As long as you call yourself Mr. Adventure, you can call him Mr. Cooperative. Intricate involvement in the work, home, and family lives of humans has been a part of your gun dog’s ancestry for generations. He will get on board. But that ship had better sail somewhere good every day, and there’d better be plenty of things to learn and do along the way. Bore him and you may regret the day you ever met. Fill his athletic and ambitious cup and enjoy the company of an impressive and endearing partner both in and outside of the home.

HOME LIFE—One of the classic “hearth” dogs, your gun dog will be happy to fall sound asleep in the warmth and comforts of home. You’ll be able to enjoy your coffee and a peaceful family breakfast on a Sunday morning . . . after he’s gotten his cardio on the trail for three hours and then carried the newspaper in for you. If you don’t have time for that, he can compromise and settle for a two-mile run around the neighborhood. As long as you make time for a good game of fetch in the yard after you eat, and then take him with you to the hardware store, before the evening swim in the lake.

Given his ancestors’ relationships with humans, he is closely attuned to the daily rhythms of his people. He works hard to figure out the patterns, the plans, the expectations, and the goals of the day. He is ready when you are, following your lead to see what’s next on the agenda. Keep him actively engaged in your daily activities and burn off his steam with a variety of exciting quests and challenges, and you will find him highly agreeable.

For many, this is actually pretty difficult. Your dog can be hard to satisfy. You probably don’t have time to home-school him and run a small marathon on a daily basis in order to please this perfectly agreeable dog. So he easily goes over the top when company arrives—knocking them down, overjoyed to see some action. He eats the molding off the wall because he has spent four hours confined to the laundry room in your absence. He drags your eight-year-old across the street to see the neighbor’s new puppy when she takes him out to pee. He paces, whines, and pants as he makes his way around the room from one family member to the other in search of some kind of game or activity. While not bred for protectiveness or home defense and naturally welcoming to family and friends, he can be an unwelcome presence to your visitors due to his enthusiasm. Well intentioned as he usually is, he can come on a little strong for some people.