3 Popular Sporting Dog Breeds You Might Want to Avoid

Most folks won’t dive deep into pedigrees or enlist the help of someone who understands that game. They’ll buy a dog because they had a certain breed growing up. Or, because they like the looks of a type of hunting dog. When it comes to the popular breeds, like Labs or German shorthairs, there is a little safety here.

The availability of standard-issue dogs in both breeds can help, just like it can with any of the widespread options. It’s often when you go to a more niche breed, or breeds that have fallen out of favor, that you can run into trouble. There is no better example of this than a dog that was once America’s favorite–the golden retriever.

Golden Retrievers

Before you get out the pitchforks, listen up. I love golden retrievers. I’ve owned them. I think they can be amazing dogs. I also think when it comes to hunting drive, avoiding general quirkiness, and the availability of good bloodlines, a Lab is a better choice.

For starters, genetically, a lot of golden retrievers are dumpster fires. The popularity they reached in the 70s and 80s led to an explosion in golden puppies. It also led to a lot of terrible breeding, not dissimilar to what you see in the doodle or French bulldog crowds right now.

Goldens used to be a go-to hunting breed, but they aren’t anymore. This is because so much show breeding has entered the bloodlines. The flowy coats, the goofball personality, and the big butts are hallmarks of this breed. Unfortunately, so are a host of genetic issues and a high propensity to develop cancer.

If goldens are your jam, and you want one to hunt with, then look into field-bred goldens. There are some great lines out there that contain smaller, darker-colored, hunting machines. They’ll cost you plenty because they aren’t that common, but that’s a buy-once, cry-once situation.

Take it from a guy who had to put down a prime-age golden due to kidney failure, not all goldens are created equal. Field-bred dogs are the ticket if you go this route.

German Wirehaired Pointers

If you want to give yourself a headache, try to quickly figure out the difference between a German Wirehaired Pointer and a Deutsch Drahthaar. It’s part academics, part testing standards, and part country of origin (kind of).

They are more popular than ever, and honestly, I understand why. GWPs generally have drive for days, look cool as hell doing their thing, and can be like the Swiss Army knife of hunting dogs. They can also be a huge pain in the ass for someone who isn’t prepared for them.

Now, this can be said for all high-drive dogs, but this breed is consistently ready to go. My first experience hunting with one was an eye-opener. The dog ran through the entire cattail slough three times in a matter of maybe five minutes. It never pointed a bird, but it did point a rabbit and get into a nasty fight with a raccoon. We found out, due to my dog, that it missed several birds in the slough. It was like a Tasmanian devil out there, and that wasn’t much fun.

You can point to bad training and maybe bad blood, but there’s also the truth that it’s easy to praise a breed for its skills until you own one. For the right person, there is no better dog choice. For most people who aren’t ready to put in the time or manage a dog with as much fur drive as bird drive, they are not a great choice.

If you live out west and hunt a variety of upland birds, maybe some waterfowl, and might use your dog for tracking wounded game animals, you might not be able to make a better choice. If you live in the suburbs of Chicago and spend four days a year hunting planted birds in South Dakota, then it might be a disaster.

Springer Spaniels

I have a soft spot in my heart for springers. I love their looks, their enthusiasm, and I’ve shot a fair amount of birds over them. Today, they are almost a symbol of the good old days of bird hunting. It’s just not too common to pull up to a parking area on public land somewhere and see someone running a springer for roosters or grouse or whatever.

They’ve fallen out of favor. Part of it might be that some of them have a tendency to go nuts, which is referred to as springer rage. Some folks argue this isn’t a real thing, but the only dog I’ve ever seen that totally flipped his bobber and went truly insane was a springer. It was ugly, and so dangerous.

If you spend some time doing your due diligence on the right bloodlines, you can still find a springer that will hunt all day and be a great companion at home. Or, you can go with an English cocker spaniel, which is a breed that has sort of filled in the springer niche. They have the same hunting style, look similar, and there are plenty of good bloodlines available.

For more info on hunting dogs, check out these articles: Deer Hunting with Dogs, Should I Give My Dog CBD?, and How to Leash Train a Dog. Or tune into Houndations on the Cal of the Wild Podcast.

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