Book in for training

New editions of The Pet Gundog series are on sale and Lez Graham’s informative books are still a must for owners, says David Tomlinson

IN A RECENT ARTICLE (Gundogs, 3 June issue) I looked at my collection of dog books and gave a brief but honourable mention to Lez Graham’s three-volume series, The

Pet Gundog Puppy, The Pet Gundog and The Advanced Pet Gundog.

I was unaware that Lez was updating all three but the new editions have landed on my desk. Originally published in 2010 and 2011, this is the first major revision these slim, informative books have had.

When Lez had her original idea for these books, it was to help anyone who had acquired a gundog as a pet but had little idea of what their dog was capable of, given the right training. The books advised in a simple, straightforward manner how to understand your dog and how to motivate it, then the best way to train it in a way that was fun and rewarding for both dog and handler.

It didn’t matter whether the dog was of pure working stock or from generations of show breeding – follow Lez’s advice and you could be sure to have a dog to be proud of.

Don’t be put off by the word pet, for the advice here is as useful for the working dog as the pet, though if most of us were to be honest we would admit that our working dogs are also pets. I have always enjoyed the company of my dogs throughout the year, not just on shoot days. However, if I worked as infrequently as they do there wouldn’t be much money in my bank account.

“It’s all about building a relationship with your dog based on trust and respect”

All three of Lez’s volumes share the same clear layout and easy-tofollow instructions, coupled with Nick Ridley’s excellent photographs. At first, it seems that little has changed but the texts have been extensively

your trainee dog should be ready for almost anything and The Advanced

Pet Gundog takes handler and dog through to working on a shoot.

I enjoyed the story of one of Lez’s pupils who was adamant that she only wanted a well-trained dog but would never take it shooting. However, eventually she did take it on a shoot and – you’ve guessed it – she absolutely loved it. “Within a week, she decided she wanted to take her dog out picking-up. By the end of the season, she decided she wanted a peg dog.”

Lez isn’t from a shooting background, which makes her advice about taking a dog shooting all the more valuable, as she doesn’t

It is always worth buying some top dog training title when you get a new puppy

New editions of Lez Graham’s gundog books