Lots to choose from. Lots of great ideas. I grew up hunting upland in Washington over flushing labs. Very similar to Idaho. Lots of fun, but I have a pudelpointer now and I would not use a flushing breed again. The ability of a dog to range, locate/point, hold point until you get there to flush is priceless compared to chasing after birdy flushing dogs. My PP is great for both upland and waterfowl. I would have no problem using her exclusively as an upland dog. PP's come in different coats. Medium course wiry, fleece (like a goldendoodle -- terrible for hunting), smooth. For upland, I would consider a smooth coat. My PP's medium course hair collects stuff and she runs hot which we can manage fine, but I think a smooth coat would get the job done better. Another attribute I can't emphasis enough is her prey drive and motor is really strong and she's bright and trainable. The other attribute I like is when she walks in the house, she mellows out and turns everything off. She also doesn't shed. You have good breeders in the area -- Cedarwoods, Prairie Trout, etc. Prairie Trout has a stellar smooth coat dame named Star. I would reach out to them to pick their brains. They are a great resource to understand PP's. I also like GWP's. I hunt with a buddy's and it is a tank with a strong prey drive and unstoppable motor.
First off, a Llewellin is merely a particular line of English Setters. Richard Llewellin was good buddies with the founder of the Field Dog Stud Book (I forget his name) and Llewellin got him to register Llewellin's dogs as a separate breed. That foolishness went on for a few decades until the present where Llewellin's are now recognized as a line of English Setters that can trace their pedigree directly back to Llewellin's dogs.
That is an awful lot of dogs and one should not pay a premium for the Llewellin name. I've had two so called "Llewellins" and they were not any better nor any worse than the other ES dogs I've owned. My best two ESs were not Llewellins though the one probably had some in him based on looks. I wouldn't have bothered with the DNA test to prove its Llewellin heritage as it is meaningless.
As to which dog breed, that is a tough one. I prefer pointering breeds of one sort or another. My preference is for English Setters and the various wirehair breeds but I have owned maybe a dozen different pointing breeds as well as hunt over that many more.
Your best bet is to find a breeder that breeds for so called close ranging dogs. This will vary per breed per line and even dog but it is a start. A cooperative dog will adjust its range to the cover so "close working" can vary greatly depending on how far the dog can see and/or hear you.
I've owned flushers too, a pair of Springers as well as a half dozen Labs used as flushers. Plus an Aussie/Pitbull mix that is my current flusher. They really fit well with Minnesota's late season pheasant hunting habitat but flushers are just not my thing now that I am older. If you train so the dog will stop even when on a hot scent so you can catch up they aren't bad but few wish to put in the time to do so. My current flusher was the easiest to teach but it's breeding is toward obedience moreso than hunting.
I can't give you much advice on picking out a dog there other than look for the lighter built Labs for the uplands. They seem to have more endurance. And eat less leaving smaller messes. There are a number of heavy "duck dogs" in this region so finding an upland line can be a bit tougher. Also, look close to verify the spaniel is from field stock rather than bench. That applies to English Setters above also.
My vote is Brittany spaniel. I have hunted over them since 1974. Medium size, easy to train, and good house dogs. My last Brittany is in my avatar picture. Which seems to have disappeared.
Never owned a Brittany but I have hunted many miles behind one and have not so far hunted with any other dog that was any better . My personal choice would be a German Shorthair from a line that produces medium to close working dogs. Both are very versatile .
Grumpy old man with a gun.....Do not touch . Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. Don't bother my monument and I'll leave yours alone.
German Shorthairs for me, but its always a Ford vs Chevy thing. I like the short coat that doesn't collect burrs. Wife bought a golden doodle (yeah, eye roll) for her housedog pet. That thing is the calmest I've ever been around and smart as a whip. But that long haired coat is a burr collecting machine when running out in the weeds.
Can't quite agree with the ford vs Chevy thing. Im of the opinion that the dog needs to fit the personality & drive of the handler. I have had a German short hair & that dog fit my drive & personality at that stage of my life. He was a pure pleasure to watch work & like eluded to above, low maintenance in terms of dealing with coat.
Though at this stage in my life If was looking for a upland game dog Id seriously have to consider a Drahthaar (German wirehair) seen many others above referred to the Drahthaar / German-wirehair & one - may have called them an ugly dog. Now I have seen some ugly Drahthaar's, though they can clean up really nice with a bit of grooming. I understand they can be amazing to watch work as well. Personally I favor the white & liver coloration.
Your personality, your choice, put in some serious thought as to what will fit you & work with a few kennels to see if they may help you select a dog to fit your personality.
All I can offer is to say that you should buy only from a Breeder that Trials their own dogs. There are far too many "AKC" dogs being bred by folks that don't understand what they are doing and simply see $ signs.
I know everyone has their own preferences, really just wanted to consider some other possibilities based on fellow sportsman’s experience. Right now, I’m leaning towards a Llewellin. Does anyone have any experience with this breed?
Off the beaten path for sure, but my current gun dog is a German Wachtelhund. He chases hair/fur and yelps (the Germans term is “gives tongue” of “spurlat”) and feathers he is whisper quite and fierce for retrieval. I’ve shot quail, pheasant and woodcock in front of his flush and he has retrieved literally well over a 1000 birds over ten years. For a while he was the only retriever in camp.
Mine was out of “Last Chance Wachtelhunds” in Montana. Their website has a few pics from when they shipped him to Louisiana.
Tim should like this one....For fun....A Boykin taking care of business....I think he could handle the uplands also...
No joke, Harry! Those were some exciting hints to watch. For whatever reason, I just prefer to watch Spaniels work. We’ve got a Boykin going with us to South Dakota this year. I’d love to see him work with Merlot.
Tim....I arrive on November 3rd, for 3 weeks...Hope some of our times are the same.
At 7 this is the first summer I've seen Merlot slow down a little. Been crazy hot here, so he has not been getting much running it. Then there is the Georgia Wild man..."The Hyg."....He is the definition of a pocket rocket. Someplace in his body is a big spring and it is wound tight.
Had a male Boykiin. Absolute toughest dog I've ever been around. Couldn't wear him down and only shot ducks over him. Only hunted him by himself as he was ill to other male dogs. He loved to work and was all in in the roughest, wooliest, swamps and rivers. Lived for retrieving. Not a house dog at all. Didn't want alot of petting, etc..............Would have made a fantastic bomb or drug K9. Good luck with your choice!
Tim....I arrive on November 3rd, for 3 weeks...Hope some of our times are the same.
At 7 this is the first summer I've seen Merlot slow down a little. Been crazy hot here, so he has not been getting much running it. Then there is the Georgia Wild man..."The Hyg."....He is the definition of a pocket rocket. Someplace in his body is a big spring and it is wound tight.
Harry, I’m bummed. Looks like we are the group just before you arrive. We will be getting home about the time you head out there. I was hoping that there would be a bit of overlap. We will try to save you a few birds.
For myself in that situation I would probably be looking to find a nice, low-key Brittany Spaniel or LLewellin (English) Setter, already well on it's way to being steady, etc. At this stage in my life (67) I would not be comfortable with a hi-energy hunting machine, rather a nice calm dog that is easy to live with.