GSPs are first and foremost bred to be working and hunting dogs, and as a result that is their ideal environment. However, they were also bred to be great companions and this means that they are very loyal and love interacting with humans.  As a result they possess a good balance of being friendly, outgoing, reliable, hard-working and easy to please. They love going on long walks, chasing things, running through water and swimming; essentially fulfilling their bred requirement of being a gundog. Plenty of space for them to be able to roam is an absolute must, and are probably not best suited to living in flats. They make the perfect running partner, and can even be a cycling partner; as they can still keep up with you even if you’re on a bike. A very active family is required! They have an excellent nose (designed to pick up a hunt scent), and will occasionally bring you ‘trophies’ from their own individual hunts. The dog needs to be properly trained from a young age to make sure it uses this hunt instinct in the right way. They possess high intelligence (ranking 17th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs) and can be trained for dog sports, such as agility and obedience. They do sometimes like to have a good bark, and make great doorbells – or burglar alarms