It has been my pleasure over the years to hunt with dogs that I have come to love and have the greatest respect for. Not my own, but those of my friend and hunting and shooting companion of some 24 years, Dave Suitor of Goffstown, N.H. Just last week Dave, and two friends of his from work and myself went pheasant and woodcock hunting. There were three dogs with us, Dave's and his two friends. By 1:00 PM we had our limit of pheasants and were then able to head to woodcock country. There they got a few woodcock but sorry to say I did not. All were found and pointed by the dogs of course.
What dogs you say. Brittany Spaniels of course. When I first hunted with Dave he had a little female named Bert. She started out young and dumb and made all the puppy mistakes but was soon brought into line by the training she got from Dave. This little lady gave us some very good work over the years. Unfortunately the ravages of age and the hard seasons of hunting took their toll and Bert went to her just rewards earlier this summer. She was a smallish Brittany but the heart of a lion. That little lady would dive through the nastiest bush and pickers that would make most other breeds say "no way boss". When we would head out she would sit in my lap and sleep. As soon as she heard the front tires hit dirt she would be up in the window, head swiveling 180 and giving those little yips that meant "whoopee, we are going hunting". But that was when we were on the road. When I would pull into Dave's yard she would be in the window watching me. As soon as she saw me take out the gun case she would go wild, she knew we were going hunting. In the house? Yes, because Brittany's make great pets as well as hunting dogs and are very good with kids and cats. This has no effect on their desire and ability to hunt.
Brittanys not only find birds, they retrieve as well. They point magnificently and are such a joy to watch that sometimes I forget that I am supposed to shoot something. Well, almost. This is why Joel M. Vance in his book "Upland Bird Hunting" names them the Universal Dog. They do everything that other breeds do and to boot will go places very few other breeds will. They are the most enthusiastic breed I have ever seen.
Now Dave has another young Brittany named Chief in his second year. Last year he was very young and only got in a few days of hunting, as a result not much was expected of him. Dave's friend from work also had a young Brittany in his first year of hunting. When we went out for the first time with both dogs they hunted like champs, not many mistakes at all. And contrary to their reputation as "Velcro Dogs", these two would get out and range in the fields like the best of pointers. They hang closer in heavy cover, but that is as it should be. Heavy cover is where the woodcock are. Game birds of all types will be found and pointed by these relatively small bobtailed dogs. In the field they are all business. I am getting very fond of Chief and Dave's friends dog Snert. Yes, Snert, named after Hagar the Horribles dog. These two males are a joy to watch.
This particular breed as a distinct type came about in 1850 in the town of Pontou in Breton. It was a tailess pup, a cross between a local Spaniel bitch and a field dog of unknown breed. Brittanys today are born with short, 4 inch tails. And when that little stub starts wagging a mile a minute you know the dog has a scent, so keep your eyes on him. It is not unknown to have litters of Brittany's with longer tails. In his book, Vance says that his short tailed male sired a litter of long tailed pups.
So there you have it, my choice for a hunting dog of supreme ability. The aforementioned book "Upland Bird Hunting" by Joel M. Vance and published originally by Outdoor Life is a great read. It has been out of print for awhile but maybe can be found on Amazon.com. If not your local library may be able to find a copy through their book exchange program. This is highly recommended by me.
Until next time, Keep Your Powder Dry.
Bill Oikle
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