My Love for Dogs

Crufts 1991. The overall Best in Show winner was Sh Ch Raycrofts Socialite, a clumber spaniel. My father was a big fan of the Clumber and was probably the only gundog he ever really wanted to own. Having carried around the Observer Book of Dogs for as many years as the ‘book’ would hold itself together, my love for dogs was clear. My first dog, Carousel Magician aka Ben, was a golden cocker spaniel. The result of years of hounding my parents to bring a dog into the family. I grew up around dogs of all shapes and sizes and was in my formative years, actually scared of the very animal that would go on to shape my life. My parents say it was ironically the result of a black Labrador, running at me whilst sat in my pushchair that resulted in a rather a deep fear of the canine.

As that fear switched to intrigue and mild obsession, I studied each and every breed I could lay my hands on. I was fortunate enough to grow up around German Shepherds, working Sheepdogs, terriers and my first introduction to working Springer Spaniels with our family friend, ‘Mike’. Mac was a fully trained springer spaniel owned by ‘Mike’ who would sit up when told. We would go into the house and I’d look through the kitchen window to see Mac sitting up (alongside his 3 other pack members who were just as good) waiting for Mike to come out and issue the next command. I was hooked. Mac would go left, right, back, stop, hunt, hanging on Mike’s every word. My parents would eat dinner with Mike and his wife and I’d watch old gundog training videos in the sitting room, wood burner roaring, surrounded by paintings of the country sports so many of us love and enjoy. The videos I now know to be the instruction videos filmed with the legendary Edward Martin of Sealpin Gundogs. Edward is from the Scottish Borders and was a big influence on me when I was young, even though I’ve never actually met him.

Ben, my beloved golden cocker, lived until 17 and was a huge challenge throughout his life. He did however teach me an immense amount.

Fast forward to a broken hand playing a charity golf tournament for a friend and the search for an alternative career was at the forefront of my mind. Having left University, I knew two things. Golf, and dogs. I started providing dog walking services to the people of Cardiff. My first challenge, a retired greyhound. The owner struggled immensely with putting on the muzzle before ‘walkies’ which then culminated in a half an hour long drag across the rugby fields of Llandaff. My somewhat strange ability to speak ‘dog’ came to the fore and the dog appeared to be fixed, much to the owners’ surprise. The muzzle went on, we opened the front door of this terraced house in Pontcanna, Cardiff and we simply strolled down the street. I didn’t know how I’d done it. I just did it……………

A basset hound rescued from a working pack, a show bred golden retriever (who apparently “would never work” but went like an absolute rocket!!), several black Labradors, a Golden Retriever the size of a horse and we come to Brewster. Brewster was an immaculately bred working cocker spaniel, owned by my now Brother in Law. Brewster had been sent away to be trained whilst my brother in law was in the army. Several years later having plied his trade on local family shoots as well as the odd trip to some of the finest Scottish Estates, Brewster and I started what was to be the most amazing working relationship I could have ever imagined.

Brewster was 5 when we got together and at 6 years of age, once we had worked each other out, he was the oldest dog in the field of his first, ever working test. 39 dogs in the field full of 18 month old nutters, ready to blast the cover, and the field, to smithereens. The boy sailed through his two runs under two separate judges and I was smiling from ear to ear. Much to my surprise, Brewster was beaten only by two young springers who went on to become Field Trial Champions and the three dogs were light years ahead of the rest of the field.

The following years were spent picking up on shoots across Monmouthshire, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire. He was legendary and loved everywhere he went. There is a video of Brewster picking a pheasant on one of Herefordshire’s most prestigious Estates across a ravine having had 6 dogs fail before him. The Head Gamekeeper and Land Owner stood in stark amazement. They could not believe what they were seeing.

As Brewster started to show his ageing years, we added Morgies Missy aka Martha to the family. Martha has proven to be an absolute star and has given me the opportunity to run for Wales both at Home International events as well as at the prestigious Skinners World Cup, running against countries from all over the world. Martha has taught me so much and we are very lucky to now have her offspring at home with us. Martha has the drive and style of a top class athlete yet at home is the most gentile and loving of animals. Martha spends just as much time on the sofa next to me as she does in her kennel. A true companion and a bond I could only have dreamt of. A dog in a million.

The pack has continued to grow as have we and our approach to training remains resolutely focused on positive, reward based learning.

My love of dogs has taken me to places I could only have dreamed of and my passion to help people to realise the potential they have on the end of the lead is stronger than ever.