Q: My 19-month-old undocked Hungarian vizsla developed limber tail after attending a working test. The condition came on very quickly and caused him considerable pain. We gave him Metacam and he recovered in about three days. Though he did swim in the working test, it was in relatively warm water.…
Gundogs
Why you should consider taking on an English springer spaniel
Throughout the 20th century English springer spaniels were the most popular shooting dog in Britain. Whether it remains so today is debatable. In recent years I’ve been on a number of shoots where there wasn’t a springer to be seen, something that would have been unthinkable 20 or 30 years ago.…
How do I stop my gundog from swapping birds?
Gundog training: My spaniel bitch is doing well in her first season but last Saturday when sent for a retrieve she picked the bird then dropped it on the way back in favour of another. How can I stop her doing this?
Why does my sprocker refuse to retrieve?
I have a two-year-old sprocker that stops and hunts on command, stays very close and is highly attentive - but in the field she refuses to retrieve.
How to buy the right length slip lead for a spaniel
Coming back from a weekend with friends, I discovered that I had left the dogs’ slip leads behind. New ones were needed, anyway, so I went online. I like the natural rope slip leads made by the Devon-based company KJK, so went to the Dog Lead Shop to order my…
Teaching a young dog quartering
Quartering is probably the toughest lesson to teach a young gundog, and one of the most vital. Joe Irving discusses this most rewarding of lessons for the handler
How to keep your dog safe around fast-flowing rivers
Q: I will be picking-up this season on a new shoot, where there is a fast-flowing river. On two drives it can be necessary to put dogs over the river. I know that dogs have drowned in this river in the past, and while my dogs are good swimmers I…
Why you should never give dogs ibuprofen
Stiff legs in the morning Q: I notice that our Labrador, as he gets older, is starting to have difficulty getting up on his legs first thing in the morning. This was especially noticeable after he had been for a long walk the previous day and we are now limiting…
Beating a gundog’s first time anxiety
Here are five tips to lessen gundog anxiety on those first few times in the beating line. 1. Keep close A dog used in the beating line should never be any further than 15m either side of you and about the same in front. It needs to hunt close and tight at all times.…
How do I stop my gundog mouthing game?
I took my 18 month-old Labrador shooting for the first time this season, allowing him to pick no more than two birds on each of the three outings.
Should you ever smack a gundog?
Gun dog discipline: A light tap on the nose as a warning for one gun dog owner may seem tantamount to cruelty to another. Justin Clarke examines how to make the punishment fit the crime.
Why have I got such competitive spaniels?
Competitive spaniels: I have two competitive spaniels that are very headstrong with each other.
How can I stop my gundog from dropping the dummy? (And other dummy training problems.)
How do I stop my gun dog spitting her dummy out, I have tried placing it in her mouth while saying 'hold'?
Training a young Labrador to start picking-up
Q: I have a young Labrador bitch I want to start picking-up with this season. Should I take her along with my older and experienced bitch, or would it be better to take her on her own so I can devote more time to her? A: Hopefully, your young bitch…
What can I do about the scratches on my spaniel’s face?
Spaniel scratches – what’s the answer? Q: Now I am retired I have been able to work my spaniels more frequently this season. One has so many cuts around her eyes and over her muzzle from having to retrieve birds from deep cover that it doesn’t take much to make…
What’s happened to the flatcoat retriever?
Every once in a while, often at a country house owned by people who don’t much like throwing things away, one comes across old copies of Shooting Times. It is always reassuring to note the extent to which our sport is still the same but, of course, things do change…
Should a spaniel immediately drop when it flushes a bird? (And answers to other working spaniel queries)
Gundog training: Should a spaniel always immediately drop when it flushes a bird?
A guide to gundogs on the beating line
Paul Rawlings shows you how to ensure you have the best gundogs on the beating line
Six rules for caring for your gundog after a shoot day
Tony looks at ways of keeping a hard-working gun dog happy during the season.
The Queen’s former gundog trainer reminisces about picking-up on shoot days
Gundog training: Former gundog trainer to HM The Queen, Bill Meldrum, shares his picking-up rules.