The Challenging Side Of Intelligent Bird Dogs

You can’t always out-stubborn a bird dog. My 12-year-old dog Sassy is a good example. Sassy, a Brittany, has great bird instincts, ranges well in the woods, has beautiful hunting patterns and in her younger years, showed true promise when we competed in pointing dog field trials — hunting dog competitions in which dogs’ skills and training are assessed, and placements and points toward titles are awarded to the best performing dogs. Judges loved her. But Sassy demonstrated very well the dark side of what it means to have a highly intelligent bird dog.