Which retriever breed?

My 16-year-old son is proving to be something of a natural trainer and has done a great job with my Labrador, which was “hot” to say the least. He wants a dog of his own but is considering retriever breeds other than a Labrador. Any suggestions?

This is a good time to be thinking about a future puppy because if you are going to consider some of the other retrieving breeds, you will have to order a puppy well ahead of time if you want to make sure you acquire one of the right breeding.

I could get myself into hot water if I start listing the pros and cons of breeds such as flatcoated retrievers, golden retrievers, curlycoated retrievers or Chesapeake Bay retrievers. Suffice to say that, as with all breeds, some individuals from each of these breeds will be good and others more challenging in terms of training. Without treading on any toes,

I think the reason that some of these breeds have fallen somewhat from favour is that they can require a more experienced approach and may not always be an ideal first-time gundog.

But over the years I have seen some great work undertaken by dogs from all the breeds mentioned above. I would advise your son to do some detailed research, talk to as many people as he can in each breed and make an effort to go and see each breed in action on a shoot day.

There are still some strong, working bloodlines in all the above retrieving breeds but, to make sure you get the correct raw material to work with, it is important to buy from proven working stock.

I wish more of the younger generation would follow suit — then we wouldn’t face the dwindling gene pool that now threatens so many of these breeds. JH Interesting facts: A member of the same family as the potato and tomato, bittersweet is less toxic than its notorious cousin, deadly nightshade. The berries and leaves are poisonous and the latter give off an unpleasant odour when crushed. Bittersweet has been used as an alternative medicine for a range of skin diseases, arthritis, rheumatism, bronchial congestion, ulcerative colitis and jaundice. The leaves were also used for treating a variety of complaints including backache, coughs, diarrhoea and joint pain. Bittersweet was traditionally seen as protection from evil and to cleanse anyone, animal or object, of evil. Its family name comes from the Latin root solace, perhaps a nod to its medicinal properties, and dulcamara means sweet-bitter. When eaten, it was said to taste bitter at first, becoming sweet.

SHOOTING TIMES & COUNTRY MAGAZINE • 89

Buy a dog from proven working stock