Decoding what Makes a Flushing Dog
Decoding what Makes a Flushing Dog
Aren’t retrievers, flushers? The simple answer is, yes. They are kind of one in the same, but there are three reasons why these distinct categories of hunting dogs exist. First, some hunting dog breeds are primarily for waterfowl hunting, so they aren’t pointing or flushing anything. Second, retrieving dogs were primarily bred to retrieve game, to their handler without damage. Third, when it comes to upland hunting, a dog either flushes or points. In this case, most flushing and pointing dogs are also natural retrievers. I’d go as far as to say that all dogs, especially gun dogs, can train to bring birds back to their handler, even the knuckleheads (it just might take longer to train them).
Another way to look at the three different categories of hunting dogs is retrievers, pointers and spaniels (rather than flushers). Spaniels are the primary dog breeds that don’t tend to overlap in either of the other two categories. Spaniels don’t point and it’s not that they can’t or won’t retrieve, but they are known for their smooth and artistic ability to flush upland birds. The other dog breed that makes the list of flushers is the Standard Poodle.
What Breeds Are Flushers?
The following breeds are what you can consider flushing dogs: American Water Spaniel, Boykin Spaniel, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Clumber Spaniel, Curly-Coated Retriever, English Cocker Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, Flat-Coated Retriever, Golden Retriever, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, and the Standard Poodle.
The Clumber Spaniel and Standard Poodle are the largest of the flushing breeds with males averaging of18-20 inches tall and weighing 70-80 pounds. Male English Springer Spaniels have more medium build with a similar height to the Clumber and Poodle, but a lighter weight of 50 pounds. Male American Water Spaniels, Boykin Spaniels and English Cocker Spaniels tend to be a smaller build with an average height of 15-18 inches and an average weight of 30-45 pounds with the Cocker, being the smallest at 14.5-15.5 inches in average height and 25-30 pounds in average weight.
Attributes of Flushers
Flushers tend to have a medium to high energy level, a high trainability level, a high desire to please and hunt, and a high adaptability level. They have a medium to high need for mental stimulation and physical exercise. Normally, they rarely know a stranger and are typically ready to play with other dogs and humans. They are usually good with children and affectionate. They range from little to no shedding, to medium amounts of shedding.
Things to Consider
If you’re an upland hunter looking for a flusher that is also going to be a good family dog, that might shed some and isn’t a moose, a flushing breed might just be your next dog. Some of the biggest things to consider before deciding to go with a flusher is, “Do I/will I want to waterfowl hunt?” and “How do I want to upland hunt? Do I want to hunt behind a flusher or pointer?”
Something else to consider about a flusher is maybe you already have a pointer, and you’d like to add a flusher to your hunting team, an English Cocker Spaniel would likely be a great addition. Then, you’d just get to be the gunner. Or maybe you already have a retriever, but you want to add a dog to rotate or add a dog to solely upland hunt with, a different flusher breed just might be a good addition for you since you likely already have experience upland hunting behind your retriever.
Just because a flusher might be a good fit for you, doesn’t mean that all flushing breeds will be a good fit for your family, lifestyle, training philosophy, social life and hunting interests. As you research what pointer breed would be the best for you: consider asking breeders to share about the frustrations and quirks of the breed, talk to trainers who’ve handled the breed and ask people who no longer hunt over the breed why they switched. Breeders will gush about the things they love about their dogs and the breed, but they might overlook highlighting the annoyances because they are “normal” for them. Likewise, people who currently own the breed will likely highlight how much they love their dog before they pause to share about the things that drive them crazy about their same four-legged friend.
by Kyle Dana
March 2024
