my lab totally dominated a squirrel in the back yard yesterday. Almost felt bad for it...almost.

OK, I get it. It's just my dog that doesn't swim.

I start mine on water as pups.

Have you taken the dog to water. I didn't have to coxes my V at all to get in water. Retrieve? now that's a different story

I have one that loves to retrieve and one that wanted to do it on his terms. Meaning not to hand, so had him force fetched.

I'll jump in and give my $.02 - Wirehaired Pointing Griffon. I love mine and as she is at my feet while I type this, I felt the need to take up for her and her breed . She is more than I could ask for. A little harder to find then some of the breeds mentioned, somewhat of a burr magnet (they seem to come out pretty easy for me since she has a lighter coat than some), great with my kids (7 and 4) and doesn't seem to shed much if at all. Not the best dog for the heat and mine is going to the vet to get tested for allergies. I don't think you could go wrong with the V or GSP as many on this board have already stated. Good luck in your search.

Had mine FF too young (13 month)He would retrieve but he looked like you just beat him with a tree branch
Like to see some pictures of the Griff

GSP

A well bred, spayed, female, Lab is going to be hard to beat for all around versatility. They tend to pick up on what you want them to do quick and are eager to please. Minimum kennel time and maximum time with their master is a big plus. Leave your temper at home while training as usually the smartest ones are tender hearted.
I keep two pointers, a setter, and a brittany for bird dogs. I have always liked English pointers best for the simple reason they were the best dogs I had but none of them has ever been good for anything but quail. If I could only have one out of the pack I feed now, it would be the Brittany because it is the most versatile bird dog I own. But nowhere close to my eleven year old Lab. Sometimes I think she can read my mind.

Lab , hands down. I've always had pointing dogs and had some very good ones. I've also had some bad ones of all breeds ( E.P., GSP, Brittanys, Poodles, cockers and springers and crosses of them. Except for a lab. I've never had a bad lab and never had one that didn't learn to do anything I wanted. Blood trail, point upland birds, retrieve on land or water, loved the family, trail down crippled birds, would retrieve rabbits shot with a 22 from a vehicle and spot fish from the boat bow (as good as any fish finder ). I honestly believe they are the most versatile dog breed. Ever.

The best all around dog I ever had was a French Brittany. I hunted quail at least 3 times a week during season. Hunted dove every day of September and duck hunted a few times a year. The only problem I ever had from him was he was a one man dog and did not like being left with anyone else and prefered to sleep in the bed. He also retrieved everyone's dove to me and would retrieve until be was ready to fall over from the heat when 7 or 8 of us would be hunting during dove season. He also did a good job tracking wounded deer. I did tell him to fetch a wounded turkey he tracked and pointed during spring season. He held him until I could get a boot on the birds neck besides the beating he took from those wings.
I have my first lab now that was very easy to train but a lab in my opinion won't ever hunt as hard or as long as any of the pointers, shorthairs, or Brittany's I've had.

Well, I don't know if I have an opinion...We have about 13 dogs and one of the best all round dogs I ever had was a Catahoula that I worked Cows with, treed Coon & Squirrel, trailed blood on
wounded deer and hogs and caught hogs with..and he was a pretty fair watch dog..I've had Airedales that work, Pointers, Setters,
and currently have a new Drathaar...w/whiskers that is taking the house over..he thinks he's a Mastiff..We had a Lab that would do guard work, retrieve, ect..and was good w/kids..and worked cows...It depends on how you handle them and the animal..DD

Bill just stepped away, and this is offensive to me. If he'd just let me go more, I could tell you a thing or two.



He has not let me go since I stole miss fancy pants point. What the heck, I didn't flush the bird;



You guys didn't include guard dog. I'm great at that.

Haha!

Here's the breed you need
http://www.digplanet.com/wiki/German_Spaniel

Either he was to young, or the trainer didn't finish the job.
Mine was older and ran force to pile. Then doubles and triples before he came home.

I have owned or do own about all of the most popular breeds of bird dogs most would want..My Labs are good on water, around the house, and for dove or quail in S. Texas..but I have one that points..I also have a Gordon..he's good on birds..but probably the best all round hair and feather dogs are German Wirehaired Pointers..they will work a hog, catch a wounded deer, retrieve and point..and they have abundant energy..Very good w/the household dogs and kids..If you have very small children, I'd lean toward a Lab Female..DD

http://www.craneyhill.com/page.cfm?pageid=20304

I am pretty sure you are looking for a Spaniel. This is the one that I am getting to fill the exact role you laid out. This was the best all around choice in my opinion...

English cockers are close relatives of springers. I wish I had discovered them sooner. I always thought of spaniels as pretty much a sissy dog.....NOT SO.

I don't think I would be ready to give up my pointing dogs, because the vast majority of my time in the field is in pursuit of bobwhite, but if that wasn't the case, a field bred springer, cocker, or boykin would be very high on my short list, right up there with a lab if I was only going to the field with one dog.

a lab would be the last thing on my list for only having one dog in the field, about as graceful as a hippo.

Haha that's idiotic. A lab in the field is much more graceful than a pointer in the water. We're talking versatile dogs here, not just dogs in the upland field.

I hunt with a GWP. She does it all, she is a great companion and super good hunting dog.

Here are some more, I love this dog!!!!

Here is one more