My recent viewpoint on whether dogs mourn and experience grief when they lose a companion drew an interesting response from readers. (Read this piece on depression in dogs.) Sue Knight’s…
David Tomlinson
Should you check you have permission to use land for dog training?
Few birds are more easily overlooked than the woodlark. Small, beautifully camouflaged and spending much of their time on the ground, it’s often only their song that gives them away.…
Leptospirosis in dogs – what you need to know
Rats are known to carry disease and one of the ones they can transmit is Weil’s disease, also known as leptospirosis. Leptospirosis in dogs and humans can be fatal. It…
Poodles as working dogs? Can it ever happen?
Is there such a thing as poodles as working dogs? Legends are often based on rumours, and rumours are seldom based on facts, so I’ve never been quite sure whether…
What’s happened to the flatcoat retriever?
What is it about the flatcoat retriever that makes it so successful at Crufts? It’s a question lots of showing enthusiasts have been asking themselves after Norwegian-owned flatcoat retriever Almanza…
Do muntjac attack dogs?
Long, sharp teeth can pose a genuine threat to gundogs when muntjac attack. I well remember my first serious encounter with a muntjac. It was on a rough day in…
When did dog licences stop in England and why?
Readers from Northern Ireland are permitted a wry smile when they see the subject of this article on dog licences. Dog licences abolished in England, Scotland Wales The Government abolished…
Sheep worrying – a growing problem
Sheep worrying – a growing problem Sheep worrying is a growing problem in the UK, no doubt made worse in the past two years by the growth in dog ownership…
How to protect dogs from poisonous slug pellets
Dogs and slug pellets don’t mix and are in fact a lethal combination. However, it’s the time of year now when new shoots are coming up in the garden and…
How the cocker spaniel has changed
My first-ever dog was a remarkably handsome blue-roan-and-tan cocker spaniel. I loved him dearly, but he was inbred, neurotic and not really a nice dog at all. He was show…
The Spinone Italiano – a gentle breed
The Italian spinone – Spinone Italiano – has been present here in Britain for almost the same time as the Brittany: the dogs first appeared at the Game Fair exactly…
What you need to know about ticks and Lyme disease
Lyme disease in dogs and humans Lyme disease is an illness caused by bacteria that live in the guts of infected ticks, so those of us who take our dogs…
Gundog tests – training to win
I have spent many hours watching gundog tests and as a result I have a good idea how to make sure that a dog performs to the best of its…
All about the letters FTCh and what they mean
Most people who work gundogs are aware of the letters FTCh in front of a dogs name. They stand, of course, for field trial champion. With the most popular breeds,…
How to stop a dog chasing sheep and livestock
The costs of a dog chasing sheep According to Sheep Watch UK about 15,000 sheep are killed each year by dogs, when dogs are off the lead in a field…
Are field trials champions REALLY the best?
Field trials are a tricky subject for a gundog correspondent to write about, especially as I’ve never competed with a dog in my life. I have watched AV spaniel, cocker,…
How to teach reliable gundog recall
Teaching reliable dog recall is one of the basics of gundog training in the early days. Here's how to do it.
Why working dogs retire and when it’s likely to happen
When working dogs retire One of the saddest sights on a shoot is seeing an old dog wandering around with a bird in its mouth, unsure of what it is…
Goldador: what happens when you cross a labrador with a golden retriever?
We are all familiar with sprockers, cockapoos and labradoodles, but what do you call a cross between a labrador and a golden retriever? A golden labrador? (The name is a…
HPR championship: victory at last
If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. That’s a rule that applies to Rory Major, who last month finally achieved his lifelong ambition to win the HPR Championship.…