[ Johnson / The Shooter's Companion ]
Thomas Burgeland Johnson (c. 1778 - 1840) was an English printer and writer, principally on sporting subjects.
This book was first published in 1811 as The Shooter's Guide, or Complete Sportman's Companion, and quickly went through several editions. This earlier version of the work made no mention of Newfoundlands.
Johnson revised the book and retitled it The Shooter's Companion for publication in 1819; it also went through multiple editions. The text below is taken from the 2nd edition (London: Sherwood, Jones) of 1823.
When discussing the training of dogs for the field, Johnson remarks that the sportsman is best served by selecting "judiciously bred" dogs that exhibit not just instinct but "reasoning powers," as these will make the best gun dogs.
The most sagacious of all the varieties of this highly interesting animal [the dog] is, without dispute, the Newfoundland dog. His olfactory organs are of the first order; yet, as from his heavy, long, and loose form he is unable to support the fatigue of a day's range, he, on this account alone, is ill-calculated for the shooting sportsman. (114)
Next to the Newfoundland dog, on the score of powerful instinct, or animal reasoning, may be ranked the pointer . . . . (115)
Interestingly, the above statements conflict with what some other writers of the time say; several argue that Newfs, or Newf crosses, can make excellent retrieving dogs, though in some cases those writers may well be talking about the "other" Newfoundland, or the "small" Newfoundland, which could well be a reference to the Labrador retriever or some other breed (or mix).
Much of Johnson's discussion of training gun dogs, including the above references to Newfoundlands, is quoted verbatim (with attribution) in an article entitled "Dog Breaking" that appeared in American Turf Register and Sporting Magazine for December, 1830.