The one thing that your gundog will have to do at some point is to be willing and able to enter cover. Whether that be to find and retrieve shot game or to flush a tight-sitting pheasant or rabbit, they will have to do it. A gundog that skirts around…
Gundog questions
What should I feed my gundog on a shoot day?
On a shoot day you obviously want your gundog to perform at his best and remain fit and healthy. So what should your feeding programme for the day be? What’s the best time to feed before energetic exercise and how much? And what happens after the shoot day is wrapped…
Gundog running-in: the cause and the solution
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.
Dogs and electric fences: how dangerous is getting a shock?
Shocks from electric fences can be painful but your dog shouldn't experience lasting trauma. If your dog still seems affected after the shock, you should see your vet
How can I stop my gundog eating game?
What can you do if your gundog eats game instead of returning it to you and leaving it intact. A reader wrote to me recently saying: “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…
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
Should you clip your dog’s coat for the summer?
I own a working cocker spaniel that is 12 months old. Can you please give me advice on how to look after its coat, as some say you can cut it but others say not to. I do not know what to do for the best.
What’s the healthiest diet for working dogs?
I’m often asked by owners of gundog breeds what they should be feeding their dogs. They want to know all about the healthiest diet for working dogs. Here are some of the questions I’m asked and here’s what I say. Are all brown kibble diets bad? You simply cannot lump…
Do dogs have to wear collars?
Gundogs are controlled with slip leads but it’s rare that you’ll see one with any sort of collar. So do all dogs have to wear collars? Is it required by law? Out in the field you’ll see teams of working dogs under immaculate control and not a collar in sight.…
Is this the best way of “dogging-in?”
Dogging-in means using a dog to push straying pheasants from the boundaries of a shoot back into the middle. It’s a major job for keepers during October and can sometimes seem infuriating. Time-consuming and impossible without a dog. My favourite breed for dogging-in may surprise you but it’s a decision…
Gundog training equipment: here’s what a top trainer says you’ll need
Kitting yourself out with gundog training equipment before the season? Tony runs through his own list of ‘must have’ essentials.
Sprocker or cocker spaniel? How can you tell them apart?
Should you get a sprocker or cocker spaniel? I admit to being a fan of sprockers as I like their hybrid vigour. They are not a designer cross-breed like a Labradoodle but simply spaniel x spaniel, and it should not be forgotten that both breeds share the same ancestry. However, since a cocker crossed…
A shoot day is no place for an overexcited dog
Q: I own a rather excitable dog, an exuberant German shorthaired pointer (GSP) that I take beating on several driven shoots. He works well once the drives start and always gets compliments. However, my problems occur at the start of the day and in between drives. He has rather a…
Are blue merle dogs prone to health problems?
Q: Is it true that blue merle dogs have health problems? I was told this after acquiring a blue merle collie from a dog rescue centre but as far as I can tell, so far, he seems to be perfectly sound and healthy. A: A blue merle is a black…
How to teach your gundog to walk at heel
I’m training a seven-month-old gundog and I cannot make him walk to heel without constantly pulling on the lead. Can you suggest anything?
What can I do about the scratches on my spaniel’s face?
Q: One of my spaniels 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 them start bleeding again. Is there anything I can use to prevent spaniel scratches and stop them reopening? Treating…
Will another bitch coming into heat bring mine on as well?
Gundog training & health: Now it is the end of the shooting season, I want to breed from my bitch, but she is erratic with her heat cycles.
Which gundog puppy will be pick of the litter?
Q: How do I going about choosing a puppy from the litter? I’m planning on breeding gundog puppies from my bitch this spring. She’s five years old and I only want to have one litter from her, but because she has been such a good shooting gundog I want to…
How to choose a gundog puppy
Which breed? First of all, you need to decide which gundog breed will suit your shooting needs and also your life. When choosing a gundog puppy breed remember that most gundogs are only out in the field for three or four months a year. So how are you going to…