We are living in unprecedented times. The situation with COVID-19, and the resultant social distancing and isolation, is stressful for the vast majority of us. But how is it affecting our canine friends? Some may actually be enjoying having their owners around all the time, particularly if they are used to being left during the day. But the lack of opportunity to get out and about may mean others are feeling the strain.
Usually at this time of year, my dogs would be getting into the swing of the working test season, with competitions most weeks and training in between. I would have also been training in as many different places around the country as possible. But with trips and tests postponed, if not canceled, it is a very different story. So what can I do with them?
I am fortunate in that, because my husband is a farmer and gamekeeper, I have several paddocks and fields just outside my front door, with no public right of way. This means I can still stretch my dogs physically as well as mentally without breaching the Government’s guidelines.
“I’m not sure how clean the clothes were, but at least Nala was content”
Most people do not have that option and in more normal times rely on footpaths, parks, gundog clubs, and land owned by others as places to train their dogs. Now we are in lockdown, their dogs’ activity and exercise has simply ceased, with little hope of returning any time soon. So how can we keep our dogs occupied?
Many gundog trainers are using social media to try to keep clients and their dogs entertained, posting challenges and training drills. These are fantastic for those who have access to a good-sized garden and are not self-isolating or shielding, but for this article I am going to focus on what we can do indoors.
Denne historien er fra April 29, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
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Denne historien er fra April 29, 2020-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside