I look at the gun dog space through the eyes of a dedicated spaniel man, and likely that is why I have often been struck by the fact that pointing dog handlers seem disinclined to run a single dog at any given time. I suppose that in big country it makes sense: A pair of dogs or more can cover far more ground than a single and can surely hunt a big piece of country efficiently. I also understand that the common practice of teaching a dog to honor or back allows a degree of control that doesn’t really exist when hunting flushers.

As a handler, though, I rarely run more than one flusher at a time. In hunting situations, particularly when handler and hunter are one and the same, it is almost too much to assume that hunting two flushers would be an asset. Think about it this way: If you are hunting tight grouse cover with two energetic dogs, the ability to read both dogs, adapt to their body language quickly, and get off a good shot in tight quarters is almost impossible. That said, there are moments when running two flushers is valuable, both from a teaching/training standpoint and from a practical/efficiency standpoint.

Organized Chaos

Let’s look first at the hunting scenario described above wherein hunter and handler are the same, and the dog on the ground is feisty. A good cocker or springer will accomplish this task with speed and enthusiasm, and though a properly trained dog will remain in gun range, realistic cover will not always enable the handler to see the dog working. For this reason, the gun must always be at the ready, and braced for a flush from any direction. A flusher is trained to accelerate and increase intensity with scent, meaning that the situation will progress rapidly once scent is hit. Hunting a hard going flusher in dense cover may look to the untrained eye like organized chaos, and this is just why many folks enjoy it: the energy is high, there is little time to waste, and it feels as though the world could erupt at any moment. Adding an additional dog to the mix raises the chaos significantly while making the opportunity for considerate, effective shooting somewhat less. There is simply too much going on, and even with two guns on the ground, multiple dogs just don’t prove helpful. That one good dog that hunts effectively and intently will get up all the birds in the vicinity and will do so in a manner that makes for successful shooting.

When to Run Two Dogs

I will say that there are times when a brace of flushers makes sense. When I was guiding more actively at the clubs in the Hudson Valley, I would regularly hunt two seasoned spaniels in tandem. I did so for the simple reason that I was typically guiding four shooters in a small area that was dense with released birds. My underlying goal was to get my clients shooting as much as possible, and I was not worried that we would go without numerous bird contacts. As the orchestrator of an experience defined as entertainment, I could be pretty certain that two dogs would put more birds in the air than one.

Several guides I met worked two dogs in the field in concert but kept one always at heel. This provided the single dog a chance to get all the action and hunt without distraction, but dogs could be swapped out when one got tired or hot. This made for a longer walk, as there was no need to return to the truck to swap dogs, and yet there was always a fresh dog at heel ready to go. Moreover, in the event of a cripple/runner or a hard-to-find bird, the second flusher could be released off heel to help find and retrieve. Oddly enough, I have also seen this practice of keeping one dog at heel work to cure gun-shyness. Though I am a firm believer that gun-shyness is the result of human error and is therefore entirely avoidable, a trainer that is delivered a gun-shy dog has few tools to help reverse the damage. On occasion, the dog at heel will be so fixated on the job of heeling, and so secondarily fixated on the dog working the field and making game, that the shot itself gets lost in the commotion. I would have not thought that this trick would work, but I have seen it done, and seen a few spaniels “resurrected” as a result.

From a more training-oriented standpoint there is also good reason at times to run a brace of flushers. If you have a young dog lacking in intensity and an older dog with plenty of drive, it can be a benefit to run this team together. The more driven dog will initially do most of the bird finding and may be the first to get on the retrieves. The younger dog, feeling the competitive juices beginning to flow, may pick up his pace and intensity so that he can get a bit more of the action. Competition between dogs can at times be problematic, but it can also inject some drive into a lackluster pup. I have seen this pairing work on several occasions, and the intensity learned by a lackluster dog that runs with a hot one will often stick even when the hot one is taken out of the picture.

Though I have given a few reasons here why hunting multiple flushers together can be beneficial, there are some considerations to keep top-of-mind. First, when two flushers are hunting together, the energy on the ground can be substantial, and the drive for the flush can be enhanced. In the melee, it is vital to remember that the non-flusher may be positioned in such a spot as to be in line with a low shot. Things happen fast around flushers, and a rising rooster may be well clear of the near dog/flusher but may present a shot against a hillside that lines up squarely with the trailing dog. Multiple dogs are a lot to keep track of and can present some dangerous shots. Moreover, two flushers hunted together will rarely be able to remain absolutely steady. The competitive element of a second dog will almost always mean that one of the dogs that hupped on the flush and shot will eventually break to “win” the retrieve. This can be a sloppy habit to correct, particularly if your standards of steadiness are high. Finally, folks often worry that two dogs will fight over a downed bird, and indeed there may be some scuffling or asserting of dominance. The dogs will work it out, but a little posturing and thievery doesn’t exactly make for the most polished and efficient retrieve.

In short, there are moments when it makes sense to run multiple flushers at once, but it really is never a necessity. A single dog that hunts and handles well, that covers the ground in front of it thoroughly and doesn’t run too big, will produce as many shootable birds as a pair of flushers will.