A puppy should be chosen on the merits of its physical condition rather than colour.
By Mark Whitehouse
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
I have seven but don't know which one to keep.
MARK WHITEHOUSE SAYS: I never let colour change my judgement of a puppy.
If I am choosing a gun dog puppy he must look like a dog, have good confirmation, a good square shaped head and very good bone structure.
If I am choosing a bitch she must be very flighty, have good body movement with a low tail action, and be eye-catching at all times.
Both sexes must have lots of natural ability- hunting is one of them and retrieving is another.
To demonstrate the puppy’s ability to hunt you can throw a small handful of puppy food onto the garden.
Most young puppies will hoover it up and continue to hunt even when it is all gone.
To test their potential retrieving abilities, tease the young puppies with an old sock and let them chase about with it - this way they are carrying and retrieving without any pressure.
The puppies that stand out in both areas of hunting and retrieving always make the best ones, even at such a young age.
For more gun dog breeding advice click here
A SPORTING TEAM: Enjoy all of the best shooting commentary with driven shooting's finest journal.
Don't miss this week's issue (on sale Wednesday 1st February). FREE PRIZE DRAW - it is week 3 of our great "Gun a Week" competition, see P53 for further details and how to enter! Plus, who is top dog? Paul Rawlings reports on the 2012 Cocker Spaniel Championship. Get down to your newsagents and buy your copy today!
High Court orders a full judicial review of Natural England’s pr... Read more
Lincolnshire Police dismisses claims that disabled man who later shot ... Read more
Comments