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What’s your backup bird dog breed?

Everybody loves “their” kind of bird dog. We all love to expand and expound on our chosen and cherished breed‘s virtues to anyone and everyone who will listen.

And that‘s just the way it should be, for all styles of bird dog are grand and great indeed. What really matters is our own happiness with our bird dogs, and how they fit into our families. But what if you had to choose another bird dog breed... for the pheasant hunting you love, and perhaps also for any other bird hunting you do?

Keep reading to hear six serious bird doggers ruminate some on their chosen breed... and then sing the praises of their runner up.

Praise for Wirehairs:

Wirehairs are amazing upland dogs. Their tenacity, strength and desire to please make them ideal for wild pheasants. The GWP’s versality adds to the opportunity.

While pheasant hunting is our primary upland activity, we generally hunt in six to seven different states each year and pursue not only pheasants but several species of grouse, quail and partridge. During the 2023/24 season we hunted 7 states and 14 upland species. GWPs travel well, hit the ground running, and excel from the CRP fields of Kansas to the mountain tops of Colorado, and the rolling sage pastures of Wyoming to the Arizona desert. That is versatile.

GWPs are crazy smart. That natural intelligence makes them easy to train and handle (I have way better dogs than I deserve).

Wirehairs are great family members. Over the years I have had both kennel dogs and house dogs, with all our four-leggers thriving.

Each of our dogs’ personalities have been a bit different. But in general, GWPs are easy to live with during the off season. While we we are blessed to have plenty of room for our dogs to roam, they know how to relax (if they get some good daily exercise).

Runner-Up breed: Small Munsterlander

My niece and her husband bought their first small Munsterlander several years ago. After hunting with Leuka numerous times afield, I am sold.

Leuka, who admittedly is the only small Munsterlander I know, reminds me of a GWP in may ways... only way better looking! He hunts with authority, has a great nose, is a crazy good retriever, and never seems to have a care in the world. He is kind of aloof, if you will, but not in a bad way... and not so much that he hunts just for himself.

Did I say Leuka was a handsome dog? I embrace “ugly” dogs, love the bearded look, and embrace all the quizzical looks and numerous questions about my wirehairs, that always start out with, “What kind of dog is that?” Still, it might be nice to have a good looking dog someday! A small Munsterlander is most assuredly that.

Wild pheasant hunting requires the dog to have a great deal of patience. Roosters play hide-and-seek, and pointing dogs need to learn the difference between old and new scent. GWPs are masters of tracing, and of pinning and holding moving birds. My limited experience with the small Munsterlander indicates similar ability and skill while pursuing wild pheasants.

Size matters! Sure, lots of GWPs weigh in at 65-pounds-plus, but I prefer and have always had smaller dogs in the 45- to 50-pound range. Smaller is way better, and the size of small Munsterlanders — with some dogs down to 40 pounds or so — seems ideal.

I am still a dedicated wirehair partner. But small Munsterlanders are a close second. Who knows? Maybe someday I’ll get a good-looking dog to join my pack.

Jim Millensifer is a longtime Pheasants Forever supporter from Oakley, Kansas.

Praise for Pointers:

There was no turning back when I picked up a little orange and white female pointer. Her eyes were calm but the 4-month-old ball of muscle was unmistakably built for speed. We explored continuously and hunted relentlessly.

From ptarmigan above treeline to running quail in the grasslands, she never missed a beat — adapting to various birds, cover and weather. On pheasants, she would relocate cautiously until she could hook and pin the rooster between her and me. There was no quit or fatigue.

The pointer’s pure focus on upland birds helps keep the bird hunt a bird hunt. No porcupines, rabbits or deer. The stylish sight of a pointer standing tall, with a poker-straight tail indicating their find, will always make me smile.

When it comes to maintenance, the pointer’s short coat makes for an easy end-of-the-day inspection, while other breeds may require brushing, detangling, clipping and various other spa treatments.

Runner-Up breed: Springer Spaniel

The excitement of a flushing dog begins with your first step into the field. You are in the game immediately, reading the dog’s every move. Each zig or zag is faster than the last until the anticipation becomes tangible.

The springer is big enough to bust cattails and small enough to run the tunnels. On the prairie, springers dive into every draw and bound through each patch of snowberries. Focusing on the corner of a pivot or an irrigation ditch, they offer the ability to be deliberate with the coverts you hunt. More than once I have been educated by a close-working spaniel that showed me that my big running pointers had missed a spot.

At the report of a shot, a springer is only getting started. A dog with a knack for “hunting dead” is worth its weight in gold. Downed birds are often returned to hand before the last drifting feathers have settled. Cripples in the tall grass are no match for springer tenacity.

One hot September afternoon last fall, a group of us spread out under a row of cottonwood trees. The doves were flying. A good friend had his young springer along. The first couple birds that dropped were brought to his hand; textbook work.

As golden evening came, the targets multiplied. Birds began to fall everywhere. That little dog marked and marked again. Waited to be sent. We all sang her praises. When we collected our shells and picked up, it was clear she had unfinished business. She was sent in the direction she wanted, and off she tore. As fast as she left, she returned with a dove she had watched expire late.

The springer spaniel‘s focus and commitment to work is a joy to watch.

A springer will likely make its way onto my string sooner than later. They are steadfast companions, perfectly sized for riding shotgun in a pickup or drift boat. But maybe best of all, you get to wear a whistle.

Bryce Daviess is a wingshooting guide in Montana and Arizona.

Praise for the American Brittany:

I came from the home of a horseback field-trialer, so my earliest exposure to bird dogs was with English pointers and setters. When I was 16, my father moved to Brittanys and we’ve had one ever since.

My family loves Brittanys as they are incredibly biddable, healthy, and always good for a laugh. They tend to range close and after some initial obedience and bird exposure, they quickly become great hunting companions “right out of the box.”

We enjoy running a brace of Brittanys in our tallgrass CRP fields here at home and across the pheasant range. Watching a couple of Britts work to pin down running pheasants is always a thrill.

Runner-Up breed: Labrador Retriever

I would have to choose a Labrador retriever as my runner-up bird dog. Especially for pheasants. Not only are Labs versatile hunters, but there is a reason you see so many of them in the field across pheasant country: The breed’s ability to tackle the toughest of covers, and mark and retrieve crippled birds, is unmatched.

Couple that drive and those skills with an all-around “want to please” attitude, and is it any wonder the Lab is my runner-up breed for life? But let’s not stop here.

I have had the good fortune of chasing roosters in multiple states with many kinds of bird dogs sharing the fields, and I have always been impressed with the Labrador’s ability to adapt to different habitat types throughout the season. Whether it is early season grasslands and field edges, or late season cattails, shelterbelts or food plots, the Labs I hunted with have always been great bird finders.

As the season progresses and roosters get flightier, having a close-ranged flushing dog allows you to work silently in the field and get on top of those birds.

I love to watch a steady Lab mark a bird as it flies away and (hopefully, if it is a rooster) drops. The Labrador’s ability to mark and retrieve downed or crippled game is honestly second to none in my experience.

There aren’t many things in this world that can beat the anticipation of walking in front of a dog standing tall on point. But the thrill that comes with a Lab catching scent, tail-wagging into another gear, and showing that final drive to flush, is a different rush that keeps me coming back for more.

And it only helps that, once a tough old rooster hits the ground, a Lab is your very best bet for running it down, digging it up and fetching it back.

Tom Fuller is Vice President of Chapter and Volunteer Services at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

Praise for the Labrador:

I choose all male and all black Labradors, first and foremost for their versatility. They can pretty much hunt any upland bird, and they handle moderate heat all the way to brittle cold. Labs do equally well in grasslands as well as cattail sloughs. They relish going after a rooster that splashes into water.

Labradors have shorter and slick hair, so burrs and stickers are not an issue. This dog does not need its own cosmetologist! No haircuts and fancy trims are required.

Labradors exhbit a super-high desire to please, making training easier than with some other breeds.

And last but not least, I want a dog that desires my attention. Couch time with a labrador simply cannot be beat. You can just feel them love you as they snuggle up.

Runner-Up breed:Deutsch Drahthaar

Like the Labrador retriever, the Deutsch drahthaar is wonderfully versatile. Drahts can hunt in a wide range of temperatures, and have no issue with cold water. They feaure a coarse coat, meaning that burrs and stickers can be easily removed. Their thicker coat also reduces cuts and abrasions that would send send other dogs to the local veterinarian and cut your day short.

Hunting late season (which we serious pheasants hunters do a lot of) creates issues with other breeds. They can get cold and wet fast, and then you are done. A more robust breed — the Labs I love, the drahthaars I admire — allows a serious hunter to work all all day when other breeds need a warm-up at the truck or are outright done for the day.

When properly selected, Deutsch drahthaars tend to be calmer around people than other pointing breeds. I need a dog that plays well with others. Regarding the drahts I have hunted with, I find them to be easier to keep close when afield, and they don’t quarter at 100 miles per hour.

Why is this important? Following a GPS tracker with no dog in sight is not appealing to me. I want a dog that hunts with me. Not a breed that will hunt by themselves and not wait for you to show up sooner or later. Drahts want to be with you, and partner with you.

This is also one of the few pointing breeds that actually excels at retrieving. Other pointing breeds can disappoint in the retrieving arena. I want a dog that will bring me back what I shot.

I also want to own dogs that have charisma and good looks. Both my first choice and runner up qualify to be on the cover of Pheasants Forever Journal.

My dogs all live in the house. I need a breed that can lay contently on the rug and still be a rockstar in the field.

I have been around many different dogs while hosting out-of-town hunters at my place over the past 20 years. I have literally seen all the bird dog breeds. For a runner up, I am most impressed with the drahthaar in the dozens of comparisons I have made, both in the field and in the garage as we enjoy a post-hunt libation and unpack the day.

Scott Rall is a longtime PF chapter leader and volunteer from Nobles County, Minnesota.

Praise for the Epagneul Breton:

The Epagneul Breton, which translates into Spaniel of Brittany, is the original Brittany from the Old World — the smaller, shorter legged, deeper-chested one that turn-of-the-last-century breeders on these shores tweaked into the larger, longer-legged and bigger-running American version.

I have owned a handful of American Brittanies, and loved each one with every fiber of my heart. When I found the Breton, I found a bird dog even more perfectly suited to my hunting style and lifestyle.

A Breton is automatic in its ability to adjust its hunting style and approach with the habitat and the gamebird at hand. My Breton will stick within 15 yards of me in the woodcock coverts, and air it out to a hundred yards (a long ways for us) in sharptail country. Hunting pheasants, I keep her in-betweensies, within flushing range.

I want to see my dog hunt, be with her, watch her work birds, share the adventure.

Bretons are small. Mine weighs all of 30 pounds. She cruises under cattail droops for late-season pheasants. She can curl up into a roll the size of a basketball... perfect for home life, of which she is the center.

Love and basic obedience is all you need to make a good bird dog. Bretons are big-eyed, soft-furred, black-nosed bundles of love and devotion.

Runner-Up breed: English Setter

I am as interested in beauty and companisonship as much as hunting ability. You can have both. In those senses, I have never met an English setter that I did not want to take home.

While the setter’s longer hair would take more upkeep for burrs and briars (my Breton’s coat is almost care-free), I would find it well worth the while. My God, how graceful and astoundingly beautiful setters are.

And how they hunt. While setters have longer legs and lither bodies than little barrel-chested Bretons, I have have no doubt that, after a first season attached to the check cord and forevermore tethered together by a little bell, I could gently convince a setter to stick with me, cruise close to me, and let me enjoy seeing her do her thing for the rest of our life together.

As with any litter, I would take the smallest female, so I am sure I could get a setter that is diminutive like a Breton: a perfect house dog.

Setters are lovers, and real rascals, all at once. Their personalities are delightful. I have never met a mean one.

Finally that tail. Oh that tail: Straight up as a flag to guide me right to her point in the cattails or bluestem, with a rooster hiding somewhere off her nose and making both our hearts quiver.

Tom Carpenter is the Editor of Pheasants Forever Journal.

Praise for the German Shorthaired Pointer:

German shorthaired pointers (GSPs) have always been the right fit for me and my husband Clyde. We are both “intense” people who take our jobs very seriously. We don’t quit until any job is done and done right. Just like us, GSPs are relentless in how they approach their jobs.

The versatility of GSPs, and all continental breeds, is particularly important to me. Having one breed of dog that locates and retrieves game, in the field and in the marsh, is super important. The work ethic of a GSP doesn’t let them pick and choose what they like to do. They fulfill their job because it needs to be done, and they do it without hesitation.

But no one can or should work all the time. I love that our GSPs also have an off switch. They join us in our home, and are gentle with kids, puppies and elderly family members. Shorthair hearts are built for work and companionship, making them the perfect match for this empath.

Runner-Up breed: English Cocker Spaniel

Having one breed for 34 years and raising more than 75 litters of that breed makes me feel like a turncoat for writing this. But I would be lying if I didn’t admit a fascination with, and admiration for, the English cocker spaniel.

About 25 years ago, Clyde and I were spectators at the English cocker national dog trial. I thought I would be bored. I love watching a pointing dog hit a field with gusto, slam on the brakes and slide into a point with a singularity. I was sure I couldn’t find a flusher of any breed that would wow me like that.

But dog after dog came to the line with intensity, enthusiasm and that singularity of purpose. The cockers loved to work, and were darn good at it. I was astounded by their insane marking abilities, their adeptness at retrieving birds half as big as they were, and their sheer joy at doing their job extraordinarily well in tandem with their handler.

GSPs are special to me for their desire to work with and for me. These cockers were just as cooperative and team focused.

Along with a strong work ethic, I have always been fond of dogs that are agile and have physical endurance. My dog should outlast me in the field. I’ve not met an English cocker that doesn’t hit the field with sheer force. Yet their
movement is incredibly effortless.
English cockers are loving companions. That is paramount for me. I want my dogs to have a personality, and to make me laugh (something my GSPs often do). English cockers are rambunctious and curious and just naturally make me laugh.

A huge selling point for GSPs is their low physical maintenance. I grew up grooming American collies on our small cattle ranch. It was a constant battle with cockleburs and stripping their undercoats. While there is admittedly some upkeep compared to GSPs, English cockers have less hair than many of the “pretty” breeds.

Bottomline, cockers are a solid runner up breed for me.

Marilyn Vetter is President and CEO of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.

This story originally appeared in the 2024 Summer Issue of the Pheasants Forever Journal. If you enjoyed it and would like to be the first to read more great upland content like this, become a member today!