Gundog Group

Gundogs are descended from the hunting dogs of the Middle Ages. The ancestors of these breeds are, with one exception, of European origin. During the past two centuries selective breeding has improved the various breeds, producing the quality gundogs of today. This group is divided into four categories: pointers and setters; spaniels; retrievers; and the hunt, point and retrieve breeds. Pointers were evolved in southern Europe – Spain, France and Italy – and have been in existence for many centuries. In the latter part of the eighteenth century the English Pointer – which is of Spanish extraction – was developed for speed and endurance by introducing strains from the Foxhound and later the Greyhound. Hunting of large animals had virtually ceased and, with the improvement of firearms, a smaller, faster dog was required for this new style of hunting. Setters or setting dogs – said to be of spaniel origin – were developed down the centuries and eventually recognised in their own right as three distinct breeds: the English, Irish and Gordon. In the fifteenth century ancestors of these dogs – setting spaniels – were used to locate game birds so that they could be taken with a movable net or by the falcon. Today's setters are superb gundogs which will find game by pointing or setting, flush on command and, in some cases, retrieve as they used to do over a hundred years ago. Records show that spaniels have been existence since Norman times and that they originated in Spain except for the Clumber. Snaring and netting were the methods originally used for procuring game for the table. Snaring took place without the assistance of man or dog. Netting, however, required the aid of a small hunting dog and the spaniel was ideal for this task. The scenting power of these dogs was used to find game, which they would drive towards specially placed nets. Until the beginning of the nineteenth century spaniels were of no distinct type. Breeders then began to see the merits of the different types and began to specialise. The larger Springer, used to spring game, and the smaller Cocker – which worked woodcock – were the first breeds to emerge. Later came the Welsh Cocker (known today as the Welsh Springer), the Field and Sussex Spaniels and the Irish Water Spaniel. All these types were the forerunners of the present day spaniels. A recent arrival in Britain is the Dutch spaniel the Kooikerhondje. An attractive breed, which has for hundreds of years been used by duck hunters in Holland as a decoy dog. Retrievers were evolved through cross-breeding. In the nineteenth century the invention of the percussion shotgun and later of the breech-loading gun necessitated the development of a different type of sporting dog which could retrieve game out of sight of the gun. The earliest of these retrievers – the Curly-coated Retriever – originated in the British Isles, as did the Flat-coated Retriever and the Golden Retriever. The Labrador Retriever originated in Newfoundland but was developed as a gundog in Britain; while the Chesapeake Bay Retriever whose forebears were from British stock was evolved in the United States. A recent import to the British Isles is the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever from Canada. It is used as a decoy dog and to retrieve wildfowl. The hunt, point and retrieve breeds were bred to combine a number of qualities in one dog, namely: tracking, finding, scenting, pointing and retrieving. These competent breeds originated in continental Europe and include the Brittany from France, the German Short-haired Pointer, the Weimaraner and the Large Munsterlander from Germany, the Vizsla from Hungary and the Italian Spinone. The best known of these breeds in the British Isles is probably the Weimaraner. Throughout the twentieth century certain gundog breeds have been used in roles other than field work. Retrievers are particularly successful at search and rescue work, drug detection and working with the disabled. The British Search and Rescue Dog Association (SARDA) was founded in 1965. A number of different breeds have been trained for this work including Labradors. They operate in difficult conditions in the mountainous regions of the Lake District, Scotland and Wales. Military, police and customs dogs – which include spaniels, Labradors and Golden Retrievers – work at airports, docks and with vehicles locating illegal drugs and explosives. Dogs are known to have been employed for the benefit of the disabled since the First World War. The first guide dogs for the blind were trained in Germany and in 1934 the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association was founded in Great Britain. Over the years a number of breeds have been used for this work, but nowadays the majority are retriever breeds – the Labrador Retriever, the Golden Retriever and a Labrador/Retriever cross. In 1988 Dogs for the Disabled was registered in the United Kingdom as a charity. Again, mainly retriever breeds were chosen and trained to assist people with various disabilities, especially those confined to wheelchairs. Pro Dogs is a United Kingdom charity, founded in 1976, from which Pets as Therapy has developed. A number of gundog breeds are successfully used for this work – English Setters, Golden Retrievers, Labradors and Spaniels. These dogs with their handlers visit hospitals, hospices and old peoples' homes regularly to give comfort and companionship. All gundogs are active, energetic working animals, whether trained for sporting activities or other duties. They are seldom happier than when trained to carry out these tasks; not only are they able to use their capabilities to the full, but in return they receive the human companionship which they so desire. Rosamund Walters.