In this episode, Craig Koshyk explores two distinct perspectives on pointing dog tails—whether they should be held high or low. What might seem like a minor detail sparks a deeper debate shaped by centuries of breeding, cultural differences, and shifting hunting styles. Craig takes us back in time through research, art, photographic evidence, and written accounts from the early years of pointing dogs. He expands on his own personal experiences, from Europe to the United States, and offers theories on how and why these differences—and the strong opinions surrounding them—persist today.

Parts of this history have broader implications, including the crossbreeding of not just various hunting dog breeds but even hounds. It prompts us to think long and hard about whether the tail truly matters—and when it does, why it matters at all.

Listen to past episodes here: Hunting Dog Confidential Podcast

In this episode, Craig Koshyk—renowned hunting dog historian and author—takes us on a deep dive into the fascinating world of breed names. From the earliest landraces to today’s officially recognized breeds, Craig unpacks how language, geography, and hunting traditions shaped the names we use for dogs today.

Through engaging stories and expert insight, Craig explores everything from the confusion around the word spaniel, to double-nosed pointers in Spain, to the meaning behind terms like braque, épagneul, and vizsla. Whether you’ve got a German Wirehair, a Picardy Spaniel, or a Labrador, this episode will give you a new appreciation for what your dog’s breed name really means—and where it came from.

Listen to past episodes here: Hunting Dog Confidential Podcast

The episode, hosted by Craig Koshyk, a renowned dog historian, explores how early German immigrants, particularly those who settled in Texas, may have introduced hunting dogs before the popularization of breeds like the German Shorthaired Pointer (GSP). Koshyk, author of Pointing Dogs, Volume One: The Continentals and Pointing Dogs, Volume Two: The British and Irish Breeds, provides historically accurate insights, suggesting that settlers arriving in the 1830s and 1840s could have brought ancestral hunting breeds, challenging the belief that German gundogs first appeared in America in the 1930s.