I've had Britts and Labs, but the Boykin I have had the past 8 years is by far the smartest of them all. She was very, very trainable. As far as the coat goes, I keep her trimmed somewhat and that takes care of the burr problem. I hunt birds with her mainly, but she does take to the water.......I haven't used her that much on Lake Erie, but when I do she goes full bore. She can't get a goose up on shore, but she brings them to the edge like a tugboat....funniest thing you've ever seen.
And she does live in the house, which in my view doesn't "soften" up a dog at all.
Check out this website, and some of it's links before you make your decision. www.boykinspaniel.com Pam is the person to talk to!!