Smaller Hunting Dogs

At the moment I am torn between a Brittany and an English Setter. I probably can't go wrong either way having hunted behind both breeds. Both are pointing breeds BTW.
 
If I was not a lab guy I'd have a Brittany. Never know - some day might get one anyways! Great dogs.

One note on price. A cheap dog can end up being the most expensive dog you ever owned... If you pay a grand for a pup that has great breeding and no genetic health issues you will find the initial outlay of cash a bit shocking, but consider that something as simple as skin allergies can add up to thousands of dollars of vet bills and meds throughout the dog's life, as well as your and the dog's happiness. Just imagine if you add joint or eye problems to that. Just something to consider when you start to look. What I would suggest doing when you talk to a breeder is to ask which vet they use, then call that vet to discuss. Often the vet treats many of the pups produced by the breeder. In my case, the vet was able to tell me that out of more than 120 patients from this kennel he has never seen a congenital joint disorder, which for labs is a pretty good record. So far, I'm thrilled and would not hesitate for a second to drop another 900$ for a pup from him. I've seen the heartbreak and bank-break that can happen otherwise and it ain't pretty.
Good luck!
-DW
 
fader said:
what about a Nova Scotian Duck Tolling Retriever? I have a friend who has one and they are great. been hoping to get one myself.
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I hunted with a fellow for yrs with one of those Tollers. It was a great little dog.

I would recommend one.



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Go for the pup on the left, I wanted orange and white, but got a liver and white and will probably never get another brittany if not liver and white. I just lover the way they look, people not familiar with the breed love his colours, I'd take that pup on the left in a heart beat.-td
 
MauserMike said:
At the moment I am torn between a Brittany and an English Setter. I probably can't go wrong either way having hunted behind both breeds. Both are pointing breeds BTW.
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What are you planning on hunting, MauserMike? Both should be fine pointing dogs, but if you're also going for water fowl, a number of Setters don't do as well in the water. And no, I don't mean all Setters, but if you do plan on using your dog for water, make sure your breeder does as well.
 
casterpollox said:
I forgot to post this earlier but I found this helpful. The trial and show stuff at the top was a bore but get to the bottom and its a great resource.

http://www.ataboy.ca/brittanybreedstandard.htm


and I just found this one this morning....

http://www.mydogbreed.com/brittany-spaniel/brittany-spaniel-faq.php
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While I am not a spaniel guy (but they are great dogs) I have heard great things about Atta Boy kennels. I would also do some research on the NAVHDA web site, great resource.

www.navhda.org
 
ditchtwicker said:
What are you planning on hunting, MauserMike? Both should be fine pointing dogs, but if you're also going for water fowl, a number of Setters don't do as well in the water. And no, I don't mean all Setters, but if you do plan on using your dog for water, make sure your breeder does as well.
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Upland birds.
 
Just a warning to anyone looking for a Brittany in Southern Ontario, DO YOUR RESEARCH and ask for references! We wish we did and feel like we got severly screwed. Thre are some breeders here with poor breeding practices, and a few really good ones. If you want to know any details, PM
 
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