Opinion thread for sure.
I firmly believe that all canines are natural born predators. The instinct is not far below the surface; therefore, most any breed - with a minimum of encouragement, can perform in the field. I have had labs and pointers and also taken along family pets that you wouldn't ever think of as hunting dogs, including shelties and two mini-American eskimos. They all can find and flush. Point and hold is another story. For that I loved TAZ my GSP.
At the moment I have CHARLIE (LabxHusky) and KYRA (mini-American Eskimo) They are both fun to watch when they get birdy.
Rich is so right - Upland without a dog is a walk with a gun
Upland with a dog is indeed a pleasureable walk with a gun and a great meal afterwards. (Well, if we do our part - the best dog, best shotgun, best ammo still needs us to place the shot pattern over the bird)
CHARLIE