Ok.. after all the comments here, on other forums, and from my friends, let me ask the question again, hopefully in a way that's easier to answer. Somehow, the image of sitting in or around water in January freezing my nether regions off waiting on ducks to come in doesn't sound like nearly as much fun as chasing a dog around while it points at pheasants and such, so I'm probably going to hunt upland birds 90% of the time the dog hunts with me. With that in mind, what would you advise would be the best breed for that mix of hunting (include ease of training and retention of training) and being a good family pet? If I go with a non-Lab (it's pretty much the only retriever I'm considering), how much help is a good neoprene vest or something like it for keeping a dog warm while duck hunting?