Labs are supposed to do AMAZING waterfowl work. They never made a Lab yet that has qualified for a Cover Dog Championship or the Field Trial Championship. They may place amongst the GSP's and Pointing Spaniels, but they don't run for long against the good Setters and English Pointers. A good one of either of those two would have the field cleaned before a pointing Lab finished their first kennel point. Reverse the rolls and a three legged Lab will leave the pointing breeds looking for a pat on the head when it comes to playing the swimming/retrieving game.
Addition: That being said I saw a runt midget Lab work that had as good a nose as any hunting Dog that ever lived. He may have hit 40 pounds on a good day. He covered ground fast and knew how to pace himself. He would have made an excellent flusher on Grouse or Pheasants. To ask that Dog to shut down his drive to put Birds into the air would have plainly been wrong. Then again, I had a great Springer that in the end would point. But only if he thought you were out of shooting range. He had the game figured out, but it was almost near the end of his days. Both were extreme exceptions to the norm.
Last edited by battue; 02/13/19.
