Step-by-step instructions on how to build a whelping box to make a safe birthing environment for your litter
Gundogs
Why ‘play-training’ is crucial for gundog puppies
Tony reveals how 'play time' is an essential part of a gun dog's training.
Should you vaccinate your dog every year? Is it necessary?
Vaccinating gundogs If you read any of the old dog books, you will be reminded that distemper was once the most feared of canine illnesses. A highly contagious virus, it was commonly called hard pad because one of the most obvious symptoms was hardening of the pads. With no known…
Which gundog puppy will be pick of the litter?
Gun dog puppy: I’m planning on breeding a litter of gun dog puppies from my bitch this spring.
What food is best for my gundog puppy?
I'm 15 years old and about to buy a ten week old cocker spaniel bitch. At the moment it is being fed on Beta puppy food as I'm planning to work her when she’s older.
What’ll it be like when my gundog has puppies?
I'm apprehensive about the big day and want to be prepared.
Six frequently asked questions about gundog puppies
Why won't my puppy concentrate during our gun dog training?
Keeping your dog safe in the snow
Dogs in snow Arguably the biggest problem with working a dog in snow is ice balling in the dog’s pads and, if it is a spaniel, its feathers. Ice balling depends on the type of snow and the air temperature, but it can be a real distraction to working dogs,…
What to look for in a gundog’s pedigree certificate
The breeder should provide the puppy’s pedigree before you make a commitment to buy. The pedigree is one of the things a serious breeder uses to plan a litter. An educated buyer looks at the pedigree when deciding whether to buy a puppy, and a responsible breeder will be proud to…
Be careful of the water your dog drinks
Dogs need lots of water. There are records of dogs living for weeks without food, but if they are deprived of water their survival is limited to days. Quite how much an individual dog needs to drink every day depends on a number of factors, ranging from diet to the…
Blowing the whistle on harsh dog handling
Earlier this year, the resignation of the honorary secretary of the Utility Gundog Society (UGS) Kent and East Sussex, Bernadette Restorick, not only caused ructions in the society, but also generated headline stories in The Times, the Daily Telegraph and Our Dogs. What Mrs Restorick had done was raise the…
Why you should never feed your dogs chocolate
I have always been told that chocolate is poisonous to dogs. Is this really true because I have a friend who often uses choc drops to reward his dog and has never found them to be a problem? Toxic chocolate Chocolate is definitely poisonous to dogs and, in sufficient quantity,…
New regulations on breeding dogs
A reader writes: “I have a really good black Labrador that I would like to have a litter from and keep back a puppy. Any others from the litter I will sell and use the profit and have the puppy professionally trained. However, a friend has told me that there…
How do I stop my gundog from running-in?
I have a black labrador gun dog who is 22 months old. His training had gone well until he recently started running in to shot birds.
Bad habits in Labradors
I have a 14 month-old lab dog who will have to put him in kennels for two weeks while we are on holiday. I'm concerned he may pick up bad habits while in the boarding kennels?
What can I do to protect my dog against Alabama rot?
Q: Is it true that Alabama rot is most prevalent in the autumn and winter? If that is the case, is there anything I can do to protect my dog? A: We refer to this disease as CRGV (idiopathic cutaneous and renal glomerular vasculopathy). It was first recognised in the…
Do chocolate Labradors deserve a bad reputation?
Does a chocolate Labrador have a shorter life? A recent headline in the Daily Telegraph proclaimed chocolate Labradors die younger and have more health problems than yellow and black ones as demand narrows the gene pool. The article stated breeders require two chocolate Labradors to produce chocolate puppies. This isn’t…
Is the Kennel Club in crisis?
Though the existence of the Kennel Club may not appear to have much impact on those who enjoy the sport of gameshooting, it would be foolhardy to underestimate its importance, because this multi-faceted organisation oversees every aspect of the world of gundogs. So it is deeply concerning that the 145-year-old…
How can I stop my gundog eating game?
Q: My gundog eats game instead of returning and leaving it. Twice last season my Labrador ate a brace of partridges laid to cool in the back of the pickup. The dog, a six-year-old, had never done this before. Would it help if I gave him a good feed after…