I've always grouse hunted without a dog. My buddies and I would just line up and walk through areas where we thought they would be. We actually do fairly well considering we don't have a dog. Last weekend I went for my first time with a friend's dog and WOW! I've been working way too hard! This was his dog's first "real" year hunting and he was doing great! Anyway other than some lousy shooting (I'll blame it on the first time out this year!) I had a ton of fun and realize how much easier it was with a dog.
So now I'm thinking I'd like to get a dog and I simply want it for hunting grouse and woodcock, nothing else. I'd also like a little companionship for our other dog, which is a doberman who absolutely loves other dogs, cats, and any other type of animal or person! He is a fantastic dog despite what some people think about the breed! I'm guessing I should wait to get a puppy until the spring so I can take it out into the woods a lot, here in MI we get a lot of snow and I don't know if it would be a good idea to get one in the next couple months only to sit around in the house since the snow would be so deep? I'm not sure exactly what breed to get, and I really don't want to spend a fortune but I am willing to work hard with the dog to train it. Again I simply want something that points, I'm not concerned with using it for any other type of hunting and it would also be an inside dog as well, so short hair would be a plus. We have a large fenced in yard, and a 5yr old and 10yr old children if that matters. I live in northern Michigan but could travel a few hours if there was a good breeder. Again I'm assuming I should wait until next spring so I can take the dog out into the woods more often or would it be ok to get one now, even though we're coming into the winter months? I'm thinking a german shorthair pointer or brittany?
