Nestled in a quiet wooded sanctuary in little Washington, North Carolina, you’ll find On Point Kennels, owned and operated by Shay Asby and his family.
Shay raises German Shorthaired Pointers with the goal of producing quality hunting dogs, an endeavor that developed out of his own passion for upland hunting.
While he grew up raising Labrador Retrievers for duck hunting, he found himself pulling back from sporting dogs when his beloved lab Lady passed away at the age of 13. Later on, he tried several breeds but couldn’t find the right personality fit with the dogs, especially around his young children.
As he explored other options, he was drawn to the looks of the German Shorthair breed. He knew of one a friend had that he liked, and so he decided he’d try a Shorthair for his next hunting companion. Shay began a careful search and wound up choosing a puppy out of a kennel in Washington state run by Wayne Touvey. The sire of this litter of puppies was Vom Wusterjager Charger, a true German dog and popular enough he required a breeding tour that included 16 breedings across the United States and Canada. When Shay told Wayne what he wanted, Wayne explained this litter might not be what he had imagined looks wise (although they were beautiful dogs) but it was going to be more than he could ever expect. Sure enough, the female pup he brought home, Ellie, is not only his once in a lifetime bird dog but has also become the foundation of his own kennel and love of the game. She’s had it pretty good in her life with Shay, and he jokingly admits she should have been named Queen.
Together, Ellie and Shay have tackled AKC titles and fun trials, having success in both. Yet their main focus has been on guiding hunts on preserves. With her great nose, personality, and strong instincts, Shay knew he wanted to ensure these qualities lived on as Ellie aged. He decided to breed her a few times to get some puppies off of her and On Point Kennels was born.
Today, several of Ellie’s children still call the kennel home. Ava and Maggie are two females out of her second litter. Jake is a puppy out of Ava’s first litter who has become Shay’s wife Jessica’s pet. In a tribute to the tv show NCIS, they also have Ziva and Kate, out of Ellie’s last litter. These sisters have very different personalities but sport the good looks their mother has.
One of the defining stories that serves as a testament to Shay’s breeding program is Maggie’s journey. Maggie was purchased under a contract agreement that she would be returned to Shay if she ever had to be rehomed. When she was two years old, her owners contacted Shay and said it just wasn’t working out. Maggie hadn’t had any bird work done at all at this point and when Shay brought her home, he decided to take her to the preserve and see what she would do on a bird.
Shay and a friend planted a quail and let her go. She didn’t know what she was looking for and bumped the bird up–and then the lightbulb went off and she took off running like crazy. They called her back and put another bird out. She instantly locked up on point, trembling with excitement but standing solid and wouldn’t move at all until the flush. She then gave chase, swam through a pond and jumped the bird in the woods. She was in love. Shay and his friend kept doing it and the results just kept getting better.
To go with her bird crazy instinct, Maggie has a really sweet demeanor, and just had her first litter of puppies. The sire of this litter is a male dog that Shay found as the natural fit to head up his future kennel line.
When Shay was ready to find a new sire to welcome to his kennel, he knew he wanted a similar genetic background as Ellie’s breeding. He’d discovered he especially liked dogs out of the Sharp Shooter line.
While scrolling through Facebook one morning, Shay saw a posting about a young male Shorthair whose family had a newborn baby and another one on the way and just didn’t have the time to devote to him. This dog, Drake, was 6 months old at the time. He was well put together and had the papers Shay was looking for with a Hall of Fame grandfather, Sharp Shooter’s Man in Black, and the same grandmother as Ellie, Thunderhead’s Hot Pursuit. He reached out to the man that had him and found there was a list of people already in line waiting. Shay made his case and explained why he wanted the dog and how living with him meant no life simply in a kennel but a life out hunting and being around other dogs. The guy circled back later and agreed Shay would give him a great home and so Shay went to SC and picked him up. Drake has been a welcome addition and the first litter of puppies he and Maggie produced are beautiful and bold.
Out of Shay’s love for his dogs and the joy he gets seeing them in action, Shay has developed another passion project: NC Upland On Point. This 450-acre shooting preserve is set to open between the Washington and Greenville area around Thanksgiving and Shay intends it to be a bird dog lovers paradise, offering half day and full day hunting packages with options to hunt quail, chukkar, and pheasant. There will also be group events such as a pheasant tower shoot, catered meals, and more. Through years of guiding, Shay found a love of hearing the stories of seasoned bird hunters and introducing newcomers to the adventure. Now, he plans to make sure his preserve is handicap accessible so that those whose walking days are over can still get out and hunt. The preserve will have a grand opening that will likely include demonstrations and a pheasant tower hunt as well.
If you’re looking for a puppy or a place to go hunt, Shay Asby can help you get, and stay, On Point.
