I started with gundogs over twenty-five years ago, not training them professionally but taking a general interest in dogs. My first dog was a Springer spaniel dog (Jed) an ‘utter nutter’ he lived until he was eight years old.

My next dog was a black Labrador bitch, which I won a puppy and novice test with. I was also training a young lab dog at the same time. And then the following year took novice and open with him and for the next two years following. Unfortunately I lost my interest in labs when I lost my best dog at that time. After being at a trial at Penrith he drank some water from a trough where rats had been. He died 24 hours later, from what the vet called ‘wheils disease’. The vet said it might not have happened if I had kept him jabbed up to date! This was a lesson to be learnt, as i learnt the hard way.

I had to break from dogs at this point, although not too long. Six months later I bought a spaniel bitch from Scotland, she was by FTCH Kenkew Hardy, she is still around, and a super girl (tiff), now fifteen years old. From Tiff I’ve bred my own lines of spaniels. Only taking her to FTCH’S so as to keep, the best in the pups. I now have anywhere between eight and fifteen dogs at any one time.

They all go training, shooting, beating and all have general fun on a daily basis. The dogs rule my life but its what I enjoy doing, I used to take dogs for residential training, one or two a year. But after having a heart attack at 36, it took me months to recover, however I am now up and running again. Due to my illness I can no longer take on dogs for residential training, and just train for my own uses.