Owner Reflections
The reflections below represent thoughtfully curated owner experiences with Cedars Point dogs. Shared with permission and edited for clarity, they are offered to give prospective owners a clearer picture of how our dogs live, learn, and work in the real world. Our hope is that these perspectives encourage informed decisions, realistic expectations, and a deeper understanding of what thoughtful breeding and long-term development can produce.
“Sage has been a dedicated hunting and outdoor partner from an early age. She bonded quickly with our family and showed exceptional intelligence and biddability, consistently embracing new challenges. Having trained seven previous hunting dogs, I can say Sage learned faster and more easily than any dog I’ve owned.
We hunt 30–40 days each season across demanding western conditions—from early heat to deep snow—and Sage has held up remarkably well as a single dog without rotation. Her health has been excellent, and she has proven steady in the home, respectful of boundaries, and a pleasure to live with. One of her standout traits is her comfort in water; she retrieves confidently and enjoys it, which has added a new dimension to our hunting.
Like all dogs, Sage has individual traits. While she will search for downed game, her persistence on difficult tracks is more limited than I prefer, something that became apparent during UT training. I believe this is a matter of personality rather than breeding, especially when compared with her littermate who exhibits stronger tracking drive. Even so, Sage remains a capable, reliable hunting dog and a valued partner in the field.
I hope this is helpful, rest assured, she is a wonderful dog, it was a great decision to invest in your passion, steadfastness to the breed, and in Sage.”
Sean Lizotte — Rapid City, SD
Cedars Point C Litter | Cedars Point Cypress “Sage”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Gosch’s Cir Conn–Cedar × IntCH Brush Dale’s You Can’t Fence Me In–Yetta
Primary Use: Upland Hunting, NAVHDA UT Training, Family Companion
“Honey is the seventh dog I’ve owned, and without question the most well-rounded. I’ve lived with and hunted over a wide range of breeds—German Shepherds, Vizslas, a Springer, and even a pair of Chihuahuas—and each had strengths and shortcomings. Honey stands apart because she brings balance: versatility in the field, stability at home, and sound temperament throughout.
She hunts everything willingly—pointing, tracking, and retrieving on land and water—and does so intelligently. Her drive is high, but she hunts smart, manages cover efficiently, and naturally adjusts her range to terrain. I’ve hunted her alongside Labs, field-trial GSPs, and run her on deer and upland birds alike. She holds her own in every setting.
From a temperament standpoint, Honey is confident, cooperative, and calm in the house. She’s excellent with children, friendly with strangers, and steady without being needy or soft. Health-wise, she’s been resilient despite the realities of heavy off-leash hunting in harsh environments, recovering well from injuries and illness without underlying genetic issues.
Trainability has been another standout trait. She’s intelligent and forgiving of handler mistakes, learns quickly, and offers behaviors readily. Honey provided enough cooperation in NAVHDA Natural Ability testing to earn a Prize I while being handled by a twelve-year-old—a testament to her temperament and biddability.
I never planned to breed a dog unless I found a once-in-a-lifetime one. Honey changed that. She may not be the single best dog I’ve owned in every isolated category, but when you look at the whole picture—hunting ability, temperament, health, and life at home—she is without question the best dog I’ve ever had.”
The Wimberly Family — Texas
Cedars Point A Litter | Cedars Point Aquila Eyes Birds “Honey”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Gosch’s Cir Conn–Cedar × IntCH Brush Dale’s You Can’t Fence Me In-Yetta
Primary Use: Upland, Waterfowl, Big Game Recovery, Family Companion
“Hugo has made a fine family companion with a happy, easygoing disposition. He and I bonded quickly, and he’s very eager to please. From a training standpoint, he did well early with crate training and has responded positively to introductory whoa, sit, stay, and down work. He’s playful and social, interacting regularly with our other dog, though at times he still plays like a young pup.
What has stood out most is his prey drive and natural inclination to use his nose. Early outings focused on low-pressure walks, but later in the season I introduced him to bird country. He produced excellent points on sharptail grouse and pheasant, and with encouragement, successfully retrieved harvested birds. I was particularly impressed with his stamina in the field given his age, especially working thick pheasant cover with cattails and bullrush. He clearly enjoys pushing into cover and staying engaged.
Like any young dog, Hugo is navigating adolescence, but overall we are very pleased with his development and temperament. He’s been a positive presence in our home, and we’re looking forward to many years of companionship and time afield. We’ve appreciated the communication and support throughout the process and are very happy with our decision.”
Lyle Onstad — Great Falls, MT
Cedars Point H Litter | Cedars Point Hazardous Hiss “Hugo”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Brush Dale’s Triple Threat-Tito x NatCH Riavas Miss Dakota-Soda
Primary Use: Family Companion, Upland Hunting Prospect
“My observations of Zadoc have confirmed exactly what I was hoping for in a dog. He is a true family companion—gentle and affectionate with the kids—while still carrying the drive and endurance required for serious work in the field. He shows strong natural ability, patterns a field instinctively, and has a phenomenal nose for tracking. On one occasion, I relied on him to help a neighbor recover a downed deer.
Zadoc fits my life exceptionally well. He wants to please, thrives on having a purpose, and enjoys being with the family. Whether running errands at my side, spending time at home, or hunting in Wisconsin timber and across the Midwestern prairie, he has adapted seamlessly. In every setting, he has proven himself a steady, capable, and genuinely good dog.
Looking ahead, I hope to one day have his breeding restrictions lifted so I can produce a sibling for my daughters to hunt with—a reflection of how highly we value Zadoc as both a hunting partner and a family dog.”
Hubert Murray — Midwest
Cedars Point B Litter | Cedars Point By My Side “Zadoc”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Brush Dale’s Triple Threat-Tito x NatCH Riavas Miss Dakota-Soda
Primary Use: Family Companion, Upland Hunting, Tracking, UT Testing
“Blaze, now four and a half years old, has been a terrific addition to our lives. Although I haven’t been able to hunt him much over the past eighteen months due to my own health challenges, he has been excellent in every respect. His temperament, health, and trainability have all been outstanding, and he’s a pleasure to live with day to day.
Blaze is calm and steady at home, eager to please, and has matured into a confident, capable dog. He’s also an exceptionally handsome fellow and regularly draws compliments wherever we go. As I look forward to returning to the field, I’m confident Blaze will be ready and enthusiastic—pointing and retrieving just as he was bred and trained to do.
I also appreciate the continued support and shared knowledge from Cedars Point. I still use the dental cleaning paste recipe you provided—Blaze loves it—and it’s been a great example of the practical, everyday education that comes with being part of the program.”
Greg Newington — Central, CA
Cedars Point B Litter | Cedars Point Blaze of Glory “Blaze”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Gosch’s Cir Conn–Cedar × NatCH Riavas Miss Dakota-Soda
Primary Use: Family Companion, Upland Hunting, Water Fowl
“Weller has been a wonderful addition to our family, demonstrating a perfect balance between strong working ability and affectionate temperament. In the field, he is focused, energetic, and clearly bred for the work, displaying an exceptionally high hunting drive. At home, he is sweet-tempered, gentle with family members, and high-energy—but with a reliable “off switch” indoors. He loves running full speed around the property, performing what we jokingly call ‘super dog’ jumps over logs and obstacles, showing both athleticism and confidence.
Weller is highly motivated by praise and attention, often choosing affection over food, which has made training highly enjoyable. He follows commands enthusiastically, driven by a genuine desire to please his handler, making both fieldwork and training effective and rewarding.
We honestly cannot identify any negatives. Overall, Weller has been an excellent fit for our lifestyle and expectations, combining exceptional hunting ability with a people-oriented, affectionate temperament.
We are looking forward to hunting wood duck and woodcock in January, quail in February, and rabbits in March this year.
Mike Dillon — Dillon, AL
Cedars Point F Litter | Cedars Point Fabled Wizard of Oz “Weller”
Sire × Dam: Lakewoods Faithful Oswald-Oz × NatCH Riavas Miss Dakota-Soda
Primary Use: Upland Hunting, Waterfowl, Family Companion
“Liesl, our small Munster, has been a remarkable companion and working dog. She is extremely biddable and friendly, never meeting a stranger. She has a strong personality with other dogs, often dominating even those much larger than herself, which reflects her early high drive.
Liesl is a natural in the water, taking to it immediately and loving to retrieve even before being fully force-fetch trained on land. In the field, she works thoroughly, adapting her range to the terrain and demonstrating excellent hunting instincts.
Her coat is unique, changing throughout the year—from bristly hair in summer and fall, to silky in January, and eventually soft like cotton or goose down. She is very quiet, barking only rarely, usually when sensing danger, such as bears.
Personality-wise, Liesl is independent and affectionate on her own terms. She enjoys brief attention in the mornings or following her family around the house after exercise. She is high-energy, requiring regular off-leash exercise on our property, but settles calmly indoors during the day.
She has never damaged household items, though she enthusiastically destroys her own toys, including so-called indestructible ones. Liesl is cooperative with grooming, including nail trims and burr removal, and is highly intelligent, understanding over 50 commands and words.
Her tracking and recovery work is exceptional, with a 100% success rate on about 15 deer, even in challenging conditions with little to no blood trail. She remains a consistent, reliable, and enjoyable partner in both field work and family life.”
Troy Moritz — North Woods, WI
Cedars Point E Litter | Cedars Point Epaulie "Liesl"
Sire x Dam: IntCH Brush Dale’s Open Season “Jaeger” x IntCH Brush Dale’s You Can’t Fence Me In
Primary Use: Upland Hunting, Waterfowl, Field Work, Blood Tracking, and
Family Companion
Ralf Rogers — Winifred, MT
Cedars Point E Litter | Cedars Point Electra “Leia”
Sire × Dam: IntCH Brush Dale's Open Season-Jaeger × IntCH Brush Dale's You Can't Fence Me In-Yetta
Primary Use: Falconry, Family Companion
“Leia has come to me after a lifetime working with dogs that had real jobs: farm and ranch dogs, and bird dogs, primarily setters and setter crosses over the last 55 years. I fly falcons over my dogs roughly 150 days a year, though in recent seasons that has been shortened due to age-related limitations. Leia has only known these shortened seasons, yet she has already proven herself a remarkable partner.
What dominates any discussion of Leia is her intelligence. Her trainability is exceptional. While we are taught to use short, simple cues, I find this is not strictly necessary with her—she understands more complex instructions and often anticipates them. If shown something twice, she has it. That can be both a gift and a challenge: unwanted experiences are internalized as quickly as correct ones, making retraining more difficult than teaching things properly from the start. She demands my best, and working with her is always rewarding and intellectually engaging.
In hunting, she did not come with the same hard-wired ‘find, point, and hold’ that I have seen in good setters, something you prepared me for before I got her. A series of unfortunate experiences at her NAVHDA test also set us back on steadiness. I’ve accepted that point-and-hold develops more slowly—and it has. In contrast, no setter I have ever owned liked water or retrieving. Leia does both willingly, and her tracking ability is extraordinary—she could track a flying butterfly. She is a beautiful mover, a moderate to big runner, and an absolute pleasure to watch her in the field. Judges at her test commented repeatedly on her movement after watching GSPs all day that appeared to be swimming through grass rather than running.
Her health has been perfect. She has had no issues with blown pads and has avoided the grass awn problems I’ve seen affect other dogs.
Temperament-wise, Leia loves every human she meets. Other dogs are treated with caution until she knows them. She is territorial and defensive of her home and has proven to be an excellent watchdog—alert to night creatures ranging from elk to javelina beyond the fence. No one—or anything—is sneaking up on us. We’ve even stopped worrying about zombies.
Leia is a beautiful family member and has been a truly wonderful late-life dog to work with.”
Gabriela Zaldumbide — Gunnison, CO
Cedars Point H Litter | Cedars Point Hasty Hollow "Eddie"
Sire × Dam: IntCH Brush Dale's Open Triple Threat - Tito × NatCH Riavas Miss Dakota - Soda
Primary Use: Hunting, Family Companion
I'm thrilled with my experience with Cedars Point Kennels. I really appreciated the professionalism with which Jeff and Brenda treated prospective buyers and their meaningful vetting process. Jeff and Brenda's frequent and regular check-ins combined with an orderly puppy selection process was straightforward, transparent, and logical. Not only that, but they raise pups with science-backed socialization, feeding, and care techniques. They truly do everything they can to set up each pup for a lifetime of success.
Coming from Colorado, Jeff and Brenda were generous enough to share a wild game dinner with me, bring me along on a walk with Soda, and let me stay in their spare bedroom when I visited their home to pick up my pup. They alerted me well ahead of time about Herman's umbilical hernia and undescended testicle, neither of which has been an issue. I now work with my vet to monitor both of these things regularly. Since bringing Herman home in August of 2025, he has matured into an absolutely wonderful dog. He is gentle, calm, loving, easygoing, friendly, smart, and a fantastic family dog. I joke that he's a wise old man stuck inside a puppy's body. I continue to be impressed by his natural ability and trainability and I can't wait to watch him mature into a determined, reliable, and trustworthy hunting partner.
Overall, Jeff and Brenda at Cedars Point Kennel have gone above and beyond my expectations, and I look forward to the day when I can get another Small Munsterlander from them again!
Todd Touchton — Kutztown, PA
Cedars Point G Litter | Cedars Point Gundog Crackerjane "Gypsy"
Sire × Dam: IntCH Brush Dale's You Can't Fence Me In - Yetta × IntCH Gosch's Cir Conn - Cedar
Primary Use: Hunting, Show, Hunt Testing, Dock Diving, Trick, Family Companion
I could go on for hours about what impresses me about my Cedars Point Small Munsterlander, but I’ll try to hit the highlights.
Although I was experienced in the versatile dog world, the Small Munsterlander was a new breed for me. With the breed’s recent AKC recognition, it was important to find a breeder producing conformationally correct dogs with strong instinct, drive, and biddability. A highly respected individual in the breed immediately recommended Jeff Mizenko of Cedars Point Kennel, noting his commitment to thoughtful breeding decisions and early puppy development.
From our first long phone conversation, it was clear Jeff was transparent, knowledgeable, and intentional—openly discussing both strengths and weaknesses in his dogs. I knew I had found the right breeder and asked to be added to the waitlist for a female puppy. While nature caused some delays, I was happy to wait for the right breeding. In April 2024, Jeff called with the news that Yetta was confirmed pregnant, and the journey truly began.
Throughout the process, Jeff and Brenda did an outstanding job keeping puppy buyers informed with weekly updates, photos, and insight into their routines and development. Their communication, honesty, and guidance positioned both puppies and owners for success from day one.
We brought home Cedars Point Gundog Crakerjane (“Gypsy”) on July 27, 2024. Even at eight weeks old, she handled extensive travel with ease and immediately won people over. Once home, she exceeded expectations in training and performance. While we encountered a minor crate issue early on—ultimately determined to be developmental—everything else progressed smoothly. Gypsy showed natural steadiness, a classic “sporting dog temperament,” and an impressive ability to adapt and problem-solve.
Before her first birthday, Gypsy earned:
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NAVHDA Natural Ability – 112 pts, Prize I
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AKC Canine Good Citizen
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AKC Trick Dog Intermediate
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AKC Junior Hunter (Pointing Breeds)
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AKC Conformation experience
Shortly after turning one, she added an AKC Junior Dock Diving title. Her love of water, methodical bird work, natural tracking, and versatility across wild and released birds in PA, VT, and NY have been a joy to watch.
In closing, I wholeheartedly recommend Cedars Point Kennel to anyone seeking a well-rounded, versatile hunting dog built on a strong foundation. Jeff and Brenda put immense thought into every breeding and continue their support well beyond pickup day. When you get a puppy from Cedars Point, you don’t just get a dog—you gain a support system and lifelong friends.