Mutts have worked well for us a couple times.
I had a GSP crossed with an English Water Spaniel that was stupid smart and loved to hunt whatever you wanted. I mostly expected a bird dog, but as he got a little past puppy stuff he started in on all kinds of stuff, and would retrieve anything. Weirdest was a marmot, jumped out of the truck going slowly through a neighborhood to kill and bring back a cat, fetched muskrat out of ditches, and all kinds of birds, squirrels, and rabbit.
Have a what looks to be a McNabb crossed German shepherd. She's mostly got the mannerisms of a cow dog but protective like the GS.
