John Pryce … writes on …
Last September, when my wife and I visited the Midland Game Fair at Weston Park, our first call was at one of the food stalls for a much needed coffee. The surrounding area was crowded but I spied two empty seats at a table for four. Our companions were a couple with their Springer Spaniel and a very pretty small dog which had a thick, white curly coat. My curiosity was aroused and we were soon engaged in a fascinating conversation concerning the latter.
Lee and his partner, Alison, gave me a rundown on the origins of this unusual gundog of which I was in total ignorance. The Lagotto breed was first introduced to the UK around 1996 from the Comacchio marshes region of Ravenna, Italy, where for centuries its prime role has been that of a hunting dog, retrieving duck from the water. For the last century though, it has been used for finding truffles but those age old instincts are still very much alive.
As it transpired fate had decreed that this should be my lucky day. My own Springer is due for retirement but she will not tolerate another dog in the house on a permanent basis. This has certainly posed me a problem over the last year or so and I have had to rely upon friends with gundogs joining me to shoot. Now another door was opening but far be it for me to take advantage of chance acquaintances. It has to work both ways.
Alison and Lee go picking-up with their dogs and given the opportunity, they also shoot. Mostly their shooting is confined to clays so I had something to offer them in return for working their dogs for myself. So an arrangement was made and an outing was booked for them on my own shoot.
On the first occasion, however, Lee had a prior engagement so Alison insisted on working the dogs for my friend, Kevin, and me. She opted not to bring her gun, instead concentrating on her dogs.
Fate smiled on me again with a dry, sunny day. I had worked out a plan of action the night before as we needed an organised approach if the dogs were to be given an opportunity to work to their full potential. My steep land is dissected by four parallel rides through dense scrubland so Kevin walked the lower rides, while Alison and I concentrated upon the upper ones. In effect this was a means whereby any birds would be driven with myself as a ‘back’ Gun.
At the outset Kevin bagged a hen pheasant and then we found that the woodcock had arrived. Eight or nine were flushed by the dogs in quick succession but none gave a clear shooting opportunity. Future planning would involve a forward Gun. Our new arrangement was in its infancy but was certainly a challenge. Today was an experiment.
‘Holly’, the Springer, was tireless and knew exactly what was expected of her, responding to Alison’s hand signals and the whistle. Likewise ‘Lexie’ was a classic example of her traditional breed, systematically scenting every tussock of grass on the rides and the undergrowth which lined them. Both dogs were different in their mode of hunting but compatible with each other. It was teamwork. For myself it was certainly a new experience.
After a welcome break towards the end of the afternoon we embarked upon a duck flight. The duck had been somewhat disappointing in recent weeks which I attributed to the excessive October rainfall that had provided them with wetland and an abundance of dabbing in areas where otherwise it would not have existed.
However, the Lagotto’s retrieve was the highlight of our day, a teal which fluttered down into the wide, reed fringed drainage ditch beyond the pool. After five or 10 minutes waiting I had almost given up hope but ‘Lexie’ certainly had not. Another lesson was brought home to me, always leave it to the dog because it knows better than you.
I was impressed by the Lagotto’s persistence, her methodical exploration of both banks of that reed-choked waterway as she worked her way downstream. Suddenly she froze then leaped into the dense rushes, emerging with a very lively teal in her mouth.
Dogs play a vital role in rough shooting and both ‘Holly’ and ‘Lexie’ had excelled themselves.
It was now up to me to reorganise our approach to future forays in order to come to terms with both woodcock and pheasant. I can heartily recommend the Lagotto and I have every confidence that one day it will be a regular on both rough and driven shoots.
Kindly reproduced from Countryman's Weekly.
Last September, when my wife and I visited the Midland Game Fair at Weston Park, our first call was at one of the food stalls for a much needed coffee. The surrounding area was crowded but I spied two empty seats at a table for four. Our companions were a couple with their Springer Spaniel and a very pretty small dog which had a thick, white curly coat. My curiosity was aroused and we were soon engaged in a fascinating conversation concerning the latter.
Lee and his partner, Alison, gave me a rundown on the origins of this unusual gundog of which I was in total ignorance. The Lagotto breed was first introduced to the UK around 1996 from the Comacchio marshes region of Ravenna, Italy, where for centuries its prime role has been that of a hunting dog, retrieving duck from the water. For the last century though, it has been used for finding truffles but those age old instincts are still very much alive.
As it transpired fate had decreed that this should be my lucky day. My own Springer is due for retirement but she will not tolerate another dog in the house on a permanent basis. This has certainly posed me a problem over the last year or so and I have had to rely upon friends with gundogs joining me to shoot. Now another door was opening but far be it for me to take advantage of chance acquaintances. It has to work both ways.
Alison and Lee go picking-up with their dogs and given the opportunity, they also shoot. Mostly their shooting is confined to clays so I had something to offer them in return for working their dogs for myself. So an arrangement was made and an outing was booked for them on my own shoot.
On the first occasion, however, Lee had a prior engagement so Alison insisted on working the dogs for my friend, Kevin, and me. She opted not to bring her gun, instead concentrating on her dogs.
Fate smiled on me again with a dry, sunny day. I had worked out a plan of action the night before as we needed an organised approach if the dogs were to be given an opportunity to work to their full potential. My steep land is dissected by four parallel rides through dense scrubland so Kevin walked the lower rides, while Alison and I concentrated upon the upper ones. In effect this was a means whereby any birds would be driven with myself as a ‘back’ Gun.
At the outset Kevin bagged a hen pheasant and then we found that the woodcock had arrived. Eight or nine were flushed by the dogs in quick succession but none gave a clear shooting opportunity. Future planning would involve a forward Gun. Our new arrangement was in its infancy but was certainly a challenge. Today was an experiment.
‘Holly’, the Springer, was tireless and knew exactly what was expected of her, responding to Alison’s hand signals and the whistle. Likewise ‘Lexie’ was a classic example of her traditional breed, systematically scenting every tussock of grass on the rides and the undergrowth which lined them. Both dogs were different in their mode of hunting but compatible with each other. It was teamwork. For myself it was certainly a new experience.
After a welcome break towards the end of the afternoon we embarked upon a duck flight. The duck had been somewhat disappointing in recent weeks which I attributed to the excessive October rainfall that had provided them with wetland and an abundance of dabbing in areas where otherwise it would not have existed.
However, the Lagotto’s retrieve was the highlight of our day, a teal which fluttered down into the wide, reed fringed drainage ditch beyond the pool. After five or 10 minutes waiting I had almost given up hope but ‘Lexie’ certainly had not. Another lesson was brought home to me, always leave it to the dog because it knows better than you.
I was impressed by the Lagotto’s persistence, her methodical exploration of both banks of that reed-choked waterway as she worked her way downstream. Suddenly she froze then leaped into the dense rushes, emerging with a very lively teal in her mouth.
Dogs play a vital role in rough shooting and both ‘Holly’ and ‘Lexie’ had excelled themselves.
It was now up to me to reorganise our approach to future forays in order to come to terms with both woodcock and pheasant. I can heartily recommend the Lagotto and I have every confidence that one day it will be a regular on both rough and driven shoots.
Kindly reproduced from Countryman's Weekly.