Hi, I am interested in suggestions and recommendations for a hunting dog. We've had a wonderful mixed breed dog (Katy) for the last 12 years and while she thought she was a great hunter and loved to go with me she really wasn't much of a bird dog. I don't think she could have found a quail if it was 5 feet from her. But she was a great companion and house dog! Unfortunately she passed away about a month ago from cancer. So, my wife and I are considering getting another dog and this time we are considering getting one that will hunt as well as be a companion.
These are some of the qualities we are looking for:
We are looking for a fairly small dog. We would prefer one under 50 lbs. 30-40 lbs is ideal. Our last dog was 75 lbs and we'd prefer a smaller dog.
A good family pet is very important and is more important then it be a good hunter. In other words a good pet is number 1 priority then followed by hunting ability.
Bird dogs tend to have a lot of energy so we are looking for a breed that can turn off some of that energy when hanging out in the house.
The hunting will be in northern California (at least for now) primarily for quail but possibly for some other bird species and maybe occasional duck hunting.
Another consideration is that there are plenty of burrs where I hunt so a breed that has a coat that isn't too difficult to remove burrs from would be helpful.
Some breeds we are considering are:
Brittney Spaniel (maybe too energetic?)
English Springer Spaniel
Golden Retriever (maybe a little big)
Welsh Springer Spaniel (not very common so might be hard to find one)
So, I know there are lots of members with opinions and real life experience with bird dogs on this BBS and we'd be very interested in hearing some suggestions and comments.
Thanks,
Ron
