Time for tiny Tawnies

Simon Whitehead explains why he has done exactly what he always said he would never do — breed from his rabbiting lurcher Tawny

- Simon Whitehead

When it comes to working dogs, especially lurchers, opinions are rife. Disagreements abound about what is a better dog: spaniel or labrador, collie-cross, or a lurcher comprising multiple crosses? Most of these fruitless arguments are usually made up of faulty assumptions.

The only person who knows what you want, how you want to work it, and where, is obviously you. This could be a spaniel, labrador, lurcher, or a terrier. People tend to gravitate towards certain crosses, types or breeds from their experiences of owning and working such animals — and more recently what they have seen on one day’s outing or on the internet. If only humans were as loyal and honest as our dogs it would be a lot less stressful.

I can remember picking Tawny up as a puppy as if it were yesterday. The snow was falling heavily and I had a five-hour night- time drive across the country to meet my friend Richard Edwards. Richard had picked up the ginger bundle of fur, teeth, and attitude from Merseyside.

Dodgy deal

I met him at the services on the M6, and like some dodgy deal, I pulled up and a crate was speedily transferred from his car into my truck. I had the same journey back, making it a long day but a worthwhile one. The years have rolled on, we have had some fantastic journeys and experiences, but I am now in a position where Bella is retired and Tawny has somehow become more than five years old.

I have been looking for a new member of the team to train up. A ferreting dog takes a few years to train, enter and reach its peak. So the sooner I start the better. I did my research and looked at some dogs, but something never felt right, so I graciously declined.