Shooting Times & Country Magazine
A REGULATION TOO FAR?
A site advertising pedigrees has very stringent rules
There was a time, not so long ago, when the back pages of Shooting Times were filled with classified advertisements for gundogs. also be a problem: if a wide-ranging pointer locks on to a covey in dead ground where it can’t be seen, it can take a long time to find it.
Modern technology plays a vital role here, as an electronic collar will tell you what your dog is doing, bleeping every few seconds when it is running, then changing to an automatic double bleep when the dog is on point. Telemetry, as used with hawks and falcons, can also help the handler locate a lost dog and can be an invaluable tool on certain ground.
Continental breeds
Traditionally, English pointers and setters have been favoured for work on the grouse moors, but continental pointing breeds can be as effective.
They tend to work closer to their handler than our native breeds; they may not be as spectacular to watch, but the fact that they do not range so far means that there’s usually less distance to walk to the point, something that many Guns appreciate. I have also heard it argued that on moors with dense populations of grouse, an HPR is a better bet than a setter or pointer, as with so many birds you don’t need a wide-ranging dog.
In recent years, the internet has replaced the classified ad as the standard way to sell puppies and there are numerous sites that help you do so. One of these is Champdogs. As its name suggests, this is a website that specialises in pedigree dogs and its extensive list of rules for would-be advertisers emphasises the fact that it promotes responsible dog breeding. For a relatively modest fee of £44.95 a year, Champdog members can “create and maintain their own web presence quickly and easily”.
The terms and conditions of membership are long and strict. For example, “Champdogs considers the current Kennel Club age limit of 12 months far too young for a bitch to be bred from. We apply a minimum age limit at the date of whelping of 18 months for toy breeds and 24 months for all other breeds unless the relevant national breed club stipulates a different age.” Commendably, Champdogs expects all breeders “to adhere to the relevant breed society/ club ethics” and also expects “all the
HPRS also have one great advantage over our native breeds, as they will also retrieve the shot birds. I recall Roy Bebbington, a Hungarian wirehaired vizsla enthusiast who works his dog on grouse, telling me he insists on his dogs having a retrieve after their first hunt and point, as their reward for the work they have done. Traditionally, pointers and appropriate health checks for their breed to be performed”.
I was also impressed to note that “breeders must set the price of a puppy at a level which fairly reflects the time spent and costs incurred in raising the litter. We will remove any breeder who seeks to profiteer by charging an inflated price for any reason.” I wonder how many breeders were removed for profiteering during the lockdown boom in puppy prices?
However, there’s no chance of finding a sprocker or labradoodle on Champdogs, as “no dog or bitch owned by any member shall be mated with any other breed or with unregistered stock. Breeders found to carry out this practice will be removed.” A friend who planned to advertise her litter of German shepherd dogs with Champdogs wasn’t allowed to do so because she was known to be a breeder of sprockers, so it’s no idle threat. It seems extreme to me, but she did get her money back. setters were never asked to retrieve, as it was thought it might make them unsteady, but in recent years there’s been a growing trend for these dogs to be trained to retrieve. Most do so with enthusiasm. If your pointer or setter is an effective retriever, there’s no reason to also bring out a labrador or spaniel, unless, of course, you have one that would enjoy the outing.