So what’s the best time to buy a gundog puppy? A friend with a nine-year-old labrador recently asked me this question. I said he should consider getting one immediately. Hopefully…
Gundogs
When to start training a gundog puppy
When to start training a gundog puppy is the million-dollar question. Janet Menzies believes that putting in the groundwork to establish the basics will pay dividends in the field later…
Bitch or dog: which is best?
Bitch or dog is a question all dog owners must face. But is it all just down to personal preference? Bitch or dog Sex. It’s a subject no one looking…
Flatcoated retriever: the flatcoat’s fatal flaw
Always the Edwardian country gentleman’s companion, these days the flatcoated retriever still has its fans, although its popularity has been eclipsed by the labrador. (Read: Flatcoated retrievers – the Edwardian…
Hunt, point and retrieve gundog breeds
A guide to the different types of dog that make up the hunt, point and retrieve section of gun dogs.
How to introduce a puppy to an older dog
Ensuring a new recruit is welcomed by long-standing residents can be a tricky business. So how do you go about introducing a puppy to an older dog? (Read: When to…
Bringing dogs as guests. Should you?
Many years ago an old friend suggested that my wife and I might like to stay with him in his house in Devon during a brief visit to the West…
Is a raw diet healthy for a dog? Looking at the facts
Dogs are remarkable animals: they will live, and even thrive, on the most unlikely of diets. Vegetarian food for dogs has been around for years and now vegan food is…
The Bedlington terrier: a good family pet
It is, perhaps, the most disappointing two hours of my life. I am sitting in a cafe in Bedlington, the old Northumberland mining town after which the eponymous Bedlington terrier…
A dog’s sense of smell – astonishingly complex
Scents and sensibility Every working dog uses one of its senses above all others – usually its nose, and sometimes its eyes or even ears. Here are the breeds by…