I'm also looking for a dog. Giving myself 6-8 months to do research and find out what I really want. I want a retriever that is good with young kids as well. I don't really want a Lab, because everybody has one. It is the most popular dog in the U.S., with good reason, but still, I want something different. Spent 7 hours on the internet yesterday looking. Was at work and had nothing better to do. Ran across a breed called Pudelpointer. Liked what I read, but don't want to make a decision based on the internet by people who breed the dogs. Does anyone have any actual experience with this dog? They are not an AKC breed, but I don't care. I want a hunting dog, not a show dog. Any info or fact-based opinions would be appreciated.