Meet Canada’s 16 most popular breeds of hunting dog

The cloak of night continues to darken the windows as you reach over to silence your alarm clock. Through the gloom, all you can see are the shining eyes of the hunting dog that has suddenly appeared by your bed. For her, the snooze button is not an option—it’s game time. The dog’s barely contained excitement soon propels you out of bed and out the door, cranking up the anticipation of what the morning may bring.

Heading afield reaches a whole new level when your hunting buddy is a scouting wizard with keen eyesight and a nose that’s 10,000 times better than yours. Then there’s the dog’s boundless energy, enthusiasm and unwavering embrace of teamwork. This is a hunting partnership at its best, but it doesn’t just happen by chance or luck when your dog is bred and trained for the task at hand. Here (in alphabetical order) are 16 of the best gun dog breeds in the field today in Canada.