Hunting dog/ companion breed

I am looking to get a hunting dog, And family companion. I have had a couple labs in the past. One good and one worthless. I have always been partial to labs. I want to use a dog for upland bird hunting and Duck hunting, and when i go duck hunting it will not be an all day event in real foul weather. I really probably wont go hunting more than 3 times a year. So it will really be more of a house: family companion. I was going to get another lab and now i am thinking maybe trying something different and getting a german wired hair. I want a good family companion and at a drop of a whim have him ready to go hunting. What are your suggestions in those or other breds. Also male or female. Either one i am sure we will get it fixed.

I suggest a golden retriever as a great all-around dog. Our golden is of excellent hunting stock but admittedly I never hunted him. For various reasons, including time and family commitments, it just was not in the cards. I worried about this alot but he is such a great family dog that it eases the mind.
Also, when he sees a feral cat, squirrel, bird, etc., he goes in hunting mode immediately. He is a joy to watch when he does this. He then snaps right back to being your best friend when the chase is over. Easy to train and loving.
I am sure you will get many good suggestions. Good luck and hope you find the right dog.

A female lab is hard to beat and as near guaranteed as any dog could be. I have not heard of one who was not a great family/house dog. Most hunt and some are outstanding hunters. Lots of other good hunting dogs are not so great at retrieving and letting you actually have the bird.

Best dog I ever had was a mutt Lab and Brittany mix that dog knew what I was going to do before I did.

A Redbone hound.

Actually any hound. I just like mine

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Do you run coons with him? I haven’t ran coons in my last 30 years and would like to go agian? Although i dont think i would care to have coon hounds

English labrador retriever

I miss my hounds. But if household pet and hunt is your preference nothing beats a feist.

I want a German Shorthaired Pointer.

Beagle but not much of a upland game dog, but rabbits they are the best.

I had one for 16 years. Smartest dog I ever saw.
My yellow lab now is 12. Great dog, lots of heart but nowhere near the GSP in smarts.

These are not my dog's however you can see just how much like Velcro they are... As far as upland game bird dog you will find this breed extra excellent!

Not sure how they are with ducks my guess is not too good...

They are Vizsla's they are great dogs in my opinion...

Here are some facts about the breed...

They always stick to their master and serves as a great companion. Initially, this dog breed was developed to serve as retrievers or pointers who worked in close collaboration with hunters. It is the reason why these dogs lean against their masters and act as foot warmers.

Vizslas thrive well when they get human attention. They also bond very strongly and are quite talkative to their masters. They make noises, moan, and whine to make sure their owners are aware of them. Since the Vizsla is a people-loving canine, it suits indoors.

Isn’t it surprising to know that the Vizslas do not shed? However, this is just a myth. Indeed, the puppies in this group do not shed much. But the statement does not hold true for the adults. The short-haired adult Vizslas do shed a lot continuously. It is just that their hair is short because of which shedding conditions are hardly noticeable.


This dog breed is the ideal match for owners of dog-keeping enthusiasts who do not like to bathe their canines regularly. Vizslas are low maintenance dogs, especially when it comes to grooming. Brushing them every week would be enough to keep them mess-free. You can trim their nails at least once in two months.


If reports are to be believed, the Vizslas have been around for over 1000 years. They are considered to be the descendants of hunting dogs utilized by the Magyars in Hungary. Since they are known to be talented hunting animals, in Hungary, these dogs were even used for delivering messages in times of wars.













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IMO you can't really go wrong with a lab, had them all my life. They all were/are trapline companions, upland hunters, duck blind dogs, retrievers of anything and everything and gentlemen house dogs.

My current lab is probably the dumbest lab ever owned and he can be a but of an arsehole but he is far and away the best hunter I've owned. I bought from a kennel that breeds high-performing hunting dogs and hunt champions. Unfortunately, I realized too late that they bred all the good lab qualities out of their dogs in the process. He's still a keeper though.

Cute but not very bright at times my ride along pal I say go for a ride she jumps to her feet and is ready to go.

Sounds like a lab is a good fit. We have a deposit on an American water spaniel for this spring, another do it all breed that doesn’t take up as much space as labs. Love our springer for upland but he can’t handle cold water at all.

I'm also thinking about getting an AWS from Dale Creek.

Ruby's a she.
And I will start training her with coon this mid winter....if we have a warm up.

She's going to be my helper with The 8 grandkids .

I remember looking at their webpage when we were looking around. We’re getting our from Little Brownies, a few hours south of us in MI. I’ve heard a lot of good things but never seen one work in the field. Feels like the perfect dog for the type of upland and small water ducking I do.

Black and tan hounds are Great too

I had a shorthair that i hunted hard for about 9 years. That, and taking grounders id hit with a tennis ball were all that dog cared about in life. I personally think certain hard chargin bird hunting breeds live to hunt and itd be a disservice to not take them several times a year. Had a lab and now a lab/springer mix. Both are more affectionate than that shorthair was. The mix loves to hunt, but i can definitely tel the difference in drive/ability from the shorthair. I havent met any labs that blow my mind finding LIVE birds either, the springer in this one makes her more fun i think when she gets birdy she lives up to the “springer” name. But man are labs friendly and they definitely suffice to kick a few birds up.

Tough to beat an English Lab.

Moosetrot

English Lab

He’s not a huntin dog but he loves his dad!

That’s the most important thing for the rest is just a bonus.

I have German Wirehair’s a old male 13 and a pup 2 both are hard hunters as well as good and indoor pets, these are my second and third Wirehair’s and all 3 have been excellent companions and hunters, except my first had a thing for porcupines and just couldn’t leave them alone, except for that she was a top notch dog

Over the years I have had Irish setters, Gordon setters, Walker hounds, American water Spaniels and many others of pure and mixed blood and all have been good dogs some better hunters then others but all have been eager to please

I think a large part of having a good dog rests a large part

on the owner

But you can’t go wrong on a wirehair in my opinion