It comes a point in the field trials that all bird hunters are aware of, the dog stands still, with one foot up, body stiff, nose strained to something that is not visible in the cover ahead. Everything goes still, and that electric pause between the pointing dog and bird makes a great hunting dog.
It is an instinct honed through centuries, and it is breathtaking every time. Regardless of whether you are an experienced upland bird hunter or you have a strong desire to go on your first hunt, the type of bird dog breed that you select will be one of the most significant choices you can make.
Even the finest bird dog breeds do not simply track running birds, but they read the wind, covering ground quickly, and retrieve downed birds without a second look.
This guide will show you 9 of the best hunting breeds that find and point game birds, how they hunt, their personality, their trainability, and what it is like to live with them outside the field.
Top Dog Breeds That Locate and Point Game Birds
1. English Pointer
To see what the pointing instinct of this pointing breed may be like in its most traditional form, you need not travel far afield. This pointing breed has long been associated with the upland bird hunt for centuries, and quite justifiably so.
English Pointers are constructed to hunt in all aspects. These versatile dogs have a streamlined, muscular physique that enables them to travel vast distances very fast, and their nose is so fine that it can pinpoint game, and the trained hunter remains astonished at its bird-hunting accuracy.
The instinct of their pointing is one of the most powerful of all breeds, and it is sometimes seen, even before the animal is under any form of training, to point and retrieve spontaneously. A Pointer, on point, is an image of perfect mobility in dog sports.
2. German Shorthaired Pointer
Whereas the English Pointer is the bird dog breed of the purist, the German Shorthaired Pointer is the dream of the practical bird hunter. The GSP is one of the most complete hunting dogs ever developed, a gun dog that has been bred to point, retrieve on land and water, and follow wounded game.
The GSPs are also highly trainable. These good bird dogs are extremely responsive to organized training, and with their versatility, one dog can take up more than one role within the field lines, which would go a long way in practice since dog owners would not have to own several specialized dogs but have a single outstanding dog.
The GSP is playful, loving, and very faithful at home. They make great family dogs as long as they are given the intensive exercise that their working background requires. They are one of the best all-around hunting breeds that can be found anywhere by hunters and active families as well.
3. Vizsla
One of the most interesting bird dogs in the hunting world is the Vizsla, a golden-rust pointer, retriever of Hungarian birth that has been treasured by both nobility and hunters for more than a millennium. The Vizsla is an elegant, athletic dog that is sensitive, making it beautiful in the field as well as on the sofa.
Vizslas are kind, playful and loving. These bird dogs are extremely fond of their owners and are regarded as very close animals with the loving name of velcro dogs, as they are always attached to them.
This proximity turns out to be effective in the field where they operate with the knowledge of the whereabouts of their handler, and often the desire to remain within range, unlike other dogs.
Vizslas are special as bird dogs. They authoritatively point, fondly retrieve game birds, and perform with an efficient ground-covering hunting style that is a delight to observe. They also work well when hunting pheasants, quail, partridge, and woodcock, and their hunting habits are adjusted to the terrain.
4. English Setter
It is hard to imagine in the world of hunting a more arresting scene than an English Setter on point in the tall grass, the feathered coat reflecting the light, the body motionless, the intensity all there. It is a scene that links the hunter with three centuries of custom.
These bird dogs are considered one of the oldest breeds of bird dogs. They were originally bred in England to find and set game birds, and they combine an amazing nose with the range and agility to cover tough ground all day.
The AKC refers to these dogs as people-oriented dogs with a mischievous nature – a personality that makes them as enjoyable at home as they are in the field.
The field-type version of this bird dog is more focused, faster, and never as chubby, which is due to selective breeding that optimized this breed line to be a hunter. Whenever a hunter wants to find a working dog, he or she must always find lines of field breeds from good breeders.
5. Irish Setter
An Irish Setter cannot be confused with any other dog. That mahogany coat, that happy, fitting motion, that atmosphere of good-natured swell – this is a dog that makes its presence felt everywhere he goes. There is, however, beneath the glamour, a serious bird dog with great retrieving skills.
The field-bred lines of hunters must be after the best working instincts. Field Irish Setters are more purposeful hunting companions and quicker than their show counterparts, and this same breed still maintains good pointing and ranging instincts that have been rigorously maintained through breed selection.
The Irish Setter is a delightful companion at home and is playful, social, and entertaining. They do need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation in a day to burn up so much energy, but in the case of active hunters and outdoor lovers, this is not a big burden at all.
6. Brittany Spaniel
This is a smaller dog, but do not be deceived by that. It is a small French breed, commonly known as just the Brittany, and it has great instincts, making it one of the most gifted bird dogs.
They are very sensitive to signals of their handler, and they are motivated by praise, so even a beginner hunter can build a good working relationship with a well-bred Brittany with time and practice. That is why they make a truly superb first hunting dog.
Orvis has always listed the Brittany as one of the best breeds of upland bird dogs that hunters need to be versatile, trainable, and a dog that should also be at home by the fireside at the end of the day.
Out of the field, Brittanys are energetic, great, and loving with kids – one of the few breeds that gives all it can in the field and then goes home and gives the same to its family.
7. Gordon Setter
The Gordon Setter is the most powerful and heaviest among the three setter breeds, and it takes that power lightly but with a quiet and constant confidence that makes it stand out. It is a dog of true stamina and remarkable perseverance, and it was developed in the Scottish Highlands to work on rugged terrain.
This breed is usually more of a close-range dog and is therefore especially valuable for hunters who like to keep their dog in view and work on a methodical approach.
Their weather-resistant coats of black and tan are not only beautiful but also convenient, very visible, especially in cold weather, which is significant when they are in thick cover. It would also require frequent grooming to maintain its condition.
8. Boykin Spaniel
This breed was developed to hunt bird species such as wild turkeys and ducks in the tangled swamps and woodlands of South Carolina, where many have found its natural ability to hunt very worthwhile, making it one of the best upland dogs that money can buy.
Having evolved during the early 20th century with the express object of operating in small boats in South Carolina swamps, the Boykin is a small, enthusiastic dog endowed with a sense of flushing birds and retrieving that is thoroughly natural.
The Boykin is technically a flushing spaniel, but its ability to serve as a flushing dog, in addition to its extraordinary retrieving capabilities and its relatively small size, makes it a superb practical hunting partner. A Boykin will learn a new pointing behavior naturally with time, and this is found by many hunters.
9. Labrador Retriever
Purina states that the Labrador Retriever is a friendly, intelligent breed. It is used throughout the world to hunt ducks, doves, and grouse, and it is one of the most complete hunting dogs to exist, unlike other breeds.
Labs do not point as most people would understand it, but they can quarter ground, game, and flush birds to the gun and with their incredible marking capability and their strong retrieving instincts, they are indispensable to any hunter working both wetlands and woodland edges and in the open field.
Labs are one of the most responsive breeds to training based on rewards, making them one of the easiest breeds to develop and train in working conditions. The Lab is virtually incomparable to many breeds that hunters would like to keep as a family pet.
Conclusion
A great bird dog is not merely a hunting instrument; it is a companion and one of the richest working relationships that can be found by any hunter.
The different breeds in this list are well-suited to track scent trails, have a keen sense, use their excellent noses, and are ideally suited to active families and hunters who are willing to provide these dogs with capable hunting tasks that they can accomplish.
There are the birds. So is your ideal dog. Go find them both.
