Hey Guys, my oldest Daughter (10 yrs old) is really asking to get a dog. She wants the dog as a pet/companion for her and her little sister (8 yrs old). The younger girl is more of a cat person and tends to be afraid of larger dogs. Given that, I want to select the right breed that will be smaller and less intimidating for her, but will be very friendly and gentle with them.

If we are going to get a dog, I would prefer to have one that is capable of being both the family pet as well as having some hunting skills. I enjoy both quail and dove hunting and used to run rabbits when my buddy had beagles. I take my girls with me. When they are ready I plan to let the shoot, but I'm not pushing them since they are happy just tagging along with me for now.

We are not really experienced dog people, but I am willing to spend time working and training one if we can get a breed that trains fairly easily. Our backyard is approximately 1/3 acre (fenced in) and we have access to a nice 10 acre field within short walking distance.

What breed should we be looking at that will train easily, not be too large, could hunt quail and retrieve doves, and make a nice loving family pet? If the dog could hunt rabbits too that would be nice, but I'm guessing the training would have to be for either birds or rabbits, but likely not both.

I wonder about a small female Brittany, but have never been around one. Thoughts?

Mark in GA

I had 3 brittanys over the years. I think they would be about ideal for what you want. Just pick a litter carefully.

Check out a French Brittany. I'd guess they're 25 to 30 pounds or so. Great upland bird dogs, but I don't know about bunnies.

Maybe a rescue dog that is already trained?

Good Luck!

My daughter is 10 and we picked out a Vizsla for her. Great hunting dog (so far) and it is hard to find a more loving dog!

Don't overlook two spaniel breeds: the Boykin and the English cocker. Both are flushing dogs, but they are also excellent retrievers and companions (make sure you get an English cocker from field stock, not pet or show stock).

Good advice above. We have FBECS and I think they would be just about ideal for the criteria you have mentioned. They are used extensively on the quail plantations in the South to flush up the coveys the big white dogs have gotten pinned down.

NB

I think a Brittany would be ideal but then I'm very prejudiced. Companionship is considered essential to the breed. (AKC) In fact Britts I've known crave human companionship and do best living in the house with you. They have a strong desire to please and for that can be a bit sensitive to correction, be gentle. In fact my Larry Britt would go his favorite corner in fear he did something wrong if Dad and I started talking loud on a subject up for debate.

Passing along advice from a cousin who breeds field trial Britts, be leery of a Britt from a field trial line. Field trial dogs are bred to be more energetic and can be a little on the hyper side for a companion dog. American Brittany Rescue can be a resource, besides giving a good home you get some history of the dog.

Get a Golden Retriever and you won't mind the size......they're the hands-down sweetest family dog you could ask for.

I think that would be my second choice, or maybe a Springer. But I like pointing dogs and wonder if hunting hasn't been inadvertently bred out of many Golden lines. Don't know but wonder. Has happened to some lines of Britts.

A springer would be a good choice too.....natural instincts and easy around the house. Choosing is half the fun!!

Here is my daughter's Vizsla. She is a real sweetheart and my daughter is 10 as well.

I'd say a Boykin, AWS, or Field bred Springer/Cocker. Sounds exactly like what you're looking for.

I just put my name on a list for a Pudelpointer in spring/summer 2014.

Our last dog was a lab, so I think this next one will be a good fit. The low shedding/good family dog were the top selling points.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pudelpointer

Toller would work out nicely... Just have to be careful where you leave the bottles of alcohol! :-D

That toller looks to be too young to legally consume alcohol...

My suggestion would be a small female Labrador from field lines or a Brittany.

We went that route with the last dog we had. She was a great dog in all respects, but the shedding was more that I wanted to do again. Unless you've had a Lab and are ready for that, you'll have no idea the level of hair you will be picking up in your house. That was the only downside with the breed.

That's the reason we went with a Pudelpointer this time.

Or you could have a Lab/Shepherd mix. Hey, available now and the price is right, meaning come get one.

2 black males left, one with a white star on his chest.

I think you will be hard pressed to find a better companion dog for your girls.

.

edit:
whoops, i always feel like an idiot replying to threads that are absent the OP. haha

That's an awesome looking dog. I can't myself not owning a GSP but if I were ever to experiment with a new breed, the Pudelpointer would be at the top of my list. I'd REALLY love to see some at work in person - that might just make the difference!!

MarkinGA,

You could do a lot worse than a Labrador Retriever, for what you want. Great family dogs, easy to train, and make great hunters.

Here's my female yellow lab, Dolly, as a little pup. She has grown into a well-mannered companion, loves people, and is a great upland bird hunter.

I'll chime in with my 2 cents. I've owned an American water spaniel, two Chesapeake Bay retrievers, and currently have a Labrador. If the Labrador had been my first dog, I probably wouldn't have had anything else. She has been easy to train, is gentle as a lamb with my wife's little Malti-poo, and has just been a great dog. As far as I'm concerned, for a person with little to no dog training experience, first time dog owner, wants a pet/hunting dog, dog that is good with kids, strangers, etc, there is no other breed to consider.
But whatever breed you choose to go with, my advice is this: if you are getting a pure breed, make sure you do some research on that breed and check out what health issues are prevalent; one of the more common ones is hip dysplasia. I was going to go with another Chessie prior to getting my Lab, but the breeder (who was asking $1200/pup) was not too forthcoming with the pedigrees of the parents or grandparents; when I pushed further, I got a bit of a scolding, told I didn't know what the hell I was talking about, etc. That threw up a BIG red flag for me, so I passed on a pup......later found the litter of labs (hobby breeder I found on a local sportsman's website) and asked him for the same information. Not only did he give me the parents and grandparents pedigree, but also the great grandparents as well. Turned out that all had excellent or very good hips and eyes. There is nothing worse that having a working dog go lame, esp. early on in their life. My female chessie had bad knees (nothing that could be predicted via X-rays, like hips) after two seasons, so for the next 8 years I had basically a house pet; she was a good dog, but I didn't buy her for a house pet......and when the kids & wife (and yourself) become emotionally attached, well....you end up trying to walk up birds and fetching your own ducks and doves.

I would also caution you to make sure you get a pup from field stock; avoid "pet" stock, "bench" stock, and "show" stock.....the difference is field stock are dogs that come from hunting back grounds; their breeders usually hunt, mom & dad had some good hunting abilities and the genetics was passed on (or that's the theory, anyway). Pet stock is usually just that....dogs are great as pets, but couldnt find their food bowls if they couldn't see 'em. Show stock are bred to look pretty...nothing more; don't let someone con you by saying "sure, they hunt".....haven't seen a show dog yet, of any breed, that was useful as a hunter. I've found this to be particularly true of Springers and English setters.
At any rate, I just thought I would pass this along....checking the pedigree of your prospective pup doesn't guarantee that you will get a dog with no health issues, but it will certainly hedge your bets!
Here is my current hunting dog, Ziva:




I would also suggest, if you truly want a hunting dog, to avoid "rescue" dogs.....I know some folks who have done very well going this route, but they were experienced dog folks who knew what to look for in a prospective dog. A lot of these dogs are "damaged" psycologically, and it takes a bit of "getting in their head" to figure out what their issues are and correct them. Plus, sometimes you have to deal with "shelter nazis" that demand access to your home at any time, well tell you what methods you must use, etc, etc, .....IMHO, it's not worth it.
Sorry to be so long winded; Good luck......keep us posted!

I'm very biased toward labs, having owned them most of my life, but I've also had Springers and a Chessie. Every person here is going to advise you with regard to the breeds that they are partial to, just the way it is.

When it comes to selecting a breed, it's important to realize that there is no such thing as a perfect breed. You want a small dog that will be easy to train and that will be good with your daughter. To get these attributes you may need to make concessions in other areas that you haven't listed.

The only truly small breeds will be spaniels, at least as far as dogs that are readily available. In my experience, spaniels are VERY affectionate, but can be more difficult to train than some other common breeds. Even those that are very biddable are wound a lot tighter than, for instance, a good lab. They will also shed nearly as bad as any lab.

As with any breed, you will need to carefully select from a breeder that has very good hunting lines. Preferably both parents and the bulk of the dogs in the background will hold hunt test or field trial titles. Check out both parents, if at all possible, and decide if their temperament is what you're looking for. You will have this dog for many years, don't rush into it, don't let price determine your choice, and don't make a poorly informed choice. Getting the right dog will provide many great memories for you and your family, getting the wrong one will mean that you have a worthless dog food recycler that you get to live with for the next decade plus.

If you get the dog as a puppy the young girl will see it grow up as a companion and friend, no matter how big in the end.

This might be a great opportunity to get her used to and unafraid of bigger dogs.

Llewellin setter pups grow into great family dogs who will point and do it with Class.


This was my Little Gus the day I had to put him down. He was awfully sick, but he still was full of HUNT.





Gus' mom, Cookie after she pointed then retrieved this wild chuckar.



100 pound Rocky, Gus' dad. Do you think she would be afraid of him?

That's one of the best "Gun Dog" pictures I've ever seen....gotta love it!!!

English Setters are still good as ever. Great hunters and couch potatoes at home.

DITTO on the Brittany.We have had 3 female britts the last 35 years.All we great with kids and loved to hunt.

I've got a female Brittany. She is an outside dog, but would absolutely love to be indoors and laying in your lap. Honestly, quite low shedding given what I've seen other dogs do.

Easy to train (as in smart), but easy to be too hard on and make them shy about things. They also have a bit of a goofy I'll do my own thing streak when out hunting. If you can handle that without getting mad, then a Brittany will be all that your daughter wants.

If ever you lose your Brit look up into large trees!

I have had two that climbed trees I couldn't.

Hi,

Since people are recommending some versatile dogs and you live in Ga...check out the navhda website and google buckeyes plantation in Jersey Ga. The navhda website will give you a list of the different versatiles.

The mid south navhda chapter meets at buckeyes for training. I take my Small Munsterlanders there on occasion to train and test - nice people in an Orvis like environment for cheap.

For a companion dog that is also a good upland bird dog, I would look to a Vizsla or a Weimaraner. Both train easily, point and retrieve well and generally like to be around people. Another breed that might surprise you is the miniature or standard poodle.
http://www.harmonyhuntingpudels.com/index.html
http://www.thepoodleguy.com/about-us/

Volhard�s Puppy Aptitude Testing:
http://www.volhard.com/pages/pat.php

When picking a puppy for an upland game dog, I put a dead mouse in my pant cuff, and then walk around and through the litter. The first couple that chase after and scratch at the cuff I evaluate by Volhard�s scale.

A Gordon setter would be as good. Just remember that setters, or any hunting dog, needs frequent exercise.

Lots of good advice here. If you decide on a Labrador Retriever Training Forums classifies are a good place to start.

+1 on the Boykin. Great family dogs. Non aggressive. super retrievers and some are pointing now.

My advice would be a Golden Retriever, or a Springer Spaniel. The Visalia is a good one as well but needs a lot of exercise. Labs are great but watch the breeding. Get one from hunting lines.

I'd also recommend a Boykin spaniel if you want a smaller flusher/retrieving dog that's also a good pet. They are a very special breed. French Brittany or the English cocker would be my second and third choice given that you want to stay with a smaller dog. Check out the characteristics of all of them and visit a kennel that raises good hunting stock before you decide. These are energetic dogs that need exercise and play everyday so be prepared to put in the time to train your dog and keep him out of mischief.

This little buddy showed up last week. Smooth coat male called "Finn".

biased - beagle