SPORTING DOGS
The dogs under the Sporting Dogs group were bred as gun dogs and many are still used as gun dogs today. As a gun dog, their purpose is to retrieve game birds from the brush and water fowl from the water. Some were even bred to retrieve furred game such as rabbits. In older times, ordinary men used these dogs for hunting out of necessity while men of the gentry class used them for sport.
Because of their breeding, Sporting Dogs still have the instinct (even without training) to look for game. This tends to make them easily distracted, especially when there is a lot of activity around. Their distractibility can sometimes make them difficult to train because they don‘t stay focused well. However, once trained, they are usually great well-behaved dogs. Sporting Dogs are generally of good temperament and can make excellent family dogs, even in a family with small children. Keep in mind that Sporting Dogs tend to do best when they get plenty of outdoor exercise. And since they are rather intelligent dogs, they can also be a lot of fun to play fetch and other games with.
Sporting Dogs include the retrieving breeds such as the Labrador Retriever, setters such as the Irish Setter, spaniels such as the Cocker Spaniel, and the pointing breeds such as the Vizsa, weimaraner, and the Spinone Italiano.
Specific breed information: (in progress)Pointer - coming soon
German Shorthaired Pointer -
German Wirehaired Pointer -
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon - Link for more information
Chesapeake Bay Retriever -
Curly-Coated Retriever -
Flat-Coated Retriever -
Golden Retriever - Link to Information on the Golden Retriever
Labrador Retriever - Link to learn all about Labrador Retrievers
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever -
English Setter - Link for Information on the English Setter Dog Breed
Gordon Setter -
Irish Setter -
American Water Spaniel -
Brittany (Spaniel) -
Clumber Spaniel -
Cocker Spaniel - Link to learn about the Cocker Spaniel
English Cocker Spaniel -
English Springer Spaniel -
Field Spaniel -
Irish Water Spaniel -
Sussex Spaniel -
Welsh Springer Spaniel -
Spinone Italiano -
Vizsla - Information on the Vizsla Dog Breed
Weimaraner -
