An £800 pair of dummy launchers proved key in the training of young bitch Abiann Flawless, which landed the ultimate accolade at the 88th Cocker Spaniel Championship, held on the 6,400-acre Sandringham estate on 8 and 9 January 2018 by gracious permission of Her Majesty The Queen. After two days…
Gundogs
Are dogs good for your health?
You might have seen a rather pleasing story that appeared in the papers last November. According to a study of 3.4million Swedes, dog owners have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease than those who don’t have a canine companion. Even more significant, ownership of a hunting breed gave the greatest…
Can a working gundog also be a family pet?
Am I taking a risk having my working labrador as a house dog?
Giving your gundog a comfortable retirement
One of the most frustrating things about good gundogs is that their working lives are so short. A dog is typically three or four years old when it matures into the best you have ever had, but five or six years later you realise that his working life is approaching…
How do I keep my dogs warm in kennels in winter?
I have two labradors kenneled outside and want to sort out the best type of bedding for them for the coming winter.
Can dogs get colds?
Q: My dog has suddenly started sneezing. Can dogs get colds and flu like humans? Over the past few days there have been persistent bouts of sneezing, runny nose and she snores when asleep as if her nose is blocked. So can dogs get colds? A: Dogs don’t get colds…
Can you solve bad breath in gun dogs?
I have noticed that my three-year-old spaniel’s breath has started to smell.
Dogs at work in the beating line
After an enjoyable season in the beating line with his spaniel, David Tomlinson asks what traits a dog needs to have to be an asset to this essential team
All-round gundogs – do they exist?
Most of my friends have more than one dog, they may have a spaniel or two for beating, a retriever for shooting at a peg or picking-up and a few of them even have a “terrorist” (terrier) to keep the rodent population in check. But, just imagine that you could…
Teaching a gundog to go left and right. Should you?
This is not an uncommon question and, in my humble view, gundog handling is an important aspect of a gundog’s training and should not be discounted as simply being a “trick” or clever. If you plan to shoot over your dog, in any form, you will find it an invaluable…
Car sickness in dogs
A car sick dog is miserable and the condition can be caused by different factors. It may not be due to motion. For many puppies their first experience of travel sickness may be associated with unpleasantness, such as leaving his/her litter mates for the first time, or with a trip…
Hypothyroidism in dogs. What owners need to know
Underactive thyroid – known as hypothyroidism Let me list your dog’s clinical signs: Lethargy Weight gain Bilaterally symmetrical alopecia Skin changes Itchy skin It would seem most likely that your dog has an underactive thyroid, referred to as hypothyroidism. In very large breeds, the condition occurs between two and three…
Secrets of the Hungarian wirehaired vizsla success
The Hungarian wirehaired vizsla (HWV) is a relatively new breed, created a century ago in Hungary by crossing smooth-haired vizslas with other pointer breeds — among them the German wirehaired pointer and the pudelpointer — to produce the dog we know today. Tough, all-purpose hunting dog The breed’s development was…
What you should know about dog bloat
Risk and factors of bloat in dogs A recent study by the Royal Veterinary College’s Veterinary Companion Animal Surveillance System, which looked into the frequency, risk factors and survival of dogs that had bloat, found that of the dogs that underwent surgical treatment, 80% survived. (It should be borne in…
Gundog training – marking a dummy
The causes for problems marking a dummy Some young dogs can develop this quirk and, although it tends to disappear as time passes and they get experience of the real thing, it can be frustrating for the trainer. Eye contact is something that, as gundog trainers, we work hard to…
Here’s why you should never ignore a dog’s broken tooth
A vet explains why one reader was charged £150 to have his dog's molar removed
How to make a dog vomit in an emergency
Most wild mushrooms aren't poisonous to dogs, but there are some symptoms of poisoning that you should watch out for
Can I do anything about my dog’s dry nose?
Q: My dog has a very dry nose that has started to become cracked, and food tends to get dried on after she has eaten. I wipe her nose after every meal, but it is getting no better. Is there anything else I should do? Is a dry nose in…
A day’s shooting with Clumber spaniels for the first time
I love shooting over dogs, so when my friend Nathan Hawkins posted an open invitation to shoot over a breed I had never heard of — the Clumber spaniel — I jumped at the chance. Charming Clumber spaniels This is a breed that has been apparently superseded by springers and…
Hypothermia in dogs
A: Yes. Under the right conditions dogs, and indeed any warm-blooded mammal, can suffer hypothermia. Hypothermia in dogs occurs when an animal’s core body temperature falls and stays below the normal range. The normal body temperature range for a dog is 38°C to 39.5°C (100.5°F to 102.5°F). Dogs with low body temperature will aim to conserve heat by…