Miss having a dog. For the past 10 years I abstained from getting one due to work circumstances and not being home enough to be "fair to the dog"... now, this has changed and I am seriously considering getting a dog again. Always had a flat coated retriever, but they appear to not be very common here in Canada? I like the idea of having a "water friendly" dog who enjoys hanging out while fishing but could also get into duck/goose hunting with me. Family/kid friendly a must (well, most dogs are).

Any suggestions? Never got a dog here in Canada, where is the best way to go? Not really into supporting the SPCA as an organization, and the idea of a rescue is not really my thing. Rather get a puppy... Do you go on Craigslist?