The hard to handle thing means the handler needs training most of the time. I'd recommend using the Wolters book [/i]"Gun Dog"[i] for pointing dogs and [/i]"Water Dog"[i] for retrievers as a starting point. Dogs aren't a mystery to train if you have an idea of what you are doing. Like children consistancy and understanding they aren't as smart as you makes all the difference.
You may not want a field trial dog because the hunting traits they have do not fit your style. Most foot hunters do not want a dog that makes 600 yard casts or doesn't retrieve. Many hunters want pointing dogs to be in gun range and that's just silly. Know how the dogs from that line hunt and what you really want before you make a choice.
There is as much variation in dogs of the same litter as between breeds, remember that.
