Boykin Spaniel

Blaine Tarnecki- Hudson River Retrievers on FB. I would hit him up for a boykin and the training, or ask for his input. He’s the guy.

Boykin’s are cool dogs. I’ve seen some at hunt test and dog trainers. While they didn’t even compare to how the majority of labs performed, from the sound of what you want a Boykin would be fine. I’d for sure try and find one with a “hunting pedigree” or background so that it’s not like a lot of golden retrievers that have been backyard bred as pets and lost a lot of their edge and drive. Honestly though, what you described wanting as far as a do everything dog that’s still a great companion is spot on for a good bred lab. As far as size goes you could easily find a female with smaller parents that shouldn’t get over 50 pounds.

No matter what you choose dogs/puppies are awesome and us humans don’t deserve how awesome they can be, so enjoy. Good luck with your future companion!

OP, Boykins are very wired up dogs. I have one that is about 11 months old and she is a big handful. Great with kids. They cling to you big time. Mine is always under foot. I'm not training her to hunt, but she always is in the yard chasing birds. She came from hunting stock. Hair lost is the same as a lab, just longer hair. I have to brush her every day to keep her hair from matting up. They have a fur little under their hair.

My dog is about 15" at her back and weighs around 25 lbs at most. Very small. The mom was a small one were the dad was big for a boykin.

Boykin sounds like a good option for you. We got a Boykin for similar reasons as you. Boykins are medium shredders and mine sheds less than a lab. When we are training often and in the lake we have very little shedding in the house. Boykins have a softer temperament and need to be trained a little differently than a lab. You can shut them down in training if pushed with too much negative reinforcement. However, well trained boykins will work just as hard as well trained labs. Just like labs, it is the training that makes the difference. We love ours. I trained her and she was doing well in her 1st two years of hunting until my son shot over her when she was in the water this year. Have had issues since then. Going to have to go back to some basics. They are all purpose and will do all the things you list.

I'm not expecting a poodle...

The hair is a big deal. My last lab was huge and shed, a lot. However, for shedding, I would think a 90 lb lab > 45 lb lab > 30 lb boykin...

As for breeders, I am struggling to find any within 5 hours of Nola that are not "backyard" breeders. A few websites that I have found are all "paid for" listings and concern me. There are very few breeders with a reputation at hand, or even an ability to give a warranty. This is leaning me back towards a lab.

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Blaine Tarnecki- Hudson River Retrievers on FB. I would hit him up for a boykin and the training, or ask for his input. He’s the guy.

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I am too entrenched in the boykin world now to say anyone is the best but.... Blaine is certainly in the elite top 10. and not bashful with advice.

Deutsch-Drahthaar Is the answer if you hunt everything and own 1 dog this is it you won’t have to be sending it off to a trainer spending thousands of dollars.
If you send it off to be trained is the same trainer going to teach deer tracking rabbit upland water fowl? Probably not you can train this dog yourself and it will amaze any hunting buddy you know. You will Spend more time on a toilet a day than it will take to train this breed to impress your friends and you will get a hell of a family member also not a kennel dog. Or you could get a beagle lab English setter and a deer dog whatever they are using today and a fite squirrel dog and a blue tick if you want to hunt raccoons if you need a heard of dogs go for it. Are they best at each discipline no but they do them all they very well & love to hunt for you. They can run 40-80 lb depending on genes. Meat hunter absolutely the Germans have done a very good job protecting this breed read up on the testing system that will help you understand how thorough the testing system is you cannot and will not get that with any breed period. Where you can track the genealogy of every single dog. You get 2 labs 2 gsp 2 Boykins and breed them you willl get labs gsp boykins simple. That’s not the case with theDD read up call a few breeders I believe the past president of the North American group lives in Baton Rouge give him a call I can get you the number. Go to the VDD GNA website you will get a lot of information LINK

I have a year and half old male boykin. He's never met a stranger and is the friendliest dog I've honestly ever encountered. TONS of energy. We're still working on training, but he got his first two ducks this year, one of which I would not have found without him. I've seen pictures of boykins retrieving geese and tracking deer on fb and I know I could get mine to find and retrieve squirrels, but thus far he hasnt paid them any attention and Im trying to keep it that way for the sake of my neighbors.

All around great breed that isnt well known outside of the southeast. Less slobber and hair than a lab.

Hard to potty train for some reason. Mine was retrieving bumpers at 8 weeks and still have accidents at 16, which made no sense to me. Ive seen that others in boyking fb groups had similar problems.

I have a Boykin---just a pet. Great dog. She is old and has hip problems so beware of that.