Chuck, if I could I'd vote for an English setter or brittany if you want affection. Do you plan to train the dog yourself? If so these breeds may not be the best for your first as they tend not to allow as many mistakes as, say, a GSP. Shorthairs are generally tougher, and have been known to have attitude problems. I am a member of several dog forums and always see the my dog bit.... 9 times out of 10, it's a GWP or GSP. Trained tons of dogs steady to wing and shot, and force broke to retrieve. Dad did it for a living for 15 years, bet I've seen 1500+ dogs in my short life. Any questions feel free to give me a call, or send me an e-mail.

Double guns and English Setters