Labrador
There is a saying that “Labradors are born half trained and spaniels die half trained”which gives you a clue as to why Labradors are one of the most popular gundogs worldwide. Easily trained, affectionate, strong and multi-purpose, they can be trained to pick up pheasants, follow blood trails for deer or both! That they also make great family members is also a benefit, they are fantastic with children and behave well when kept in the house.
Spaniel
Whilst they can be head strong (as the latter part of the well-known quote above attests to) and harder to train, a lot of owners of spaniels are totally converted by these pocket rockets and will then have nothing else. It has often been said that they imprint on their owners very strongly and then become like shadows, following them everywhere. Whilst they can struggle to keep calm when in a highseat or out stalking, they are perfect for bird shooting, albeit a goose or large cock pheasant can be a bit much for a cocker spaniel to retrieve!
Teckel
The teckel has grown in popularity outside of its traditional stronghold of the German speaking world, now being common across Europe. Seen as small dogs of immense character, they can be stubborn and hard to train, yet very rewarding when you get it right. When they take it upon themselves to go to ground however, you can be in for a long slog to dig them out to retrieve them. Available in 3sizes, their size belies a strong capacity for work and whilst they have short legs, they are not easily tired out.
Pointer
Elegant, noble, aloof and obtuse are just some of the terms connected with a pointer.Fascinating to watch as they “point” in the direction of their prey having caught their scent, shooting over pointers, especially on grouse is one of the pinnacles of bird shooting for any hunter. Another set of breeds that can be challenging to train, especially for those not used to them, however the pointing comes naturally, it is the obeying commands that often doesn’t!
Terrier
Whether as a companion in your truck or horse box, running round the farm helping keep the rat numbers at bay or groundwork, terriers are a multi-purpose bunch who love nothing more than to get stuck into a challenge, often one that is much bigger than they are! Never has the term “little man syndrome” been so suitable for a dog. With characters bigger than their size, they are often badly behaved but their besotted owners choose to overlook it!
