I love to watch a good bird dog in action..
My Lab was a great hunter.
He was so proud of himself when he found and/ or retrieved a bird.

I do not like dogs to chase bear or deer for hunting.
In NJ it is illegal.
My ex used to run them in Maine.
Many of the dogs were shredded to pieces.
No one thought twice of leaving a dying dog behind.

I'm back from my Colorado hunting trip. I didn't get my elk but the group I hunted with managed 2 bulls (6X6, 5X5), one cow, one male calf, and two mule deer does. Not bad for being close to 70 degrees most days. I'll be getting ready for deer season in PA. I wish all you you hunter success in the field and in swinging! LOL

Nothing is more exciting to watch than the dog doing what he/she WANTS to do.
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Since the cuter half isn't here to stop me from saying this.... I half agree with the above statement.

There is something the cuter half does (that she also WANTS to do) that is pretty darned exciting for me to watch. The difference is that I can watch videos and pics of her doing that almost anytime, but I have to take the dog out in the field to watch the dog do its thing.

Goodenuff, You are absolutely right about watching a good dog work. Nothing is more exciting to watch than the dog doing what he/she WANTS to do. I guess that's what draws me more towards upland birds than waterfowl. That and duck hunting typically means cold and wet, not my favorite combo. I'm hoping come January, I'll get my dog (Daisy) on some chukars. We kinda' have a guys weekend up at a buddy's camp around that time and I'm hoping to take her and work her a bit. She's got it in her bloodline (supposedly she's out of Nolan's Last Bullet line) but I still have yet to see the papers on her. She's a natural and aims to please all the time. I really feel bad that right now my schedule doesn't allow me to work her as much.

Training a dog to hunt waterfowl is typically more difficult than training a dog for upland birds. Getting a high strung dog to sit still in the boat, or in a blind, training a dog to understand/obey hand/whistle signals to retrieve downed birds when the dog can't see over the grass/blind to see where the bird falls... all very time consuming. Also dealing with a wet dog on a cold day is no fun. So, I can and do hunt waterfowl over water and in fileds without a dog. Hunting pheasants/upland birds without a GOOD dog is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. We have a GOOD dog, meaning one that doesn't run a mile ahead, listens when called, doesn't head for the truck when a gun goes off, and best of all, finds the birds. It is so much fun watching a good dog work, and tell you with their posture, expression, movement, etc. "there are birds here". On the other hand, a poor hunting dog is worse than no dog at all.

I don't hunt ducks and geese anymore but having a dog to retrieve around water is real nice. We didn't use them since we hunted in fields most of the time.

We did have a few beagles mixes that we used for rabbit and bird hunting.

Now I only really hunt deer and elk. You can't use dogs to hunt them in Pennsylvania or Colorado....at least the four legged variety. LOL I'm heading for Colorado this week for my annual elk hunt.

It depends on what you are hunting and what climate you're in. I have an 11 month old Brittany from a supposed good blood line (long, long story that more or less involved a rescue and the State Police showing up to take the breeders wife away, but I digress). She has a natural hunting instinct and points quickly. I haven't (unfortunately) had the time to train her very well, but when I do get to work with her, she picks up very, very quickly. It's just me having time to do it consistently with her. That being said, I don't expect to hunt ducks with her. Yes, it can be done with Britts but that is not what they are bred for. Seeing that you're in GA, I'd guess you're probably going for either dove, duck, or possibly quail. A Lab would probably be the best for the first two, but worthless for the other. Also, take into account the climate that you'll be working in. I favored the Orange and White Britts, but many of the Southern breeders are breeding only enough orange into the coat as to keep to the standard. This is b/c a white dog doesn't get as hot as quickly in the South. On the other hand, many of the Northern breeders tend to breed more of the orange b/c they can be seen in the snow. I suggest getting the AKC breed book and going through it first, concentrating on the sporting group. After narrowing it down, check some of the specific clubs (i.e. the American Brittany Club, etc.). Also, I will note, avoid the Chesapeake Bay Retriever. On paper, they look good. Training wise, unless you're willing to invest in a VERY good shock collar, and a baseball bat, you probably won't break them. They are a very difficult bread to deal with and extremely thickheaded. I grew up dove hunting and now I'm in an area with some dove and ruffed grouse. My britt is more for the grouse, but once I get her on dove, she'll do well I know. Also, consider whether you're going to be hunting the dog solo or with one or more. Many, many decisions. I recommend talking to your local hunters and see what they are running. Also, look up Hunt 'Em Up on the net. It's a good site with lots of info.

A good bird dawg is hard to train. I like mutt's the best.

dawgs or no dawgs?

To fetch the kill'd fowl?