:-D Greetings from Alberta:
11 years ago I got the last pup out of a litter of English Springer Spanials. She was a bit small for her breed but full of life and energy.
She was two months old when I got her and I started immediately training her for upland bird hunting. She took to the training like a dog to water. In no time at all, I had her hunting and flushing pigeons and, retrieving the ones I could manage to shoot.
I was so pleased with her performance, I went back to the breader and got another Springer Spanial; same mother and father as my first pup.
The second dog trained up as well as the first and in no time I was hunting grouse and pheasant with a brace of English Springer Spanials. Damn was I proud.
A good friend of mine lives to hunt goose and suggested we try the dogs out for goose hunting. We shot from ground blinds. The dogs worked out beautifully. The wounded geese that ran were pounced on from behind and brought back to the blind.
The dogs retrieved anything that landed in the water or on the ground. On one hunt I was walking through a wooded area when some low flying geese flew overhead. I shot one which came down somewhere in the woods; hell I didn't know where it landed. I told Charlie, Go Find! I figured what the hell, lets see if she can bring it back. Within five minutes, tail wagging and mouth full of goose neck and body bouncing behind. She brings in the shot Canada Goose. (Yes I know, stupid shot; I should have never taken the shot. I won't do it again).
My two dogs and I have been hunting together for 11 years now and every spring, when the geese return from the South, old Charlie and Kelsey look skyward with great anticipation of the next goose hunt.
If you want pictures or video footage, e-mail me.
If yu want a versatile gun dog that is a great family member, buy and English Springer Spanial, the hunting variety, not the show dog.
Kindest regards,
