sproulman

i have never seen any dog but beagle get into that briars.does springer have soft hair that will get all full of burs etc. only what i have been seeing, the beagles seem to be dog that gets the pheasants out of that thick stuff.i agree on rabbit thing.good point.i just have not seen any dog go into that stuff unless it was beagle.thanks

Coyotestalker

My personal experience for training, breed choice, and exercising hunts would be both weimaraners and german shorthair pointers. Both are related, both learn very fast, and their endurance is astounding. That is my vote, yet there is a huge world of canine pointers out there to choose from. Good luck beacuse any pointer/flusher will be your best companion.

Deacon_P

IMO, the best pointer is the one that is inyour yard,from Brittany'sto Weimeraner's (I have neither). I have a Chocolate Lab that from upland bird to waterfowl no amount of money could buy, I also have a GSP that I can't say the same thing for, but he's only 11 weeks old and I like what I see so far in his ability to pick up on basic commands at this age.

With good breeding and alot of time spent, you can't go wrong with any breed. I have seen some impressive Elhews in my neck of the woods, can't say if I would go down that road or not, but they were impressive.

Take your time and be choosyabout breeder's, Good Luck -

waterfowler1973

Honestly, what hunter is not going to say that their dog is the best type of pointer/flusher/overall hunting dog. I would argue that 99% of people you ask are going to say their own because (1) that is really all they know or (2) they love their dogs and can’t imagine there could possible be any other breed better. My advice is to do exactly what porknbeans suggested – define your search. You will be much better off considering everything you are looking for besides what people think is the best pointer. Just to give you an example, I originally wanted a Lab because a majority of my hunting is waterfowl in colder climate and I love they way they look and act, etc. But I also have two small kids that so my wife says no to the Lab cause they are too big for small kids – whatever. So, I start looking for a dog with a totally open mind with no other breed even slightly having an advantage and ended up getting a Boykin spaniel. Why – I live on a lake and duck hunt (they are great swimmers) and they are smaller than most other retriver/flushers (wife is happy) and I didn’t know one other person in my are that had one so I figured it would be neat to have something different. And I got lucky getting him from great breeders with an excellent bloodline. Now I will do what every person has the right to do – brag a little about their dog. Mine was swimming for hours non-stop at 6 months and was retrieving at distances I wouldn’t dream of allowing another pup to do at his age. He also doing a great job flushing doves and pheasant at only 9 months and is a great retriever on downed birds both in and out of the water. Now is the Boykin the best breed out there and there is no other possible breed I would ever think about getting – absolutely not. He also takes hours to clean when we hunt in an area with burrs and is a little more hyper than I would have liked (but every individual dog is different). What I can say right now he is an awesome dog with great versatility and he surpasses my needs both at home and in the field – and most of that has to do with getting them from the right breeder (bloodline) and working with him since he was a pup and not because “his breed is better than all others.” So, think about everything you are looking for, give yourself a few options, pick what is right for YOU and most importantly train, train, train. In my honest opinion, no one breed is better than another in every single aspect, but there will be a breed that is better for you when you consider exactly everything you want.

tailcrackin

What is the best way to answer??? AMEN, UMMM... enough said, very good post!! Before you hunt the boykin again, get some shosheen this is a horse spray, works very well, useon my setters and brits. Burrs don't hang up as easy. Thanks Jonesy

porknbeans

Shosheen? I've never heard of it, but I'll take that advice. There have been times after a hunt when I've had to cut burs out of my Brits coat. She ends up looking like I did when my mom used to cut my hair as a kid. I at least got to wear a hat to cover her mistakes.

jameswilliamiii

I am tired after reading this whole thread. I can only imagine how confused Obby1 is after reading this too. I have hunted with my English Pointer (this was the first year and he did pretty well), a GSHP, 2 dad's Brits, and my uncles English Setter. All of them had their ups and downs, but all of them had one thing common. When they were pups, their legs got tired they pointed so much. I think that as long as you pick a puppy who shows the great instincts for pointing, you will be fine. The breed doesn’t matter as much as having a good instinct for birds. The rest is up to what color, size hair, and personality you like in a dog.