This group includes a variety of breeds that are used to help hunters.  There are a variety of spaniels, retrievers, pointers, and setters.  Each has been specially bred to assist with a specific aspect of hunting.  Here are some of the more common sporting breeds

Brittany

Chesapeake Bay Retriever

Clumber Spaniel

English Cocker Spaniel

English Setter

English Springer Spaniel

German Shorthaired Pointer

German Wirehaired Pointer

Golden Retriever

Gordon Setter

Irish Setter

Labrador Retriever

Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever

Vizsla

Weimaraner

The Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever, Labrador, Chesapeake, and golden are all retrievers.   They have been bred to go out and pick up the downed bird.  They tend to have a soft mouth (hold things gently) unless taught to be rough.  The generally love to pick things up and carry them around.  This can sometimes be problematic because they don’t always choose dog appropriate items to carry around.  Sometimes they will eat the item they have picked up which can lead to gastrointestinal problems or even a blockage requiring surgery.  They also tend to love to chew.  Some go through a second chewing phase when they reach adulthood around 2yrs of age.  They are usually social, very food motivated, and learn quickly.  Sometimes it takes a while to achieve impulse control around people and other dogs because they are so exciting to these dogs.  They are generally active dogs and need regular exercise

Weimaraner’s, Vizslas, and German wire or shorthaired pointers are all pointers.  They have been bred to freeze up in a pointing position when they get close to the bird on the ground before it is shot.  This alerts the hunter to be ready to fire. These dogs tend to be very high energy and need significant amounts of exercise.  They tend to be food motivated and learn quickly as long as the trainer has good timing.  If the trainer is too hard to understand they may go do something they find more interesting.

Setters were similarly bred to point out game so the hunter could be ready.  They are generally high energy but not quite as active as some of the pointing breeds.  Their coats require more maintenance than the shorthaired pointers.  Personality wise they tend to fall somewhere between a pointer and a spaniel.

Spaniels have been bred to flush out (make the bird fly up into the air) and then retrieve downed game.  They tend to be smaller than retrievers and are more often used in hunting smaller birds.  The energy of these dogs varies some by breed.  They are all active and do require regular exercise.  They enjoy chasing prey and prey like things as well as carrying things around.  They are generally food motivated and learn quickly.  Spaniels need regular grooming and ear cleaning.

The large breed dogs in this groups should be checked for hip and possibly elbow dysplasia.  Golden retrievers are a very popular breed and not all breeders do a good job. Unfortunately, their surge in popularity has led to a number of cancers, joint issues, and allergies being prevalent in the breed.  Dogs with a long back like the Clumber spaniel are at risk of back injury. Spaniels have heavy hair on their floppy ears, and this predisposes them to ear infections.  It is important to catch and treat ear issues early before they become very painful.  It is also important to teach any dog that will be spending time in water to allow ear cleaning for maintenance and prevention.