l am looking for a hunting dog, and l have narrowed down my choices to a Golden Retriever and a Brittany Spaniel. l am sure both are excellent choices, but l am unsure which would be best suited for me.

The dog NEEDS to be good with a young child (4 years old).
The dog NEEDS to be able to live in a 100'x100' yard.

In order of importance, l would like my dog to:
(1) Point and Retrieve game such as Quail and Dove.
(2) Not be afraid of swimming to retrieve an animal, such as a Duck.
(3- not necessary, but it would be nice) Aid me in hunting rabbits.

Easily trainable and obedient would be very helpful.
My main concern with the Brittany Spaniel is that l will not play/exercise with it. On the average day, l will be able to walk and run with the dog 1/2 to 1 miles.

My mind is not 100% set on the breed l want, so if you name another breed that is well suited for me l would appreciate it.

Also, if you would name the Pro is and Con is of each breed it would be appreciated.

l do not think golden retrievers point, so you are stuck with one choice. the brittany.

The Golden Retriever simply does not have the nose of a Brittany, and therefore wo not make as good of a pointer. However, a Golden can be trained to point. 1/2-1 mile a day is acceptable for a Brittany.
Both are great breeds, and great with children.

Like the 1st guy said a retriver is for just that .If you'r going duck hunting it a fine choce . For point & retrive the B.Span's. the one. but there is a lot of pointer breeds to chose from. Talk to some of ur local bird hunters & check out the diff. breeds on ur own . When u see the dog in action then u will know him. A combination dog like u discriped is just a dream dog. Dogs r tools of a hunter like a gun is. Pick the one suitable for the job. The diff. is.. u will think the dog is a part of the family .

i've owned 2 black labs that do it all. the only thing better is a springer spaniel. lots of cuckle burrs in long haired dogs and they are a pain.

Well l never owned a Golden Retriever but l do own a Brittany now.
l will tell u about the Brittany.
Well l have to say my dog is really weird(not normal).
Very good around kids never had a problem with that.
We live in a small area also & she is fine here. l do not know how big our yard is.
My dog do not like the water but l have seen a lot of other Brittany is that love to swim.
We pheasant hunt with her she is an awesome pointer & will flush most of the time.but she wo not retriever but is pretty good at standing over the bird if it is not totaly dead to hold it down.
l think brittanys r amazing animals im not sure about rabitt huntin but they r awesome bird dogs.
My aunt is ex had a retriever said it was a pretty good dog to for ducks. But that was it. Did not point or anything else.
Hope l helped
One more thing l would suggest the german pointer. Now those dogs r amazing!!!!!

l am also an upland game hunter & l own a couple dogs. The dogs l have r a Brittany Spaniel, German Shorthaired pointer, & an english pointer. All the dogs have done me well mostly for pheasnant & quail. The 2 dogs that have been the best for me is the GSP, & the Brittany Spaniel. These 2 dogs r great at pointing & retrieving the birds. Both these dogs can swim great & l think the Brittany retrieves better than the GSP.

Brittany Spaniel
Pros
-Great Pointer
-Great Retriever
-Outstanding Swimmer
-Good with children(i have a 2 & 6 year old great with them)
-Easy to train

Cons
-Stamina ok
-Needs a lot of exercise (If u cant run a lot l recommend a lot of fetch)
-Shedds a lot

German Shorthair Pointer
Pros
-Outstanding pointer
-Good retriever
-Does not shed a lot
-Good swimmer
-Easy to train

Cons
-Extremely hyper

Overall these two dogs r outstanding but u should make the decision on ur own good luck.

a golden is a good dog (own one) and a brittany is a good dog too (boyfriend owns one) but both can be stubborn and they are hyper dogs

i say a golden/brittany mix
'best of both worlds'