ORIGINAL: bowhuntinlady
As for the wife comment, why in the world would you let a non-hunter pick out your hunting dog.
When I pick a dog, I pick the parents & the breeder. I knew that my pup was coming from a very good breeding by a very experienced and respected breeder. There is much debate as to whether you can tell talent in a dog @ 8 weeks. Not even the most experienced field trialers can nail down talent in a dog at that age. A good dog is a work in progress.