About every 10-12 years or so, a new friend comes to live with us. This year is one of those years, and that ‘friend’ is a 14-month-old yellow Labrador named Barley!
He has been with the breeder these past months, and, being older, the bill is correspondingly larger. However, I am long since past the stage of doting over a new puppy – as delightful as they all are! – and would prefer someone else to have the burden of chewing and peeing and general growing pains of introducing a new dog to the shooting world.
Barley is now basically a teenager, and will bring with him all the trappings of those teenager years. But he is already well schooled, biddable and, of course, loveable, and will be my friend – barring unforeseeables – for a dozen years and more.
He is the latest in a long line of Labradors that have accompanied me to the coast. They have been there when I needed them and have seldom let me down. Some have been better gundogs than others, of course, but all have been special in their own way.
My wife, not unnaturally, wanted a puppy, and fretted that bringing home an adult dog would not work. The real reason no doubt was because you would be hard put to find anyone that does not like to fuss over an adorable puppy!
But my current dog, Dee, was 24 months old when I was fortunate enough to take her off the hands of someone who did not know what a good dog she was destined to become. Her predecessor, Charlie, was 21 months old when he was brought in as emergency cover after the tragedy of losing a dog in her prime during the shooting season.
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Denne historien er fra June 2020-utgaven av Sporting Shooter.
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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RSPB gives mixed message on shooting
Having recently attended the RSPB’s virtual AGM, Conor O’Gorman discusses the outcome of the charity’s year-long review of game bird shooting
Causeway for concern
Alan Jarrett’s renewed interest in reading takes him down memory lane to an offshore island duck flight that very nearly ended in disaster
Through a purple patch
The Garrows Estate is taking a conservation-focused approach to restoring the wildlife populations and biodiversity on the Scottish heather moorland.
When the wheels fall off
Losing form on a day’s shooting can be infuriating, especially if you’ve been shooting like a god up to that point. Simon O’Leary looks at some common causes and how to remedy them
Beaches, books & bad behaviour!
The annual Kay family vacation to Northumberland offers a chance to give the cockers a blast on the beach – although they don’t always shower themselves in glory, as Ryan Kay recalls...
Using the Stop whistle
Now you’ve instilled the basics, it’s time to up the ante with some more tricky distance work. Howard Kirby explains how to take the core Stop whistle command to the next level
The humble teal
They may be tiny, but as far as Rupert Butler is concerned, the appeal of this little duck is huge. He recalls some of his most memorable nights in pursuit of these aerial acrobats
Fab all-rounder
Mike is impressed with the Fabarm Elos B2 Field Notte, which offers great value for money, is suited to fieldwork or clays and is future-proofed for use with steel in all choke constrictions
CALL OF THE WILD
Dom Holtam reconnects with one of the purest forms of shotgun shooting as he walks-up woodcock over pointing dogs in the Scottish Highlands
A yen for the Fens
Tony Jackson recounts a memorable duck flight over an area of Fenland in Norfolk with his friend and author, the late Alan Savory
