Sometimes, when I go to the bank in the local town, I see a much-coiffeured white West Highland terrier being taken for his constitutional along the lane by the church.
The extraordinary thing about this portly little dog is that he expresses disapproval of passing bicyclists, but completely ignores the rabbits crossing the lane from the warren in the graveyard. It is a sad reflection that one of the oldest terrier breeds in Scotland, bred hard enough to tackle fox, badger, polecat, otter, and any other Highland vermin should have become so emasculated.
However, the breed — once so highly thought of that James VI of Scotland sent six dogs and bitches from Argyllshire to France as a gift for Henry III — is not alone. Its close cousin, the cairn terrier, bred for bolting foxes from among the cairns where Highland foxes tend to hole up and for general pest control, which included everything from a rat to a wildcat, have gone the same way.
Once quite bold enough to take on an otter — in the 1890s, Captain Macdonald of Waternish in northwest Skye kept a pack of 40 cairns for hunting otters — they are now only pets and show dogs.
The Aberdeenshire terrier, nicknamed the ‘Diehard’, is another. With powerful jaws and short, sturdy legs, they were a notoriously tough, determined dog to the ground. Renamed the Scottish terrier when they became a designer dog, it will be at least 100 years since any of them have been used for the job for which they were bred.
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin June 23, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Shooting Times & Country dergisinin June 23, 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside