINTING LAB FROM HUNTING STOCK THAT IS UNDER 80 PDS, LONG LEGS,ROUNDHEAD,ole sproul may stay with lab ..
this is not to take away anything from other breeds, i already said that those others hunt grouse better,most of time BUT not all of time..
if you only take what i say is this GET A DOG THAT HUNTS CLOSE..train them or get breed that it is born into them..lab has it in them..