Jim Wotherspoon, BASC senior coach, fieldsports consultant and gundog lover living in Fife

I don’t believe in life after death for us humans, so there’s definitely no “happy ever afters” where dogs are concerned. The only “soles” they possess are at all four corners with a fifth tucked neatly under their tail at the back.

Who knows? I might be proved wrong and there might be an afterlife complete with faithful hounds. If this were the case it would be good to catch up with them again.

But I’m not a believer and I can’t see it happening.

What I do know is that we should enjoy every moment of their time with us here because once they’ve gone, they’ve gone for good. End of story.