Taken down a peg

A good beating dog is essential to a successful day on the shooting field but advice on training is in short supply, says David Tomlinson

- David Tomlinson

BEATING DOGS ARE the unsung heroes of the shooting field. On many shoots, they are far more useful than their human handlers, able to use their size and agility to get to places no two-legged beater can reach, and their noses to find game that would otherwise never be flushed. Yet, while you will find numerous books on how to train your puppy to become a shooting dog, beating dogs hardly warrant a mention.

The requirements of a good beating dog are simple. Most important is the ability to work closely with their handler, never venturing more than 30 yards away. Prompt recall is essential, as is walking happily to heel, or at least within a few feet, when required to do so. An enthusiasm for hunting is essential, together with a determination to go through or undercover rather than around it. On a typical shooting day you don’t really need the cover-ripping speed of a trialling spaniel, nor the latter’s ability to hunt a windscreen wiper pattern.