- Temperament: Intelligent, Kind, Agile, Outgoing, Trusting, Even Tempered, Gentle
- Height: 22-24 (male), 22-24
- Weight: 65 – 80 / 55 – 70
- Lifespan: 10-14 years
- Drive: Retrieving
- Group: Sporting
Grooming
-
Hypoallergenic:
NO -
Shedding:
HIGH -
Grooming Frequency:
LOW
Behavior
-
Affectionate:
LOW -
Intelligence:
HIGH -
Barking/Vocal:
LOW -
Energy Level:
MODERATE -
Prey Drive:
MODERATE
Sporting Group Summary
This group includes gun dogs or bird dogs, which are both types of hunting dogs which were bred to assist hunters in finding and retrieving game, typically birds. There are three primary types of gun dogs: retrievers, flushing dogs, and pointing breeds.
Pointers and setters: when game is detected, a dog freezes, either pointing or crouching. If other dogs are present, they also freeze to “honor” the first dogs point. The pointing dog remains motionless until the hunters are in position. What happens next depends on how the dog was trained. Some trainers train the dog to stay motionless while the hunter steps forward and flushes the game while others choose to have the dog flush the game. When a bird is downed, the dogs are instructed to search and retrieve it.
Pointers and setters: when game is detected, a dog freezes, either pointing or crouching. If other dogs are present, they also freeze to “honor” the first dogs point. The pointing dog remains motionless until the hunters are in position. What happens next depends on how the dog was trained. Some trainers train the dog to stay motionless while the hunter steps forward and flushes the game while others choose to have the dog flush the game. When a bird is downed, the dogs are instructed to search and retrieve it.
Flushing dogs: these dogs include spaniels and retrievers which work more closely with the hunter. As a result, flushers don’t cover as much ground as a pointing dog since they must be kept within shotgun distance. These dogs do not point at their prey, giving them little time to escape on the ground. Once the bird has been flushed, the dog will sit or “hup” to watch the flight of the bird and mark the fallen birds for retrieval. A dog which does this successfully is referred to as “steady to wing and shot”. Thus steadiness is the hallmark of the finished spaniel.
Retrievers: these dogs are usually used for waterfowl hunting although they can be used to hunt birds on dry ground as well. Once the hunter has stopped shooting, the dog retrieves each bird that has been downed upon command.