A labrador looking out of the boot of a car

Looking for a simple way to remove dog odour from a car? Try generously sprinkling the area where the dog sits with bicarbonate of soda. Leave this for 20 to 30 minutes, then vacuum the area well. This can be repeated. Another tip is to leave a shallow bowl of…

Gundog training at home

I was recently asked what is essential gundog handling kit. I thought about the question for 30 seconds before replying: a slip lead and a whistle. I’ve now given the question more consideration, but my opinion remains unchanged. If you have these two vital pieces of equipment, then there’s not…

Matthew Dennison charts some of the most famous sporting dogs through history, from spaniels to cockers, who have made a name for themselves in the field. Popular sires have had an unhealthy level of input into the gene pool of our sporting breeds, which may be damaging. Could outcrossing be…

Gundog Photograph of the Year

Choosing a name for you canine companion is always tricky. However David Tomlinson breaks the process down and provides some helpful tips to give your dog a name they can be proud of. CHOOSING A NAME FOR YOUR DOG I’ve just undertaken a piece of fascinating but utterly useless research,…

The discussion over what is the best labrador colour will probably never end. BLACK IN THE FIELD, YELLOW IN THE SHOW RING Ask those in the shooting field what the best labrador colour is and the answer is generally black. Whereas in the show-ring judges like yellow. Fox-red labs are…

Many of us dream of owning a dog that will obey your every command and hang on your every movement however it often seems not to happen and all we see is our canine companion vanishing over the distant horizon. David Tomlinson asks the question whether the trainers are the…

This month we look at how to turn your puppy into a gundog, the tactics you need to improve your pigeon shooting, Sir Johnny Scott waxes lyrical over sighthounds and Rory Knight-Bruce celebrates the joys of the point-to-point;  beer tent, betting and banter. We investigate why pike fishing is enthralling…

It’s not often that you see pensioners in the shooting field – canine I mean, not human – as shooting is, for a dog, hard work. Many of us hope that our dogs will carry on working until they are 12, perhaps even 13, but the harsh truth is that…