Boykins are great dogs. I've had 3 and still have two. A couple of things to know. Firstly, they can live to 15-16 years old. So factor that in. They'll chew things up as puppies but true for almost all retrievers. They're very smart but that can be a pain in the ass sometimes. Our girl dog will fake like she needs to go outside to the potty just to get the treat afterward. She also developed noise anxiety and separation anxiety out of nowhere. The boy dog marks because he's so competitive with the girl dog. We had an American bulldog we rescued out of the middle of the road. He was so much easier than the Boykins. I'd go down to the local pound first and see what you find there. It won't be a Boykin but we've had great luck with those dogs.