For those who say you can't run flushers - particularly labs (I don't have any experience training Springers) with pointy dogs. You're dead wrong.
It comes back to training. If you go by the Bill Hillman philosophy and start out by teaching sit! and then reinforce it in everything that you do, it's quite doable. My last three Labs of the nine I have had so far, would/will, sit on a whistle even while Rusty runs down a corn row in full view. I had to do this because at my advanced age I can't run with the dogs when they get up a full head of steam anymore. I whistle, they sit, I catch up and release them. Eventually the rooster goes up (in range) and the gun goes bang and all other things being equal the rooster goes flop.
Seems to work.
Hunting with my friends' pointy dogs, I make my dogs heel for honour. They trial so they have to know how to honour anyway, this just reinforces things. Sure comes in handy if your rooster folds up on the other side of an irrigation canal.
As for those who have negative things to say about "american" style dogs, or trial dogs.... (Speaking of Labs here)
Trial dogs have to meet several criteria:
1. they have to be physically sound and very athletic
2. they have to love birds
3. they have to have big hearts and lots of boldness - they can't back down from big water
4. they have to be biddable - they have to be able to be trained
5. they have to be sociable - most competitors will not put up with an aggressive dog
I assume that the same goes for other trialling breeds
People have been selectively breeding for these qualities for decades.
Not sure what's not here to like if you are willing to do your part.
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