About Dawson Lake Bretons

How It All Began

Juno was my first bird dog, an American Brittany. Like many first-time owners, I thought I could figure out her training all on my own using YouTube videos and internet articles. I did my best, but I made mistakes in her training that I ultimately didn’t know how to fix.

That left me frustrated. I wanted Juno to become the dog I knew she could be, but I had reached the limits of what I knew, and in my early twenties, professional training was more than I could afford. I started convincing myself that maybe the answer was another puppy—a chance to start fresh, avoid the mistakes I had made with Juno, and get it right the second time.

Finding the Epagneul Breton

Some years later, after doing the best I could with Juno each hunting season, I was sitting on the couch one evening after the season had ended. I turned on The Outdoor Channel just as an episode of The Flush was beginning. It featured Epagneul Bretons, and the black tri-color dogs immediately caught my attention.

I started researching the breed and eventually Googled French Brittany breeders near me. That’s when Clint and his kennel popped up. We had several phone conversations, and I became confident in what he was telling me about the dogs, the breed, and his program. So I decided to put down a deposit on one of his litters.

While waiting on the litter, I made the drive to Clint’s kennel to meet him, see the dogs, and watch the parents work in the field. During our conversations that day, I shared the frustrations I had been having with Juno. Instead of simply selling me a puppy, Clint invited me to come train with him.

Over the months that followed, I made the drive whenever I could. He spent his time helping me work through the mistakes I had made with Juno and teaching me how to become a better trainer. Looking back, those days changed the direction of my journey with bird dogs.

Unfortunately, the litter I had been waiting on didn’t work out. Instead, Clint offered me Skip. At the time, I didn’t realize how significant that decision would become. Bringing Skip home was one of the biggest turning points in my journey with bird dogs.

The Life I Wanted

Over the next several months, I spent every opportunity I could training with Clint. The more I learned, the more I realized I had a natural ability to read dogs and understand them. Even with the limited knowledge I had at the time, things seemed to click. Training never felt forced. It came naturally, and I found myself wanting to learn everything I could. That’s when I realized this wasn’t just a hobby anymore. It was something I wanted to dedicate my life to.

By 2022, I knew this was the life I wanted. I had developed a connection to the dogs, the training, and the process of becoming better every day. For the first time, I found myself thinking, I want to do this on my own someday. That’s when the idea for Dawson Lake Bretons was born.

In May 2023, I entered my first UKC field trial with Skip on Clint’s property. We won both days in the Gun Dog class. Standing there after that weekend, I felt like I had received the confirmation I had been looking for. It gave me the confidence to believe that Dawson Lake Bretons could become more than just an idea.

Something to Build Around

That confidence continued to grow, but everything truly changed after my first successful litter between Skip and Milly. From that litter, I kept a little puppy and named him Tank. As he matured, I realized what I had in him. For the first time, I wasn’t just chasing an idea anymore. I had a dog I knew I could build Dawson Lake Bretons around.

Tank gave the vision something real to stand on and gave me the confidence to believe Dawson Lake Bretons could become more than just an idea.