Cali Ridge Runner said:
Been wanting a good hunting dog for a while. I am not really a big bird hunter, just want a good all around companion to hike in with me. I would say any dog can be a good family dog and good with kids with the proper training, so not worried about the kids. Any suggestions of breed and where May acquire a buddy!!
Here's another way of looking at it.
Your stated requirements:
1. Not really a big bird hunter
2. Companion
3. You want to take it hiking/hunting with you.
If you want to do ANY bird hunting with the dog, you're going to want to train the dog or have it trained for bird hunting. And if you do that, you might just find yourself becoming a bird hunter. But if you won't be doing any bird hunting with the dog, then it opens up a lot of options for you. A nice (emphasis on nice) rescue dog might be just the ticket here.
As for a companion animal, I think you will want to avoid any animal that has been abused, because they can be hard to restore, if not impossible. And even though a given dog might be fine with your kids, you don't want to be fussing with an aggressive dog if you're out hiking. Even if your dog is on leash, you will encounter a lot of idiots out there who let their dogs run around loose in the National Forests and other public places, and they will blame you if their dog gets in your dog's face and they tangle. So I recommend that you get a mild-mannered dog, and make every effort to socialize it with many animals (especially, but not limited to, other dogs) and many people.
Hiking... Southern California is HOT. And dogs can overheat easily. So if you're thinking about taking your dog hunting/hiking with you, you have to consider that most places where you can hunt in SoCal don't have water for your dog to cool off in. Dogs with thick coats (like labs) don't do especially well on long, hot hikes when they aren't able to cool off, and you end up worrying about your dog overheating. Keeping your dog in top condition would probably help with this, but you might consider a more athletic, thin-coated dog such as a German Shorthair Pointer, English Pointer, Weimaraner, or similar. And if you're taking him with you in colder weather, you can put a vest on him.
If you could find a mild-mannered lab or pointer mix at a shelter, you might find just the companion you're looking for. Just another perspective to think about!
