Let's be honest, upland bird hunting is best when working the fields with a good hunting dog out in front.  While there are many great breeds when it comes to pheasant hunting dogs, here is our pick for the best of the best based on our experience with the habitat available on South Dakota hunting land.

Pheasant Hunting Dogs - Pointers

Breed	Hunting Style	Photo
German Shorthair Pointer	The German Shorthaired Pointer should range and hunt within a comfortable distance from the hunter. They work well with other dogs in the field and should honor instinctively. They are a versatile and popular hunting choice due to their ability to hunt enthusiastically on both land and water.
German Wirehair Pointer	The German Wirehaired Pointer is an all-around gun dog that is able to hunt many types of game on almost any terrain. It is a versatile hunter that will track, point, and retrieve on both land and water. They are sturdy dogs that are well muscled and tend to be very determined hunters.
English Pointer	This Pointer is very hard driving hunter and known to be a tireless worker with great work ethics. They are independent and enthusiastic hunters with great range that work well in the field with other dogs. They generally exhibit natural hunting instincts at a very young age and have to abilities to cover larger areas of ground.
Vizsla	Vizsla's are very energetic working dogs that are robust but rather lightly built. They exhibit natural abilities to point and retrieve and show a genuine love of water. They do not have an undercoat, however, and are not particularly well suited for very low temperatures.
Weimaraner	The Weimaraner is a good all purpose gun dog that is able to hunt many types of game. It is a versatile hunter that was originally bred for hunting large game but became more focused on upland game as the popularity for large game hunting declined. Prey drive is strong and instinctive and training should begin at a young age to shape their general hunting instincts.
Wirehaired Pointing Griffon	The Wirehaired Pointing Griffon is an all-around gun dog that is able to hunt many types of game from rabbits to quail. It is a deliberate hunter that will track, point, and retrieve on land and water and stay within easy range of the hunter. Their thick, heavy coat is well suited to hunting in very cold temperatures and they tend to prefer cooler hunting climates.

Pheasant Hunting Dogs - Retrievers

Breed	Hunting Style	Photo
Labrador	Labrador Retrievers, or Labs, are versatile hunting retrievers that are well suited to adverse weather conditions and very cold water. They are a tough and durable breed combining a sturdy build with good speed and agility. Labs will quarter in front of the hunter to flush upland birds and should stay within comfortable gun range.
Chesapeake Bay Retriever	The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a tough breed with skin and coat built to resist quite low temperatures in icy water. They are a powerful versatile hunting breed with natural retrieving ability that should stay within range. Jaws are large and powerful for retrieval of large game birds.
Golden Retriever	Golden Retrievers are versatile hunting retrievers that are well suited to cold hunting conditions due to an outer coat that is dense and water repellent. They are a tough and durable breed with good speed and agility and a great love of water. Goldens will quarter in front of the hunter to flush upland birds and should stay within comfortable gun range. They live to retrieve.