Flushing dogs are just as productive as pointing dogs. Snoopy, the author’s springer, with a pair of woodcock.

The chocolate chip cookies convinced me. More accurately, the person making the cookies convinced me. After years of hunting with springer spaniels, I had decided to buy a Llewellin setter and I was contacting prospective breeders.

Twin Cedars Kennels in Wingo, Kentucky, owned by Randy Johnson, was the fourth one I called. I never made it to the fifth. Kena Johnson answered the phone while making cookies for her son Jeremy. We chatted for about half an hour, mostly about life in general and only a little about dogs.

I was sold before even talking to Randy because of the pleasant conversation I had with Kena and I decided to get my new puppy from the Johnsons out of a breeding that had produced excellent pups in the past. This was my most important step in making the switch from flushing dogs to pointing dogs. A well-bred dog is born with the skills to do its job, making training much easier. We named our pup “Aspen.”

Why Make The Switch?
I had started hunting birds with no dog at all, precisely because I was a kid and had no say in the matter of owning a dog. When I did hunt with a dog, it was with friends or family who owned flushing dogs and were kind enough to let me tag along. If you’ve ever hunted with a flushing dog you don’t need me to tell you they’re every bit the bird-finder a pointing dog is, so why make the switch? The reasons vary.

I once asked some pointing dog enthusiasts why they chose pointing dogs. One of the more interesting replies was, “Well, I hunt birds. What else would I use but a bird dog?” I don’t believe the response was intended to be condescending or sarcastic as much as a statement of the obvious. It had simply never occurred to him that it was possible to use a flushing or retrieving breed for upland bird hunting. I knew better, but it increased my curiosity about pointing dogs.

My good friend and hunting partner, Mike Minar of New Prague, Minnesota, has a Lab named Jake, but Mike is considering a pointing breed for his next dog because, as he says, “I’m getting older and it’s harder for me to keep up with a flushing dog.” I can relate. I once came back from a pheasant hunting trip in South Dakota with a bad case of runner’s knee from following my springer spaniel across the prairie after running pheasants.

Mark Cyccone from Michigan, started the same way I did, initially hunting without a dog before getting a springer spaniel. He was very happy with his springer, Kelly, so I asked him why he got a Brittany instead of another springer when Kelly passed away. His decision began when he was invited by a friend at work to hunt with a man who owned a Brittany named Ginger.

“The first bird Ginger pointed was a hen pheasant directly in front of me,” said Mark. “Don told me to walk past her point and flush the bird, but I could hardly take my eyes off the dog. I was sure glad it was a hen because I would never have gotten the gun up anyway. I was mesmerized by Ginger’s point.

“I just had to have a pointing dog and purchased my first Brittany pup shortly afterwards. I really enjoyed hunting with the flusher, but for me there is something mysterious, magical and beautiful when a dog goes on point. I guess that’s the main reason I made the switch.”