My study is filled with books on hunting and shooting, beasts and butterflies, flowers and fungi, but mainly books on birds. I’ve never counted, but there are hundreds of them,…
David Tomlinson
Poisoned dogs: the symptoms and the dangers to look out for
Reports of poisoned dogs There was considerable panic in my local dog-owning community last month, when a three-year-old labrador reportedly died from poisoning. The initial Facebook post indicated that the…
What diseases could my dog pick up from foxes?
Disease from foxes All dogs, including gundogs can get the following disease from foxes: Sarcoptic mange Lungworm Rabies Dogs and foxes do suffer from the same diseases, though, of which…
Gundog rabbit trials
Once the staple quarry of the rough shooter, the humble rabbit has become something of a rarity in the countryside, with the result that generations of modern gundogs have little…
How to keep an old springer going strong
There was uncorking of champagne in the Tomlinson household last month, celebrating spaniel Rowan’s 16th birthday. English springers are generally regarded as enjoying, on average, one of the longest lifespans…
Electric training collars for dogs: is this the end?
Four years ago, Michael Gove introduced plans for legislation to ban the use of electric training collars for dogs in England. It was a proposal supported by not only animal-rights…
Do spaniels smell more than Labradors?
Q: I would like a springer or working cocker spaniel to train as a gundog, but my father is not keen. My grandparents had a show-strain cocker who was a…
The golden retriever: why it is a golden all-rounder
Exactly a century ago, a golden retriever called Balcombe Boy became the first dual champion in his breed, an impressive achievement then and an unlikely one now. Bred by Viscount…
Do dogs mourn?
My recent viewpoint on whether dogs mourn and experience grief when they lose a companion drew an interesting response from readers. (Read this piece on depression in dogs.) Sue Knight’s…
Should you check you have permission to use land for dog training?
Few birds are more easily overlooked than the woodlark. Small, beautifully camouflaged and spending much of their time on the ground, it’s often only their song that gives them away.…
Leptospirosis in dogs – what you need to know
Rats are known to carry disease and one of the ones they can transmit is Weil’s disease, also known as leptospirosis. Leptospirosis in dogs and humans can be fatal. It…
Poodles as working dogs? Can it ever happen?
Is there such a thing as poodles as working dogs? Legends are often based on rumours, and rumours are seldom based on facts, so I’ve never been quite sure whether…
What’s happened to the flatcoat retriever?
What is it about the flatcoat retriever that makes it so successful at Crufts? It’s a question lots of showing enthusiasts have been asking themselves after Norwegian-owned flatcoat retriever Almanza…
Do muntjac attack dogs?
Long, sharp teeth can pose a genuine threat to gundogs when muntjac attack. I well remember my first serious encounter with a muntjac. It was on a rough day in…
When did dog licences stop in England and why?
Readers from Northern Ireland are permitted a wry smile when they see the subject of this article on dog licences. Dog licences abolished in England, Scotland Wales The Government abolished…
Sheep worrying – a growing problem
Sheep worrying – a growing problem Sheep worrying is a growing problem in the UK, no doubt made worse in the past two years by the growth in dog ownership…
How to protect dogs from poisonous slug pellets
Dogs and slug pellets don’t mix and are in fact a lethal combination. However, it’s the time of year now when new shoots are coming up in the garden and…
How the cocker spaniel has changed
My first-ever dog was a remarkably handsome blue-roan-and-tan cocker spaniel. I loved him dearly, but he was inbred, neurotic and not really a nice dog at all. He was show…
The Spinone Italiano – a gentle breed
The Italian spinone – Spinone Italiano – has been present here in Britain for almost the same time as the Brittany: the dogs first appeared at the Game Fair exactly…
What you need to know about ticks and Lyme disease
Lyme disease in dogs and humans Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria that live in the guts of infected ticks, so those of us who take our dogs…