Also known as 'sporting dogs,' gun dogs make excellent family pets. Some would go so far as to say that they make the perfect family pet, which is a hard point to argue considering the fact that they're naturally loyal, sociable, and affectionate. Yet knowing their history, you might not have ever suspected such. A gun dog is also known as a hunting dog!
Within this group, you’ll therefore find a wide range of dogs (historically) bred to accompany hunters. Their close relationships with hunters and other dogs just like them is what makes them so amicable, but their energy and resilience is what makes them so practical.
These are great qualities for people who live an active lifestyle and want a dog that’s just as energetic as they are. They’re not great qualities however, for people who aren’t energetic (like the older generation for example) since gun dogs can retain the energy of a young pup right up until the time of death! And they’re not great qualities for tight-spaced environments. Gun dogs need sufficient room and plenty of opportunity to expend their natural liveliness.

Types of Gun Dogs

American Water Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, hunting skills, intelligence, eager to learn
Behavioral Warnings: food possessiveness

Barbet
Welcomed Behaviors: sociability, friendliness toward children and other animals, easily trained

Boykin Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, easy to train, affectionate, versatile

Bracco Italiano
Welcomed Behaviors: affectionate, passiveness, intelligence
Behavioral Warnings: stubbornness, sensitivity

Braque du Bourbonnais
Welcomed Behaviors: laboriousness, trainability, gentleness, playfulness, affectionate
Behavioral Warnings: sensitivity

Braque Francais
Welcomed Behaviors: gentleness, intelligence, eagerness to please
Behavioral Warnings: sensitivity

Braque Saint-Germain
Welcomed Behaviors: gentleness, trainability, affectionate
Behavioral Warnings: sensitivity, needs attention

Brittany
Welcomed Behaviors: liveliness, trainability, intelligence, activeness, friendliness

Cesky Fousek
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, trainability

Chesapeake Bay Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: affectionate, courage, intelligence, trainability, friendly
Behavioral Warnings: seriousness, will react to provocation

Clumber Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, affectionate, playful
Behavioral Warnings: reservation with strangers

Cocker Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: liveliness, friendliness, intelligence, trainability

Curly-Coated Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: energetic, playfulness, adaptability, affectionate, friendliness to children
Behavioral Warnings: reservation with strangers

Deutscher Wachtelhund
Welcomed Behaviors: energetic, friendliness, loyalty

Drentse Patrijshond
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiastic, trainable, loyalty, obedienc
Behavioral Warnings: sensitivity

English Cocker Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, liveliness, devotion, sociability

English Setter
Welcomed Behaviors: mildness, friendliness

English Springer Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, affectionate
Behavioral Warnings: too energetic for young or small kids

Epagneul Bleu de Picardie
Welcomed Behaviors: affection, trainability, intelligence, devotion, friendliness with children and animals

Epagneul Picard
Welcomed Behaviors: affection, devotion, trainability, enthusiasm

Epagneul Pont-Audemer
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, friendliness, adaptability, friendliness towards children

Field Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: liveliness

Flat-Coated Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, playfulness
Behavioral Warnings: too energetic for children

French Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, eagerness, trainable, friendliness with children

German Longhaired Pointer
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, activeness, even-temperament, trainability, friendliness with children

German Shorthaired Pointer
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, friendliness with children, trainable, energetic

German Wirehaired Pointer
Welcomed Behaviors: loyalty, affection
Behavioral Warnings: aloofness with strangers, prey drive

Golden Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness with children and other dogs, playfulness, even tempered

Gordon Setter
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, intelligence, loyalty, affection

Irish Setter
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness with children and other dogs, liveliness, playfulness

Irish Red and White Setter
Welcomed Behaviors: liveliness, friendliness, intelligence, trainability
Behavioral Warnings: mischievousness

Irish Water Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, boldness
Behavioral Warnings: reservation with strangers, shyness in new environments

Kooikerhondje
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, devotion, affection
Behavioral Warnings: noisy, reservation with strangers

Labrador Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, sociability, friendly with children and other dogs

Large Munsterlander
Welcomed Behaviors: friendly with children and other animals, trainability
Behavioral Warnings: vocal

Nova Scotia Duck Trolling Retriever
Welcomed Behaviors: playfulness, alertness, intelligence, friendliness with children
Behavioral Warnings: reservation with strangers and new environments

Old Danish Bird Dog
Welcomed Behaviors: activeness, gentleness, affection

Perdigueiro Portugueso
Welcomed Behaviors: activeness, affection, submissiveness
Behavioral Warnings: strong instincts to hunt

Perdigueiro de Burgos
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, eagerness to please, trainability, friendliness with children
Behavioral Warnings: tendency to roam

Perdigueiro Navarro
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, activeness

Pointer
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness, enthusiasm, friendliness with children and other dogs
Behavioral Warnings: strong instinct to hunt

Portuguese Water Dog
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, devotion

Pudelpointer
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, loyalty, trainability, friendliness with children and other dogs

Small Munsterlander
Welcomed Behaviors: sociability, activeness, affection, friendliness with children and other dogs
Behavioral Warnings: stubbornness, strong instinct to hunt

Spanish Water dog
Welcomed Behaviors: activeness, faithfulness, obedience

Spinone Italiano
Welcomed Behaviors: enthusiasm, gentleness
Behavioral Warnings: stubbornness, reservation with strangers and new environments, noisy

Stabyhoun
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness with children and pets, affection

Standard Poodle
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, trainability, affection with family, friendliness with children
Behavioral Warnings: shyness around strangers

Sussex Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: friendliness
Behavioral Warnings: protectiveness, noisy

Vizsla
Welcomed Behaviors: affection, gentleness
Behavioral Warnings: sensitivity

Weimaraner
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, energy
Behavioral Warnings: stubbornness

Welsh Springer Spaniel
Welcomed Behaviors: activeness, intelligence, trainability, devotion, friendliness with other dogs

Wirehaired Pointing Griffon
Welcomed Behaviors: intelligence, eagerness to ease
Behavioral Warnings: bores easily, manipulative

What To Expect

As you can see, the gun dog group covers a large scope of breeds ranging from the gentle and soft-spoken to the vermin chasing roamer. Despite the variety, the one thing that they all have in common is the need to exercise. If you’re attracted to this group, be prepared to spend a lot of time in training, and be sure to provide an environment that’s conducive to its natural lust to run, play, and chase.