Looking down at me as I write is a splendid drake pintail, a memento of a wildfowling excursion in February 1989 with fellow Shooting Times contributor Mike Swan. Mike shot the pintail and presented it to…
David Tomlinson
Beware of ticks
In recent weeks the weather has been both warm and wet. I keep a rain gauge in my garden: in the first six months of this year, I recorded over 400mm, more than…
The pleasure of working dogs on a grouse moor
For most of us the shooting season is still months away. If, however, you are fortunate enough to work your dogs on the grouse moors, there’s just three weeks or so to go before the start, assuming…
Meet devotee of springer spaniels, Barrie Hughes
Spaniel ownership can be both enormously satisfying and extremely frustrating. I’ve survived 33 years of it, but am always full of admiration for those who have managed longer. So when I met…
How to keep dogs safe from car collisions
Most dogs love cars. Travelling in the car is usually a precursor to something more exciting, such as going for a walk or perhaps a shooting expedition. I don’t think dogs experience…
Pedigree dogs in peril
Previously I looked at the winners and losers in the annual registrations of pedigree dogs. The winners included the Bracco Italiano and the cocker spaniel, plus the Hungarian vizsla and its wirehaired…
Guns, beaters and pickers-up. All on an equal footing
Whether we like it or not, most shoots have a distinct social order. It’s Guns first, then loaders (if there are any), pickers-up and finally beaters. It is a natural order,…
Popular gundog breeds – what’s on the rise?
Has the pedigree dog had its day? While it might be much too early to predict its eventual extinction, figures from the Kennel Club (KC) show compelling evidence of its decline.…
Hip dysplasia in dogs
It’s many years since the dangers of hip dysplasia in dogs were first recognised. The British Veterinary Association (BVA) and the Kennel Club (KC) established their joint Hip Dysplasia Scheme in 1984…
Why is the flatcoated retriever so rarely seen in the field now?
Last month I dined at Holkham’s Victoria hotel in North Norfolk. Holkham has long been one of the premier sporting estates in England, covering 25,000 acres of saltings, marsh and…
Bitch or dog – what makes the best gundog?
SEX, WHETHER WE like to admit it or not, dominates our lives in many ways, not least when we come to choose our future shooting companion. For more than 30 years…
Are dogs really colour-blind?
ONE OF THE extraordinary things about dogs is that they may be able to mark a falling bird 200 yards away, but they will run straight past a dead bird…
Why beaters’ dogs have it best
Half a century of observing the British shooting field has led me to the conclusion that on a typical driven shoot, the people who have the most fun are the beaters. The…
Meet George Butler the springer specialist
To describe George Butler as the best-known picker-up in Sussex is something of an understatement. George is not only famous throughout the county for his team of English springers — invariably working at least half a dozen…
Passing over pedigrees?
EARLIER THIS MONTH The Telegraph asked readers to vote online for their favourite breed of dog, which they did in impressive numbers. More than 30,000 votes were cast during the four…
Time for the super-spaniel?
I don’t know how many English springer spaniels there are in the UK, but my guess would be between 160,000 and 200,000. This is based on 12,000 puppies being registered with…
Why have crossbred gundogs become so popular on shoots?
Are we guilty of overlooking crossbred gundogs? Felicity Winters thought so, and was inspired to write to the editor of Shooting Times, urging us to take more notice of the…
Dog training – electric collars have their uses for training
If you want to provoke debate among dog owners, just whisper the words “electric collar”. It’s a subject on which most of us have a strong view, and we were…
Rule Brittany
France and England may be separated only by a narrow stretch of water, but the difference in our shooting culture could hardly be more different. Shooting is hugely popular throughout…
Why it’s wrong to pick-up unshot birds
Sometimes it's all too easy for dogs to retrieve early-season birds that are exhausted rather than shot; but it's bad practice, writes David Tomlinson