This is a great question. There is no one perfect breed for everyone.I have always told people who contact us looking for a dog to consider their own personality. How much time are you really willing and able to devote to training. What are you looking for in a hunting dog? You can't expect the dog to do more than his genetics provide and what behaviors you can shape and mold.

There's a great book called The Dog I.Q. Test by Melissa Miller, I am not sure if it is still in print. You answer a section. Based on your answers there are lists of breeds from the various groups in this case sporting, hound or terrier. From your answers and the list you can choose a breed that you may be more suited to working with. If you are getting a working dog then you don't want to buy from show lines you want field lines. This means you want FC/AFC/CFC in front of the names or at least in the pedigree. Some breeds don't have field trials to earn these titles so they are typically going to be more inconsistent hunting dogs. If you say I don't want a trial dog, remember that out of the 9 in a litter only 1-3 may be trial dogs the rest should be good hunting companions. If your heart is set on a rare breed like the Field or Sussex Spaniel then you want one from parents and grandparents who have earned MH (master hunter) or at least SH (senior hunter) titles. Terriers have Earth Dog titles and sight hounds coursing titles that are similar in scale of achievement.

You get what you pay for in a dog, and I am not just talking money. There's a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved but that leads to the smiles when they hit the water for the first time or bring back their first quarry.

Dogs that a bred to work away from man tend to be more indepented and not as affectionate. The closer they work to us the more they want to be with us. You will have that one or two dogs in your life that you will bond so closely with that you don't have the heart to go back into the field without them. The next one just isn't the same. We have 3 generations in our home and all of them are so different from one another but each special in their own way.

Istarted withbeagles keeping rabbits out of grandparents garden, cut my teeth in bird dogs by helping a neighborwith pointer and setter puppies. Watching a setter pupwith a wing on a fishing pole made my heartgo pitter pat and I was hooked on bird dogs.My husband and I have had flushing spaniels for the past 11 years. We started off just getting a springer pup from a lady who said her son took the dam hunting all the time. He was poorly bred and died young as a result.We have gotten involved in field trials and hunting tests. As a result, we tapped into decades of information and made great hunting buddies and even better friends.

Finding a training group for obedience and the kind of hunting that you want to do is the best advice I can offer. If you can't find a club, locate a professional trainerand ask if they can help or offer a referral.

Good Luck and Happy Training!