Jack Ryan

It takes time, and PATIENCE. These dogs REMEMBER EVERYTHING. You NEVER have to hit, smack, or give any physical punishment. All they live for is to do and give you what ever you want. The challenge is for YOU to learn to speak dog and make them understand what you want. Every minute they are around you, they are trying to figure out what you want and how to give it to you. Just a harsh word will make my dog break my heart with the way he looks and acts toward me for a good while. They are brilliant and even my 12 year old learns new stuff FAST and I mean things that have NOTHING to do with hunting if I want him to do it. Just make every single minute you spend with them, learning time. Feeding time, is learning time. Play time is learning time. Everything is work and he works for me and I'm the boss. Nothing makes a dog happier than a boss that knows what he wants and helps him learn it.

If you have the patience to teach a 5 year old boy to tie his shoes, manners at a table, to pick up after himself... that is the kind of time and patience I'm talking about. If you don't have time to "raise another kid", you don't have time to train your own draut or wire hair puppy.

hubby11

Do a Google search on "Continental dog breeds," also known as hunt, point and retrieve (HPR) breeds. I believe the DD is considered a continental breed. Some of these breeds have goofy names (Pudelpointer?!) and are a little obscure but can be found. The premise is that people needed a versatile dog that can do it all. I doubt any of them will retrieve as well as a lab or stand game as well as a dedicated setter, but for versatility you are likely going to sacrifice some level of specialized skill.

Also look up the North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association.

CalHunter

Another possibility would be to get 2 dogs so they can split all of the hunting needs you have for a dog.