Sporting Dog Breeds: The Top Ten Dogs In This Group
The Sporting Group includes pointers, setters, retrievers, and many spaniels. This fairly active group of dogs is made up of a wide variety of breeds, which were developed to help hunters find, drive out, and retrieve game. All members of this group need a fair amount of exercise, but you don’t have to be a hunter to own one of these dogs. Many breeds in this group tend to be very good with children and include: English Setter; Golden Retriever, Labrador Retriever, Welsh Springer Spaniel, English Cocker Spaniel and Flat Coated Retriever. Dogs in this group range in size from small dog breeds like the American Cocker Spaniel to medium to large dog breeds with the setters (English, Irish and Gordon) and the Weimaraner being the largest. The two most popular family dogs in the world are the Labrador Retriever and the Golden Retriever. The ten most popular sporting dogs in the US are as follows.
1. Labrador Retrievers
The Labrador Retriever is the most popular dog in the US (#1) and one of the best family dogs in the world. The Labrador Retriever is gentle, loyal, intelligent, and extremely trustworthy with children. These large Retrievers are not apartment dogs, but they can adapt well to city life if given enough exercise. The Labrador is good-natured and eager to learn, and can be easily trained to do everything from competitive obedience and field trials to becoming a “clear” dog for the blind.
2. Golden Retriever
This Retriever makes a good hunting dog, a guide dog, an obedience and agility competitor, and an excellent family dog. The extremely popular (#2) Golden is a gentle, confident, and loyal dog that is cheerful, dependable, and receptive to training. This breed is a wonderful family dog that is friendly with everyone, both humans and other animals. This large retriever gets along very well with children, but young children should always be supervised, as untrained young dogs can be too exuberant.
3. Spaniel
The American Cocker Spaniel is smaller than its English cousin, the English Cocker Spaniel. This handsome spaniel has a luxuriously thick, silky coat with trouser-like legs. This small to medium-sized gundog can be used for hunting and retrieving, but is extremely popular (#15) as a companion and show dog. Cockers get along very well with children and strangers and can adjust to living in an apartment if they exercise twice a day.
4. German Shorthaired Pointer
The German Shorthair is a very athletic hunting dog that does not belong in the city. This large dog is loyal, intelligent and eager to learn and can be trained for field, agility and obedience competitions. This breed is extremely popular (#20) but needs to be challenged both mentally and physically. The breed makes a good family dog, but can be too exuberant for toddlers and young children.
5. English Springer Spaniel
The cheerful, medium-sized English Springer Spaniel is the progenitor of the English hunting spaniels and the largest of the spaniel dog breeds. These popular Spaniels (#28) make excellent hunting retrievers and good family dogs that get along well with children. Some Springer bloodlines have shown some aggression and dominance, so early socialization and obedience training for males should be a priority.
6.weimaraner
The popular Weimaraner (#30) is a large hunting dog breed. This high-energy dog needs an athletic family that can meet his demanding exercise requirements. The Weimaraner needs an experienced owner who can handle and control this headstrong breed and provide early socialization and ongoing obedience training. This dog does not do well with children unless it is raised with them. Weims need to live indoors and spend a lot of time with their families. Well-trained Weimaraners are delightful, but poorly trained dogs can be destructive, boisterous, have high prey drives, and try to dominate other dogs.
7. Brittany
The Brittany Spaniel is an active, intelligent, loyal, and easy to train medium-sized dog. She makes an excellent hunting dog or family pet and requires very little grooming and gets along great with all children. This popular breed (#30) needs plenty of exercise and makes a good watchdog.
8. Vizsla
The Shorthaired Vizsla is a popular medium to large size (#44) hunting dog breed with an elegant carriage and a strong, muscular appearance. The Vizsla is lively, sweet, affectionate and somewhat sensitive. This athletic, sporty and agile breed needs a lot of exercise and a lot of human company. Vizlas must be socialized and trained early to build confidence and prevent neurotic behavior. This is not a city dog and needs to live with a very active family.
9. Chesapeake Bay Retriever
The Chessie is the strongest and most powerful of the sporting dogs. This large dog loves to hunt but is also a great family dog and gets along well with all children. This intelligent breed is quite popular (#49) and is somewhat wary of strangers and makes a good watchdog. Chesapeakes are not city dogs and need lots of regular exercise and love to go swimming.
10. Irish Setter
The popular Irishman (#67) is an exuberant, happy-go-lucky, goofy, friendly, charming and intelligent dog. This breed is non-aggressive and welcomes everyone. These Setters can be somewhat independent and easily distracted, but they are intelligent and eager to learn and can therefore be trained quite easily. The Irishman is an excellent hunting dog and should be given plenty of exercise with challenging field and retrieval exercises. If these dogs receive early obedience training, they adapt very well to older children. However, this breed is so lively and impulsive when young that it could topple young children.
See individual dog breeds at http://www.dog-breed-facts.com for more information on each breed.