![A puppy for shoot or sofa](https://magarticles.magzter.com/articles/5179/499569/5f3ce5d758a0c/A-puppy-for-shoot-or-sofa.jpg)
ONE of the soundest pieces of advice you can get when looking for a gundog puppy is to buy one from working stock. That, of course, assumes you want to work your puppy. Conversely, if you want a gundog breed but don’t plan to work it, then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t buy an animal from show or pet lines. Working-bred cockers, for example, can be manic in their enthusiasm to hunt every clump of grass they come across; show-bred cockers, in contrast, are usually much happier going for a walk without searching frantically for non-existent rabbits.
I was asked recently about what ‘a lot of red ink in the pedigree’ means: was it something worth having? It’s a term used to indicate that a puppy’s parentage includes field trial champions (FTChs), the names of which will generally be printed on the pedigree in red rather than black. Whether it’s a good thing depends on what you want. Buying a puppy bred from field-trialling stock is essential if you want a competition dog but it’s hardly necessary for a once-a-week shooting companion that doubles as a family pet. True, trialling dogs are bred to be biddable but they are high-performance animals that take serious handling. The best analogy I can think of is hunting on a point-to-pointer. It’s an unbeatable experience for a skilled rider but for most of us a good, solid, Irish draught x thoroughbred is a much more relaxing prospect for a long day in the saddle.
Bu hikaye The Field dergisinin September 2020 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 The Field dergisinin September 2020 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
![Helping hot dogs chill out](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/5irat8pXt1720173886466/HELPING-HOT-DOGS-CHILL-OUT.jpg)
Helping hot dogs chill out
From cool coats to clippers, there are a whole host of ways to keep your canine companion comfortable as the summer heat intensifies, says David Tomlinson
![Art in the field](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/2jA3Ejnz11720173711703/ART-IN-THE-FIELD.jpg)
Art in the field
Sculpting his wild subjects from life, Fred Gordon is breaking new ground in bronze, says Janet Menzies
![How to canapé](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/3uHQxYLWu1720173396081/HOW-TO-CANAP.jpg)
How to canapé
A summer celebration is nothing without these tiny works of art. Devised by the country's best canapé cooks, they are just the thing to make your party swing
![Ginger-beer childhoods](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/GBiR3_9Aa1720173019473/GINGERBEER-CHILDHOODS.jpg)
Ginger-beer childhoods
Summer holidays filled with outdoor adventures are the perfect way to foster a love of the countryside and a lifetime enthusiasm for the field
![Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/JPlhHRNHQ1720172553467/GLAMOUR-INTELLIGENCE-AND-DRIVE-AS-STANDARD.jpg)
Glamour, intelligence and drive as standard
Retrieving birds with pace, energy and undeniable elan, these sporting poodles are winning over even traditional gundog breed enthusiasts
![The cycle begins](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/zFa07PuJt1720172195147/THE-CYCLE-BEGINS.jpg)
The cycle begins
Though it may lie forgotten for much of the year, the kennel bicycle is indispensable in summer when hound exercise gets under way
![Turning the tide on the Tyne](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/ssaj004tV1720171829137/TURNING-THE-TIDE-ON-THE-TYNE.jpg)
Turning the tide on the Tyne
The industrial age brought prosperity to Newcastle but at great cost to the Tyne and its salmon. Today its waters are a haven for fish and anglers alike
![En garde: a guide to fencing](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/-ACb9XpaI1720171481095/EN-GARDE-A-GUIDE-TO-FENCING.jpg)
En garde: a guide to fencing
Not just a clash of swords and some fancy footwork, this ancient sport is an art form that demands agility, discipline and control
![Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/1OqPSNemM1720171376732/WHO-WAS-BARON-PIERRE-DE-COUBERTIN.jpg)
Who was Baron Pierre de Coubertin?
It was a diminutive, 19th-century French aristocrat, Baron Pierre de Coubertin (pictured, left), who came up with the idea of reviving the Olympic Games while studying in Paris. He was a sporting sort himself, and had also long despaired of what he perceived as French degeneracy; his country had been humiliated by the loss of the Franco-Prussian War and he attributed this to his countrymen's lack of moral fibre.
![A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting](https://reseuro.magzter.com/100x125/articles/5179/1730728/VOHyFpkMX1720170750608/A-GOLDMEDAL-GUIDE-TO-OLYMPIC-SHOOTING.jpg)
A gold-medal guide to Olympic shooting
Everything you need to know, from history, disciplines, rules and regulations to the British sportsmen and women striving for glory