Shooting Times & Country Magazine
Who will be top dog? A look at popular gundog breeds
Favourites come and go, but do we simply follow the latest trends when we decide which gundog breed to buy, asks David Tomlinson
We all know how the world of pedigree dogs is fashion driven: flat-faced breeds such as pugs and French bulldogs are now all the rage and the Labrador’s long supremacy as Britain’s favourite pet breed looks set to finish before the end of the decade. I am old enough to remember when the poodle was the most popular breed but today it is unusual to see a pure-bred poodle. The world of working gundogs also changes but usually rather more slowly.
However, that wasn’t the case a century ago because in the space of just a few years the Labrador succeeded in ousting the flatcoat from its dominant spot as the shooting gentleman’s favourite companion. Look back at the sporting journals of that time and you will find heated debates in the correspondence columns about the respective merits of the two breeds, which make fascinating reading. One thing is clear: the nature of today’s dogs is certainly different from what it was in the early years of the 20th century.
Would you, for example, describe a Labrador as “an excellent companion to its owner, but essentially a one-man dog”? This is what one Edwardian correspondent wrote.
As a rule, Labradors are the friendliest dogs, which is one of the reasons that they are so popular as pets. I haven’t enough experience of flatcoat retrievers to concur that “they are inclined to be slack on a hot day in the heather”, but I would certainly agree that a major Labrador attribute is the fact that the “short coat does not pick up mud or wet”. The truth is that Labradors are easier to train than flatcoats and that was enough to make them the number one retriever, a position they still hold today.
While the flatcoat, followed by the Labrador, was the gentleman shooter’s dog of choice, the springer has long been the most popular breed with rough shooters. Clumbers started to fall from popularity a century ago, despite King George V developing his own kennel of Clumbers at Sandringham. By the 1930s they were out of favour, leaving the springer to dominate for many years. Today that dominance is challenged by the resurgence of the cocker spaniel; my observations suggest that on many shoots cockers now outnumber springers.
However, is this simply a passing phase? Sprockers — springers crossed with cockers — are gaining rapidly in popularity, despite the fact that they cannot compete in Kennel Club
“labradors are easier to train than flatcoats and that was enough to make them the number one retriever”
competitions and trials. Sprockers aren’t a designer cross-breed like a Labradoodle or cockerpoo — they are a pure spaniel and a good one should combine the attributes of both its parent breeds. Springers and cockers have a common ancestry, so the sprocker is simply turning the clock back 110 years.
Unacceptable HPR
When the German shorthaired pointer (GSP) first became established in this country 60 years ago, there were many who thought that it would eventually become the country’s number one gundog, as it was a breed that could do everything that a Labrador or spaniel could do and point as well. However, Britain’s shooting community is nothing if not conservative and for many years it was about as acceptable to turn up at a smart driven shoot with a GSP as an over-and-under shotgun. That may have changed, but there are still many shoots where you will never see an HPR of any sort, even a GSP.
Though the GSP may still be Britain’s favourite shooting HPR, it might not be for much longer. The last HPR championship was won by a Hungarian wirehaired vizsla, the previous one by a German longhaired pointer (GLP), so the days of GSP domination seem to be over. The GLP remains something of an enigma. Arguably the most elegant of the German pointers, the breed’s success in UK field trials has been considerable, despite relatively few dogs competing. However, it remains a rarity in the shooting field. Last year just 23 puppies were registered here, compared with 682 Hungarian wire hairs and 1,485 GSPS.
Anyone who wants a dog that is distinctly different has plenty of choice. I haven’t encountered many Spanish water dogs, but those I have seen impressed me with their working ability. If you fancy a cocker-sized gundog but not a spaniel, this Spanish breed is a real alternative.
It is a rarity — 70 puppies were registered last year — but it is an energetic dog with drive. Sadly, those are attributes that some of our native rare-breed spaniels lack. I’ve always been a keen supporter of the minor breeds, but they are the equivalent of the classic car: interesting, often good-looking but frequently difficult to get them to work properly.
The Labrador may be slipping from its number one slot as Britain’s favourite pet breed, but I can’t see it losing its popularity in the shooting field. If I was looking for an alternative I’d opt for a golden retriever. They are beautiful dogs with great ability, but that wonderful golden coat does trap the dirt — a Lab is much lower maintenance. Arguably the most underrated of all the gundogs we have in the UK is the Brittany. It is the top dog with French chasseurs, but has never really caught on over here. Shame, as they are entertaining dogs to shoot over.