So how does the colour of a chocolate Labrador happen? A variety of different Labrador matings, including black to black, can produce a brown, or chocolate Labrador. If you mate two brown Labs together you are most likely to have similarly coloured puppies, although you may also get yellow. However…
Gundogs
Keeping a young gundog steady on a shoot day
A suitable shooting companion should be many things. They should be hard hunting, patient on peg, calm to heel and have reliable recall. These are only a few of the key skills and attributes. The basics in training will pay dividends in the long run and are so often overlooked.…
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.
Training a golden retriever
A question about golden retriever training Q: After many years of having Labradors, I have bought a working-bred golden retriever puppy. I know this breed has a reputation for being slow to mature and more challenging to train, but this youngster is a joy to work with. However, he is…
Now sprockers, springadors and even cockerpoos can try for a Working Gundog Certificate
For many years the Kennel Club has operated a form of canine apartheid. Only dogs that are pure-bred and registered with the Club are allowed to enter field trials. Working Gundog Certificate open to sprockers You may own the most talented sprocker or springador, but there’s no way that you…
How to help an older dog suffering from deafness
Q: Our old gundog is starting to become deaf, probably due to his age. Is there anything to help hearing loss in older dogs? A: Certainly the most common form of deafness in dogs is age-related hearing loss (ARHL). Most dogs experience some degree of ARHL as they get older. Unfortunately,…
Field trials for gundogs during the COVID pandemic – what you need to know
The Kennel Club has issued extensive guidance for staging field trials for dogs during the pandemic. Last month, the International Gundog League (IGL) cancelled this year’s Retriever Championship. It was hardly unexpected news. If the IGL had decided to go ahead with the event, the biggest in the gundog calendar,…
Why gundogs shouldn’t eat pork pies
Pancreatitis in dogs can be serious. I received a salutary tale from reader and regular correspondent Arthur Moore, who had just returned from walking Hadrian’s Wall with his wife Ann and daughter Jocasta, plus two English springers, Ella, aged 10, and Nina, aged two. “We walked the wall, day on…
How to help a dog with arthritis
“My eight year old Labrador is a bit slow to get going now and is usually lame by lunchtime, when I rug her up and put her in the vehicle. She seems a bit young to call it a day. How can you help a dog with arthritis?” Many working…
Health checks you must carry out before breeding Labradors
Q: “I am considering breeding from my young Labrador bitch but have to confess to being overwhelmed by all the advice I am getting. Any thoughts?” Thoughts on breeding Labradors A: First I would say that breeding from your only dog can be fraught and is not entirely without risk.…
Should I stick to a dog vaccination schedule? What’s recommended?
Q: I have heard about herd immunity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and relating to dog vaccination. How does herd immunity protect unvaccinated animals, and can you explain why it is apparently important for me stick to a dog vaccinations schedule if a sufficient level of herd immunity…
What can you do to keep your gundogs safe from being stolen?
It was a sobering experience. The grinder buzzed, sparks flew and in a few seconds the padlocks parted. A friend knocked on my door one morning. He had lost his workshop keys. He had started on one hardened steel lock with a hacksaw and after a lot of cutting had…
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
Is a gun-shy dog a lost cause?
There’s probably no greater disaster that can befall the gundog trainer than to discover that their talented new puppy is gun-shy. Is being gun-shy inherited? Many breeders maintain that gun-shyness is hereditary, which I’m not convinced about, but I certainly wouldn’t take the risk of breeding from a seriously gun-shy…
Thinking of getting a rescue dog? Run through this checklist before you decide.
A useful rescue dog checklist Before you take on a rescue dog you need to ensure that he or she is in reasonably good health. So here’s a rescue dog checklist to run through before you make any decisions. First, don’t be in any hurry to approach and handle the…
How can I find the right Labrador puppy these days?
Q: I have been struggling to find a Labrador puppy because there seems to have been a big demand for them as pets during lockdown. I have been advised to wait a while because it’s expected that a lot of young dogs will need to be rehomed in the…
In the heat, is it kind to give your dogs chilled water? Or could it be dangerous?
The temperature is soaring and your faithful gundogs are lying in the shade, panting heavily. It’s tempting to think there would be nothing kinder than to put some ice cubes in your gundog’s water bowl – but should dogs drink ice cold water? Is it safe or can it cause…
How to tie fishing flies with dog hair
The Roman author and teacher Claudius Aelianus is credited with being the first to record the use of artificial flies in angling. Writing towards the end of the second century, he described the practices of Macedonian anglers on the Astraeus River comprehensively: “They have planned a snare for the fish,…
How to train your gundog for water work
Gundog training for water work needs to be done carefully and with thought; it is all too easy to end up with problems such as dropping retrieves, shaking and even refusal to enter water. It is a matter of choice whether you train your dog to retrieve from water, but…
My spaniel has horrible waxy ears. What can I do about it?
Q: My spaniel has horrible waxy ears. No amount of cleaning seems to make a difference. Any suggestions? I’m worried they may lead to more spaniel ear problems. A: Neil says: Yes, stop what you are doing. You are probably making the situation worse. We need to go back to…