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 hunting style. Clean booters Confusingly bloodhounds do not hunt the smell of blood but other scents caused by human movement.…
Is it really a good idea to neuter your dog? The question was prompted by a friend after she had taken her spaniel bitch to the vet to have her final puppy injections. “The vet assumed that I would be having her spayed, and even went as far as asking…
The purest of canine lineages have been bred by the bluest bloods in the land, who have continuously fostered the finest lines. This is a Bark's Peerage of aristocratic kennels.
For a dog, the finest perfume is eau de fox, essence of dung … anything is better than smelling clean. But having a dog smell lingering in your car isn’t the pleasantest way to enjoy a journey. So we’ve asked around those in the know and discovered some remedies to…
First and foremost we want our dogs to be safe and comfortable when they are out and about. Here, we round up the best travel accessories for your dog but be sure to also take a look at our other invaluable guides, including the best beds for working dogs, essential…
Last month, I was walking by a local fishing lake when I was amused to see a carp fisherman struggling to wheel his equipment along the path. I was tempted to ask him whether he really needed so much kit but he was clearly keen to get fishing, so I…
‘Of all sporting dogs perhaps there are none more generally useful, beautiful and sagacious than the setter.’ So wrote Edward Laverack, who was instrumental in the development of the modern English setter, in 1872. ‘They are possessed of all the necessary requisites for general utility, viz, great speed, nose, staunchness,…
I recently had a long chat with a spaniel enthusiast who argued, quite convincingly, that the only spaniels we need are cockers and springers, and that all the others are a waste of time. Britain has no fewer than seven native breeds of spaniel. We all know the English springer…
On a slight bend in the road to the ferry ports for Ireland in Pembrokeshire, a small sign indicates a village destination a few miles distant. It may mean nothing to the weary traveller but for the devoted aficionados of a small, doughty, feisty and lovable Welsh dog, it means…
Many sporting dogs are helping with conservation and helping to protect endangered species such as bats and water voles in the UK. Earlier this winter, I was walking my spaniel along a footpath when she stopped as suddenly as if she had run into a brick wall. There was no…
