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My lab just turned nine and I am starting to research different breeds knowing that in the next couple years I will need to pick up another hunting dog.
I currently hunt Pheasant and Grouse with my lab. I also waterfowl hunt, but have only used my buddies dog for this so far.

I tried a GSP for a few years but honestly it was just too much dog for our family. My skills at training a pointer were lacking and our lifestyle was just too busy to give the dog the attention and excersise it deserved. Fortunately a good friend of our family was able to adopt him from us.

So now that I am casually looking at dog breeds I am curious what the Fire would recommend as far as gun dog breeds go.
The pheasant hunting I do is on stocked birds in swamps, hardwoods, and fields. The ruffed grouse hunting I do is in Northern Maine and ranges from moderate to thick cover.

I hunt anywhere from 1-3 days a week during the bird season here. The dog would need to be a pet first and a hunter second. I prefer a dog that hunts close. (My lab stays within shotgun range most of the time). I am not opposed to another Lab but would like to try a different breed if I can find the right one.

I was reading about the Clumber Spaniel and their slow methodical hunting stye. I have yet to talk to an owner of this breed yet so getting first hand experience has been difficult

My kids like the looks of the Pudel Pointer and Pointing Griffon but I worry that they are as hyper as the GSP.

Any breed or info you guys could give would be greatly appreciated. I still feel like I have some time to make decision so I am not in a huge rush to pick a breed and breeder. I would rather put the time in doing research while I can.

Thanks

Probably stick with a good lab based on what you describe.

If you want a pointing breed, a Brittany spaniel would fit the bill. VG pets/house dogs and easy training as well. And if you would like the try a spaniel, either Springer or an English Cocker would be the best bets. Any of those breeds would do great on stocked pheasants and partridge too. I would not recommend a Clumber. .

While another lab seems a fit, I’d second a Brit, IF you can get one from good, foot hunting stock and not trial stock. .....and yes, English cockers, springers, Boykin, AWS, ‘can’ fit that mold well, too. I’ve hunted with some great Pudelpointers, GWHPGs, and other versatile/euro breeds that were great dogs, but all were higher amperage than what you describe.

Stick with the Lab.......................................

You can have a Field Springer or Cocker hunt close, but the good ones have to be trained to it. And the “good” ones are usually speed freeks. It takes some dedicated time in training to reign them in.

Had both and they can tear it up....which is the fun part.....😉

Thank you for the suggestions. Out of curiosity, why would you not recommend the Clumber? I can find very little first hand experience of them.

Thank you

A decent Lab will do everything you asked for in spades... don't make it more difficult.

There are plenty of good hunting dog breeds but what's wrong with another Lab? Seems like it would work fine for the type of hunting you describe and as a pet.

Someone wrote somewhere, not sure but I think it was John Barsness, something to the effect that overall Labs were kind of like a 30-06 as to versatility and chances of it doing what you want. Good description IMO and IME.

You can find little because they are not that popular as gun Dogs...Which means finding one with a good nose is even more difficult...If you are willing to go to or find an import from England you may hit the lotto....

https://www.clumbers.org/

I guess that would explain it.Thanks
I'll just start looking at labs again. Thanks everyone

yep. stick with lab if you want a companion. The other breeds require too much time and year round exercise, training at least the first 3 to 5 years.I think you already learned that with your gsp. Be cruel to do that to another dog

They all require exercise to stay in hunting shape...and Labs perhaps as much as any....fattest Dogs I most commonly run into are Labs that don’t get run.

Bird Dogs require Birds to be good... and for most hunters today, getting into Birds requires a commitment of time and effort.....the first 3-5 years are perhaps the most important.

Bonus gun dog loony points for the Clumber. Hard to beat a spaniel for a companion/hunter.

Pick the attributes that matter the most to you in a breed and go from there. I have Boykins, love ‘em! Nothing wrong with any of the other breeds either, just need to suit your purpose. One caveat, Labs are easy to find....... finding one that hunts can be more of a challenge. Far too many have had the “bird” bred out of them as they are just pets often. If you go that route, make sure you find a litter from hunting stock.

I will answer based on my experience at a RGS fun trial here in TC a few years ago. Its basically a "meet and greet" event to promote RGS and build support for the local chapter. In the flushing dog class I had my brace of FBECS entered plus a couple Springers, a Golden, a bunch of labs, a AWS and two Clumber spaniels. I had never seen one in the field before. The Clumbers were 50-60 pounds each, longish body, short legs, HUGE long and thick coat, and droopy eye lids which would collect copious amounts of debris in the woods/ fields.The birds were good flying chuckers salted down the fields.


My Rocky, who was around 2 yo at the time, was braced with one of the Clumbers. Rocky took off like a rocket and cleaned the field of birds except for one which the other guy walked up and shot and Rocky promptly retrieved to me. The Clumber was s*l*o*w*, painfully slow, snuffling along with his head on the ground and never got 50' from his master for the entire half hour.It was like watching a glacier move. Literally!! The other Clumber moved down the bird field exactly the same way. Rocky took second.

I suppose that if a guy had severe arthritis in both knees and had to use a cane to walk in the grouse woods, a Clumber spaniel might be a good fit for his grouse gunning???

Hope this helps.

NB

We lucked out with our current Lab, She came from a local hunter who bred his dogs once. She is an absolute machine in the woods and has the best nose I have ever hunted over. I have often gone into a field/woods to hunt and have had other hunters tell me that they just hunted it for a couple hours and couldn't find any birds. Within minutes my dog would be flushing something. This has happened many times. She just finds birds.

Unfortunately the folks we got her from only bred their dogs once and don't plan to do it again so I will have to find a new lab breeder.

Thank you for replying, This is very helpful information. I consider myself a slower walker but it sounds like the Clumber may be a little too slow for me. I also have concerns about the droopy eyes with the type of woods I hunt in Northern Maine. Much of times I end up in woods so thick it is difficult to get a swing on a flushed grouse without hitting tree branches with my barrels, I imagine that type of terrain would not only be difficult for that breed but probably pretty bad for their eyes.

The breed is very interesting to me but I think maybe I will keep on looking around and gathering information for now. Thank you