New huntin dog!

Well, a Beagle would fit your smaller size category too..... and it would be a good family dog. I have been around several Brittanys also... if you're upland hunting and the breeding is a good line, you should wind up with a smaller dog with good instincts so you might have to train a little bit to get it ready to hunt in the field..... I'd guess anyway. Perhaps some of the other upland hunters can ring in with their thoughts. Brittany Spaniels would be in your small dog category though and I think that some of your pointers and stuff would be too but they might be a little too wound up for your smaller dog you've already got. Just my thoughts on it... good luck with your search.

Just out of curiousity, what is the dog you have now? And another dog you might check out that I forgot to mention is maybe a ****er or something along those lines.... I don't know if anyone hunts over those here or not. 8)

Thanks Riverrat. Tyke is now three years old, and has really progressed nicely. The other day, he made a retrieve on a blue grouse, over the edge of a ridge, chasing the thing clear to the bottom of the canyon. He came back about 4-5 minutes later with the bird, still alive, and not a tooth mark in it. I couldn't have been more thrilled. French Britts come in black / white,
orange / white, liver / white, or in tri-colored schemes. The only draw-back of a French Britt is that they are very pricey. I guess because they are a little more hard to come by. Here are some puppy photos showing the different color combinations.

black/white/orange tri-color, and one orange/white (@ 6 weeks)

liver/white/orange tri-color (call name Reece)

orange/white @ about 5 months (call name Tex) Notice black noses, instead of pink.

Advertised as being "demons in the field, angels in the home." Certainly preferable over a barking beagle!

The pink nose is a trait for the orange/white Am. Britts. Liver/white Am. Britts have a dark brown nose. The French Britt has a black nose, although they start out pink. Shummy said some nice things about my dog, and I appreciate that. I don't believe the breed is necessarily "the best", but I do think they make a very versatile all around dog. I was raised around Am. Britts,(42 years) and love them equally well as the French variety. I would recommend owning an Am. Britt in a heartbeat. I simply wanted to try a smaller variety, and was intrigued at the unique color offering. The French Britt is also supposed to be bred for the foot hunter. These dogs will not range like a Shorthair, or like an EP. I didn't want a dog that does! Female Frenchies weigh in around 20-30 lbs. Males around 30-40 lbs. Oversize is a disqualification within the breeding standard. I do like the smaller size, and since these dogs are almost identical personalities with Am Britts, I will probably continue with the French variety.

Thanks for all that good info... I'm a foot guy pretty exclusively also so I don't mind "boot lickers" as long as they find birds for me. I don't want a dog that walks behind me as I hunt (Buddy does that and its kind of annoying) but I don't want one going on point two ridges away because I figure birds will be gone long before I get there. :lol: If they're good family dogs, that works too because I have a younger daughter and my wife wants a dog that she can baby when I'm not hunting over it. A Lab would certainly fit the bill and it sounds like the Brittneys will do nicely as well..... hmmm well, I've got nothing but time so thank you for giving me something else to think about CC. I'll be sure and show your pictures to my fiance Wendy, if for no other reason than to hear her reaction and see if it was the same as mine. They're very good looking dogs.