I say do your research. And when you do check out Boykins. I have my first one ever and I can't say enough good about him. Mine is only 4 months old and already doing blind retrieves. He is definitely one of the smartest dogs I've ever owned. I have owned labs, English pointers, GSPs, and a large variety of non hunting dogs. Whatever you get , check out the breeder first. I went with one that proud of the breed and won't sell a puppy to just anybody. Both parents had been checked for everything under the sun prior to breeding. They offered both a health and a buyback guarantee if I wasn't happy with him. I don't think they would do that without knowing the quality of breed and their line

I'm seeing a lot of good info and advice here . Got a question for Bud1Pointer tho . Is Boykins a place that sells puppies ? Just not familiar with most names selling puppies .

Boykin is a breed of dog. A Boykin Spaniel. Compact dove hunting machines.

Look at Boykins as a possibility for a Retriever. Can do 90% of the work a lab does when on the hunt in the field, especially in Texas. And comes in half the size. Plus, can switch to Upland mode for that occasional quail hunt you go on.

Oh ok , beautiful dog . I've only seen one of those in my lifetime out in east texas . I had no idea they were still available . How do prices run ?

I just so happened to be looking at a craigs list lastnight for my area and of all things the only bird dog breed available were a silver lab puppies on one ad and a yellow lab that was two years old . However i'd never buy a bird dog off a craig listing cause more likely they are not coming from a line of trained hunting dogs . Labs are popular out here in W. Texas for home pets and thats' ok but if they aren't trained and never get to hunt makes me feel sorry for them cause they are bred for hunting . Same way as I would love to have another Brittany but living in W.Texas in the city , working 40 hrs a week and a busy life I would not be treating one as well as it should be and my hunts have been so rare this last 30 yrs I could not use one properly other than just having a home pet . And if that's all I can do I might as well get some type of house dog or have a backyard mutt . When I was a young boy mutts were all I knew but they make the best dog a kid could have !

https://odessa.craigslist.org/pet/d/akc-silver-lab/6311357109.html

I contacted the owners by text and they want $1200.00/pup . They said they can be checked out more at silverlabsparistx.com . They have 2 males and a female available now .

Ron, the Boykin Spaniel is the state dog of South Carolina, where the breed was first started. They have just started to make their way out of the south east US in the past 5-10 years. Expect to spend anywhere from $1500 to $3000. Just like with any breed, health clearances and field titles are important.

I would recommend starting with a puppy and working up from there. It will be a good experience for your family and fun to watch him progress from a tiny cute little pully. Don't be intimidated by training your own family hunting dog. You're not going to be running a guide service or doing hunt tests with your first dog. Labs are smart, eager to please, and durable. As long as your expectation isn't to do multiple blind retrieves the first morning out you and your dog can learn and progress together over multiple years. You don't have to have a finished dog by the time the dog is 1, 2, or even 5 years old. You CAN teach old dogs new tricks.

I duck hunt mostly east tx and you can take them all the way from teal season (watch out for gators) through the regular season. The few days it's close to freezing throw a vest on them and as long as you have a dry place for them between retrieves they'll be just fine.

I haven't been through a lot of the video series but whichever one you choose watch it through entirely before you start training so you understand the end goals. Also if you haven't been out hunting with a decent dog, try to do so this season. Your lab already knows how to retrieve, you don't have to teach it that. You gotta teach it to sit quietly next to you for several minutes to an hour while waiting for ducks, then continue sitting during all the shooting until you send it, then bring it back to you in the blind. If you can do that, you have a hunting dog. If you have to throw a rock in the water for it to find a second duck then so what...it still got a duck you didn't have to get out of your blind or drive a boat to get it. This is a free training series on youtube that I used parts of. Might be worth a look.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9bKBr9Wfqc&list=PLHyoQckDgl04omRT7rT5IsvpvhVYqT_XR

I barely remember the one I saw back in E.Texas back when I was in HS in 1970 . Some people I knew had one but I didn't actually hear them say it was a Boykins but i'm sure that is what it was cause they did tell me it was a good bird dog but they were not hunters . But I remember it being exactly like the Boykins you mention . My best friend had a GSP and I remember the Boykin was not quite as tall as the GSP but beautiful brown color and had curly/wavey hair mostly on it's ears . I don't know where they got it but I know not from E.Texas at that time . However I did research online and find they actually came about back in the early 1900s' , just not recognized by the AKC at the time .

After discussing it with the miss, and oldest boy as listing to everyone's tips advice and general kindness we've decided a Lab is best for us. Thanks again to everyone we'll be buying the videos suggested and start saving money so when we move and get settled in we can bring in our newest family member. As far as hunting or going out with other people with hunting dogs I really don't know anyone, I have lost touch with all my old hunting buddies from high school so I'll ask around.

GSP if your going to do upland hunting. Owned lab and GSP for an all around dog the GSP fits better.

I'm an upland guy and it sounds as if you want a retriever. However, my two cents:
If you get a puppy crate train it.
If you are going to send the dog to a trainer see if you can arrange to accompany the dog. Some trainers have mentoring programs.
If you can spend time with a reputable trainer your outcome will be much greater than if you just send the dog.
Keep in mind that all hunting dogs are high energy and demand a lot of attention or they turn into real problems.
BTW labs need a lot of exercise and a strict diet as they have a tendency to weight gain that can shorten their hunting career.