Many gundog owners will source a new addition to their household as a puppy. As is the case with other stock such as horses and cattle, lineage and pedigree are important in dogs. But is there another route of entry for potential working dogs who may have had a less illustrious start in life?
Every year in the UK, more than 100,000 dogs end up in rescue or rehoming shelters. Sadly, abandonment is not a new problem, but it is one that is increasing in its intensity and severity. The predicted tidal wave of dogs being given up post-pandemic seems to be coming to fruition.
In addition to statistics, anecdotal evidence demonstrating the need for good homes for a diverse population of dogs, is everywhere. Social media is awash with content from rescue and rehoming charities looking to raise awareness and connect dogs with their future families.
Within the array of those being relinquished are many who have the potential to find a new life as a working gundog. In a recent survey of the number of dogs abandoned each year, Labradors ranked number six on the list, with spaniels of all varieties coming in at number 14.
A second chance gundog is not a new concept for some, however if it’s something that has never occurred to you, let me give you an example.
When I was a teenager, my dad, who always had a number of dogs (some working, some of the more ornamental variety, but all much loved) saw an advert from a rehoming centre in London for a number of springer spaniels in need of new homes.
Having passed the charity’s checks of the time, Dad made the journey to the centre, and brought home with him an 18-month-old liver and white spaniel called Jim. Jim (renamed Bramble) had lived his existence thus far in a high-rise block of flats near Battersea, before being abandoned.
For the first six months of his new life in the countryside, he was a handful. He’d clearly never known so much space and to run and run was the sole purpose of his every day. Gradually, he became accustomed the fact that the space wasn’t going anywhere, and he could calm a little, which in turn allowed him to respond to training. Defying all odds, Bramble became an exceptional asset to the picking-up team and lived out a happy and fulfilled working life.