The Hunt and Flush Gundogs
Typified by the Springer Spaniel the hunt and flush breeds are exciting dogs to shoot over, facing cover with great courage and determination to flush the bird or ground game they are pursuing. It is necessary to work these dogs close to the gun, because they will not give you enough notice to get into position.
The Springer Spaniel
comes in two flavours, the English and the Welsh. The English is commonly seen in black and white and even more frequently in brown and white. The cross breed version I remember from my childhood was of the black strain and nuts. The brown and white bitch we had later was even nuttier!
Now Bonnie was a swimmer. Say what you want of her, she was extremely courageous, quite willing to swim even in rough water. I once spent an anxious ten minutes as she struggled to bring a submerged branch to shore, insisting on diving to get a better grip. She used to retrieve pebbles and would retrieve the correct one, even under water. If only I had her now, I am sure she would have been one of the best dogs I would have ever owned.
The English Cocker
If I think that Springers are challenging, the Cocker Spaniel is not a dog for the new trainer.