The question pops up on bird dog forums and breed-specific forums on social media platforms all the time, “Can we handle the energy of a bird dog?” 

The posters want to get a bird dog pup but they’ve heard they can be a handful; they wonder if they’ll be able to manage the infamous exercise needs of a working dog. Or questions come from new bird dog puppy owners at their wits’ end, frustrated that their dog seems out of control and they’re on the brink of considering rehoming it. Advice rolls in and some of it is good, some bad, and some terrible. I usually try to weigh in, having been in their shoes years ago when we were first researching Brittanys and then later when we were desperately trying to give our bottle-rocket of a bird dog pup enough energy outlets so he wouldn’t find trouble on his own. 

For the welfare of any pup, a prospective bird dog owner needs to know exactly what they are getting into, and understand the decade- or two-long commitment they’ll need to meet the dog’s energy needs. Some pets are an accessory to life and make few demands of their people. Yet, particularly where their energy needs are concerned, bird dogs are not an accessory but rather a lifestyle.