The Brittany spaniel may look like our spaniels but in actual fact it is a true HPR. Numbers remain low in the UK but David Tomlinson finds that, with a…
Gundogs
The Champion Stake: a stirring sight
The Champion Stake is the glorious exception to the rule that field trials are a poor spectator sport. If you cannot see pointers and setters working on a grouse moor,…
The Field’s favourite labradors
The Field’s favourite labradors brings together pictures of our readers’ labradors to show why they are the most popular breed in the world. Our readers’ labradors come in every colour,…
Lurcher: the ultimate countryman’s dog
A lurcher is a difficult companion to better for country people. Healthy, quick, kind and highly intelligent, if you take the time to train them they will make as good…
Gundog breed standards. Fit for function?
Gundog breed standards are supposedly the blueprint for the perfect pedigree animal, yet in reality the dogs they produce can be overweight and even disabled. David Tomlinson questions whether gundog…
Dogs with breathing difficulties
Dogs with breathing difficulties are currently experiencing a huge growth in popularity. Pug registrations are up five-fold and the French bulldog is now the third most popular breed in the…
Gundog hereditary diseases
Gundog hereditary diseases are the product of decades of selective breeding for pure-bred, pedigree dogs. After generations of using closely related animals, it is hardly surprising that many of our…
The Queen’s gundogs: royal retrievers
The Queen’s gundogs are respected throughout the shooting world and Her Majesty is their keenest supporter. Elizabeth Walton finds out about the dogs The Queen first learned to work in…
Ben Fogle: our love of labradors
Ben Fogle is not alone in his love of labradors. Every year, they top the most popular breed polls around the world. So in recognition of the world’s favourite dog,…
The retrieving instinct in pointers and setters
The retrieving instinct comes naturally to our pointers and setters, but over time we have supressed it, relying instead on our spaniels and labradors. David Tomlinson encourages training pointers and…