More: Stella is my first gun dog, she loves to work and came auto-programmed to retrieve. She is a very loving dog, great with people and can handle the cold like nothing I've ever seen from a dog, simply put their reputation as a cold water dog really is legendary. Every year has been an improvement over the last and she has found dozens of waterfowl and upland birds that I wouldn't have recovered. I loved bird hunting before but having Stella has taken it to the next level, it makes those cold November duck hunts more bearable and she pushes me to take that extra loop for grouse when I might be inclined to head back to the warm truck. It truly has been a life changing experience and my only regret is I didn't take the plunge earlier!