Dog theft is a hot topic at the moment; in particular of gundogs. They are stolen from cars, kennels, houses and gardens. One of the issues is the money these dogs are worth to potential thieves. Another big issue is that the breeds most commonly used as gundogs are inherently…
Gundogs
What to look for in a gundog’s pedigree certificate
A reputable gundog breeder should provide the gundog puppy’s pedigree before you make a commitment to buy. This is because the dog’s pedigree is one of the things a professional breeder uses when planning a litter. A wise and well informed gundog buyer will look at the pedigree when deciding…
How can we breed the perfect Labrador?
The Labrador retriever was first recognised by the Kennel Club as a breed in 1903. It was originally known as the St John’s dog or lesser Newfoundland dog. The breed was in Newfoundland in the 1700s and imported to England in the 1800s. When I was researching its origins, I…
What should you do about lameness in a dog and what causes it?
Lame dog Q: My working lurcher is on/off lame on her right foreleg and there appears to be swelling around the wrist. Any suggestions? A: Lots. Most importantly, I would immediately confine her to barracks until the problem has been diagnosed. Continuing to exercise your lame dog now may jeopardise…
How to train a young gundog to be disciplined in company
Gundog training together Anyone who works or trains gundogs will tell you that they are addictive. Once you have one you will want another, and this will be the case most especially if you want to go picking up. In fact, many shoots will insist that if you aspire to…
Puppies and umbelical hernias – what you need to know
Umbilical hernia on puppy Q: My puppy bitch has an umbilical hernia that the vet intended to repair when she was spayed after her first season. However, we are having second thoughts about neutering her and wanted to know if this means she still needs an operation to repair her…
How can we tell a Gun that his dog isn’t welcome at our shoot?
Q: How do I ask one of our Guns, who has been a member of our syndicate for the past 10 years, not to bring his dog, without upsetting him? His dog barks, whines, starts fights, pinches food at lunch and is universally disliked. I know that he will take…
It’s time to change the law on working gundog theft
Dog thefts, especially those of working gundogs, are on the rise. One of the great mysteries about stolen gundogs is what happens to them as almost all disappear without trace. What happens to stolen gundogs? We have all heard suggestions that they are taken to be sold on as trained…
What should I do about my dog’s dewclaws?
Dogs and dewclaws Q: My dog still has his dewclaws, but I’ve been told that these are usually removed soon after birth. Is it too late to have them removed now? What would you advise? A: It is legal to remove dewclaws from puppies whose eyes have not yet opened.…
My Labrador doesn’t like going into water. What can I do?
Q: I have a two-year-old Labrador bitch that is shy of going into water. What do you suggest I do to help her overcome this fear? Labradors and water A: It’s unusual for a Labrador to be reluctant to go into water, though it is not unheard of. Unless it…
“The stop whistle is the brake on your dog and it needs to respond immediately”
An issue that causes novice trainers sleepless nights is stop whistle training. Get it right and you will have a high degree of control over even the hardest to manage dog. Get it wrong and it may not only cause momentary embarrassment but could result in you not being asked…
How to cure firework fear in dogs
Find out how you can train your dog to stop being scared of fireworks and loud bangs
All about the German teckel – a working dachshund
The working dachshund or teckel At one time the term ‘prey drive’ was mainly reserved for terriers and hounds and only occasionally used by the gundog fraternity. However, in the past 30 or so years, with the rising popularity of hunt-point-retrievers we have seen it used more frequently to describe…
Why the Labrador is an endangered breed
Spot the odd one out: grey wolf, Labrador, golden jackal, coyote. All four are members of the genus Caninae, and have scientific names prefixed with the word Canis. However, a big clue is that the Labrador is the only one that can be trained to retrieve pheasants, sniff out drugs…
Should I get a fox-red Labrador?
I recently received this query from a reader who was wondering how a fox-red Labrador would perform out in the field. Q: My son-in-law is keen to buy a first working dog to train himself. Like many young people, he is influenced by what’s fashionable, so he’s been looking for…
Do Labradors really originate from Canada?
Spend a day out in the field on a shoot and the chances are that somebody, somewhere will have a Labrador. But despite being such a popular gundog, some think that Labradors are from Canada originally, rather than being a European breed. It’s said that fishermen in this bleak peninsula…
Which is the best hunt, point and retrieve gundog?
Rory Major of Bryantscroft Gundogs has probably trained and competed with more breeds of gundog than anyone else in the business. He has trialled everything from retrievers and spaniels to setters and most breeds of hunt, point and retrieve gundog (HPR). He made up the first British wirehaired pointer field…
Is gundog boarding school worth it?
Q: A friend recently sent away his young springer bitch for some basic training at a gundog boarding school. It was the first time he has done this —previously he has trained his shooting dogs himself. During the time the bitch was away, he heard little from the trainer and…
All about puppies and their teeth
Q: Why are puppy teeth so sharp? A: Puppies are born without teeth but then develop two sets. A temporary, deciduous set of puppy teeth erupt around three to four weeks of age, which are replaced by a second set of permanent teeth that gradually replace the former, starting at…
23 things to know about the Korthals Griffon
The Korthals Griffon is known as the Griffon Korthals on the Continent Or the Griffon d’arrêt in France and Quebec In the United States and Canada it’s called the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon It was founded by the Dutch breeder Eduart Karels Korthals in around 1873 He dedicated 20 years to…