Need help choosing a dog breed

[Atroxus]

My wife finally gave the go ahead to start looking for a family dog that I can train for hunting....if I can find one that meets a certain set of criteria. I don't know what if any breeds would meet the requirements, but I'll list them all in order of importance from most to least important.

1. Good with kids
2. Less than 50 lbs but not small enough to punt.
3. Short haired and/or doesn't shed a lot
4. Trainable for waterfowl
5. Trainable for upland birds

Could use as big of a list as possible in case she decides to veto a couple breeds.

***Edited requirement list for focus just on bird hunting***

[Kola16]

<50 lbs. 

[lokidog]

Springer spaniel, not sure on the coons though.  Boykins are pretty cool little dogs as well, though maybe harder to find.

Hard to beat a golden but... hairy and a bit over 50 pounds.

What is your budget, purebreeds are dang expensive these days.

[Huntbear]

My wife finally gave the go ahead to start looking for a family dog that I can train for hunting....if I can find one that meets a certain set of criteria. I don't know what if any breeds would meet the requirements, but I'll list them all in order of importance from most to least important. 5 and 6 are optional, but if there are any breeds that can be a do-it-all hunting dog that meet 1-4 that would be ideal.

1. Good with kids
2. Less than 50 lbs but not small enough to punt.
3. Short haired and/or doesn't shed a lot
4. Trainable for waterfowl
5. Trainable for Upland Birds
6. Trainable for hunting other game such as raccoons.

Could use as big of a list as possible in case she decides to veto a couple breeds.

Coon dogs are hounds, not bird dogs.  They are typically hard mouthed, vs. a soft mouthed bird dog.   German Wirehair Pointers are dogs that are supposedly multi purpose dogs.  They have a slightly longer wiry coat.  Not sure they make the weight requirement.   Mine is probably a bit over 50 lbs.  Peak weight is gonna be about 60 lbs.   Gonna be real tough to hit all 6.  4 is very doable.    Remember females are going to be smaller than males. 

Brittany's would be a good bird dog, but longer hair, and not going to hunt coons.   Price wise on purebreds is going to start at 5-600.00 and up for puppies.

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

A Siberian husky, great hunting dogs and family dogs.  Now getting them to retrieve is the hardest part!

[Kola16]

My wife finally gave the go ahead to start looking for a family dog that I can train for hunting....if I can find one that meets a certain set of criteria. I don't know what if any breeds would meet the requirements, but I'll list them all in order of importance from most to least important. 5 and 6 are optional, but if there are any breeds that can be a do-it-all hunting dog that meet 1-4 that would be ideal.

1. Good with kids
2. Less than 50 lbs but not small enough to punt.
3. Short haired and/or doesn't shed a lot
4. Trainable for waterfowl
5. Trainable for Upland Birds
6. Trainable for hunting other game such as raccoons.

Could use as big of a list as possible in case she decides to veto a couple breeds.

Coon dogs are hounds, not bird dogs.  They are typically hard mouthed, vs. a soft mouthed bird dog.   German Wirehair Pointers are dogs that are supposedly multi purpose dogs.  They have a slightly longer wiry coat.  Not sure they make the weight requirement.   Mine is probably a bit over 50 lbs.  Peak weight is gonna be about 60 lbs.   Gonna be real tough to hit all 6.  4 is very doable.    Remember females are going to be smaller than males. 

Brittany's would be a good bird dog, but longer hair, and not going to hunt coons.   Price wise on purebreds is going to start at 5-600.00 and up for puppies.

Ya, it is tough to get all 6 in there 

Brittany's do shed a lot. I have watched over one a few times. It's coat is very nice..........when you keep it in doors. When I take that dog to do anything  Plus they shed a lot. Although they are <50 

[Stilly bay]

field bred english cocker. good enough for west side duck hunting -not sea ducks. hell on wheels for pheasants, grouse, and rabbits. small but stout. cute as bugs ear.

they shed as much as any dog, probably less than a lab. luckily they come in a variety of colors to match your decor and wardrobe.

I wouldn't go after coons with one... I wouldn't go after coons with a draht for that matter... or with a coon hound... I give enough money to my vet clinic as is.

[Atroxus]

Budget is very limited if I want to get a dog soon. Once I have a list of possible breeds we will be looking at rescues shelters and such to try to adopt. Not planning on a purebred, but not completely ruling out the possibility of saving my pennies either if I can't find anything suitable from a shelter. If I did go for buying a dog from a breeder that would push my timeline back well into next year or farther. If I can find a suitable adoption dog though I may be looking at around Christmas time this year. I had a cocker spaniel as a kid. Great dogs but I may have a hard time getting my wife to go for one because of the fur.

[jetjockey]

Finding a dog who will do all 6 is gonna be tough.  With that said, a Brit will do 4 1/2 pretty dang well.  They are under 50 (breed standard is 40 lbs max but many go up to 50lbs), they are great with kids, great upland dogs, breeding is moving towards short hair, and people do train them for waterfowl, but depending on the level of retrieve they may need to be Force fetched.  They might be just a little on the hyper side in a blind, but again, if you want to put the time and energy in, training will fix that.  They won't handle the cold water as well as a lab, cheesie,or a GWP, but typically all of those are over 50, and I know for a fact, labs shed like a mother-------...  Just ask my vacuum.  A springer would be a great choice as well but with today's breeding of Brits moving towards short hair with just a little feathering, a springer will shed more and be higher maintenance grooming wise. A Boykin might be a great choice.  They have lots of them down here in the south, but I'm not sure how easy they are to come by back home in the PNW.  No matter what you pick, there will be some trade offs.  Just decide what is most important and go from there. 

[akirkland]

Throw that list out the window and just get a dang lab! Best all around dog on the planet....hands down!

[elkinrutdrivemenuts]

Throw that list out the window and just get a dang lab! Best all around dog on the planet....hands down!

Agreed!!!  Haven't met a disappointed owner yet.

[Atroxus]

Ya, a lab would probably be my first choice but wife said "hell no". Too big, and shed too much.  I like my dogs on the larger side, my wife likes ankle-biters. Personally I think anything small enough to punt does not qualify as a dog.

Here is my list so far. Anyone help me order them from strongest to weakest in terms of retrieving? The german wirehaired is a bit too heavy, but looking at length of fur on the AKC site I might be able to get some give on the weight if I go with a female and exagerate the weight difference between males and females a bit. I am still open to other suggestions as well. Other breeds that meet the shedding requirements but are only slightly over 50 Lbs may be doable.

English Cocker Spaniel - 26-34Lbs
Springer Spaniel - 40-50Lbs
Boykin Spaniel - 30-40Lbs
German Wirehaired Pointer - 45-75Lbs
Brittany - 30-40Lbs
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon - 50-60Lbs
German Shorthaired Pointer - 55-70 Lbs

[Stilly bay]

Budget is very limited if I want to get a dog soon. Once I have a list of possible breeds we will be looking at rescues shelters and such to try to adopt. Not planning on a purebred, but not completely ruling out the possibility of saving my pennies either if I can't find anything suitable from a shelter. If I did go for buying a dog from a breeder that would push my timeline back well into next year or farther. If I can find a suitable adoption dog though I may be looking at around Christmas time this year. I had a cocker spaniel as a kid. Great dogs but I may have a hard time getting my wife to go for one because of the fur.

a good dog is worth the research, wait, and money. your going to be spending hopefully 10+ years hunting behind this dog- might as well stack the deck in your favor...

IMO the best bet for a guy with limited bird dog experience on a budget would be a field bred english springer. the average show springer usually has enough hunt in them to get you by. but a good field bred english springer with moderate obedience training will be able to teach you more about bird hunting than you would ever be able to teach it.
I also think the odds of finding a strong hunting springer in a rescue are pretty good.

even german shorthairs will leave dust bunnies if you don't suck it up, but a springer can't come close to a lab for shedding.

some *censored* will undoubtedly bring up springer rage, today springer rage is as common as rattlesnakes on the West side.

[runamuk]

Budget is very limited if I want to get a dog soon. Once I have a list of possible breeds we will be looking at rescues shelters and such to try to adopt. Not planning on a purebred, but not completely ruling out the possibility of saving my pennies either if I can't find anything suitable from a shelter. If I did go for buying a dog from a breeder that would push my timeline back well into next year or farther. If I can find a suitable adoption dog though I may be looking at around Christmas time this year. I had a cocker spaniel as a kid. Great dogs but I may have a hard time getting my wife to go for one because of the fur.

what about a field spaniel.....http://www.akc.org/breeds/field_spaniel/index.cfm  not as intense of coat as a cocker or springer for that matter......small....they are not real common but might be worth a little looking around... I used to see a handful of them at the dog shows neat dogs if you are into spaniels.

your list is really tough to get in a package based on a breed, its more likely you might find an individual dog but the list is tough I had a similar one and after much research discovered either the coat had to change or size had to change.... I like big dogs but they are not always easy with small children simply due to size.
I am one of the few who just isn't a lab person so understand the desire to find something else, that said you might find a smaller lab mix.  Also my experience is shorthaired dogs actually often shed more than long hairs, just long hair requires brushing to keep tidy and tangle free...

[KFhunter]

My britt is short hair with slight feathering - not all britts have the long coats, the house is very clean and shed hair free.  You can pick up her bed and shake it and no hair mat will fall off it like a lab bed.

and she makes for all the points you mentioned, but I haven't taken her coon hunting but she loves fur - I have no question weither she'd put a coon in a tree, her nose would be to the ground and she'd harass the hell out of a coon until it went up some bark.  She woudn't have enough grit to finish a coon, but she wouldn't run away.  She'd get up close and duck and dodge feints from a coon and nip at it's rear if it ran.  I'm pretty sure she'd send it up a tree, but a big boar cold get ahold of her and she'd be ruined off coons I think.  for coons I'd get a dog with all grit and very little intellegence, britts are too smart to get tore up and beg for more.


I've seen her run up a tree and catch a squirrel with her paws about 6-8 feet up a tree like a cat and knock it down and kill it. If I wanted a squirrel dog she'd be hell on them.  I will do rabbit training this fall, but mostly she is birds.


You did not mention if you wanted a pointer or flusher