A day’s shooting without at least one dog by my side just wouldn’t be the same. They are great companions, can alert you to approaching birds and save you an awful lot of legwork. I’ve always owned dogs; they just make a day more enjoyable for me, provided they are steady and under control. Many of us would have seen a hide disappear across a field with a dog that is too eager and not fully trained. Not only is it annoying, but it can also be very dangerous when you have a loaded gun in play.
I am no expert, but I know what I need from my dogs and have developed a way of training them to my requirements. They don’t need to be field trial standard, but they need to be steady, to stop and return when I whistle them in. These are the essential traits for me. Picking up and hunting for pricked birds comes later, a great deal of which is learned in the field when a younger dog works alongside an experienced one. I am not saying that you don’t need to work on and train your dog once it’s steady, you do, but you can’t beat having them in the field with you and letting them watch the experts.
Early work
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Denne historien er fra November 2020-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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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Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
Roe, rucks and new ground
Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades
Fox rot about Charlie
Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane
The sniff of success
Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion
Adventures of Nick & Ted
A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Vet's advice
Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice