The Flushing Spaniel as a Gun Dog
Shooting game over a flushing spaniel is one of the most enjoyable ways to hunt. Flushing spaniels are bred to use their sense of smell to locate game and then to flush that game into a shooting position for the hunter. After the shot they find and retrieve the game to hand. This is especially useful in dense cover, where locating and flushing a bird to fly away is extremely difficult for a hunter on foot. Hunting game birds over a flushing spaniel is a quick and explosive way to shoot at birds.
Flushing spaniels were originally bred to flush game birds into the air for falconers to release their birds of prey to catch. Nowadays a flushing spaniel not only uses its strong nose to find game, but puts the bird into the air where it can be shot at by the hunter. These dogs are bred for energy and intelligence. When working cover, a flushing spaniel has to use wind patterns and quartering movements to find the scent of the hidden bird, all while staying in range of the shooter. A flushed bird is no good if it flies out of range of the shot. Spaniels are also trained to immediately sit after flushing the bird and mark its flight pattern. This keeps the dog from catching the flushing bird or chasing it, as well as keeping the dog free of the shot range of the gunner. A steady to shot flushing spaniel is a terrific sight and requires hard work and training on both the part of the hunter and the dog. These dogs need intelligence and memory to be able to mark downed birds and retrieve them. They also use their nose to locate wounded or hidden downed birds. An important feature of these types of gun dogs is their soft mouths, or a term used to describe a trained method of mouthing and carrying game birds without damaging them. A soft mouth is a prized attribute of any retrieving gun dog as a damaged bird is of no use to a hunter.
Most flushing spaniels have silky coats for protection in dense brush and drooping ears. They should develop a strong sense of smell and desire to hunt at a young age. Spaniels are affectionate gun dogs that are smart and easy to train. They make excellent home companions and family dogs as well as hunting partners.
