Let's not lose our inbetweeners

Fewer of us are taking our dogs shooting for fear they might play up, but Will Pocklington is concerned we are doing them a disservice

- Will Pocklington

Contentment is slipping into a slumber after a day in the field, a weary dog by one’s feet. Wind-whipped cheeks, fire in the grate, perhaps a glass of something... Utopia. It makes me sad to think so many people never get the chance to experience that.

The thing is, fewer of us are now taking our dogs shooting. The decline of the peg dog, in particular, is well documented; when was the last time you saw a line of Guns featuring more than three or four dogs? Inconvenience for overnighters and the advent of semi-professional picking-up teams are oft-quoted reasons, but I think much of this “leaving your dog at home” business stems from unrealistic expectations and our mindset when we do venture forth with Fido at heel — or somewhere near it.

In my mind, working dogs can be categorised into three broad groups: those that should not be taken on a shoot day; those that are trained to a very high standard and rarely slip up; and those that are somewhere in between.

Wise people leave a young dog that’s not ready at home rather than rush its introduction to the ‘real thing’. They also refrain from dragging along — or being dragged along by — downright delinquents that would do well not to bugger off completely, have a scrap or bark incessantly on a drive. That’s sensible. But I think we’re doing the ‘inbetweeners’ — those dogs that have their faults but do no real harm — a disservice by leaving them at home. Just imagine if we took the same approach to our shooting; has anyone ever turned down an invitation because they can’t shoot like George Digweed?