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2 weeks ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
With his friend's labrador and Land Rover getting on in years, David Tomlinson asks, why not replace both with a hybrid? Retrievers don’t have to be labradors. The flatcoat was the Downton Abbey gundog and Edwardian gentleman’s favourite retriever. Every 10 years for the past four decades a friend has bought a new Land Rover Defender and a labrador puppy to go with it.
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2 weeks ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
Where should you get your next puppy from? Think before you breed your own advises David Tomlinson TAGS: breedinggundog puppies It’s a conversation anyone who has travelled in a gun bus will be familiar with. “That’s a nice-looking bitch you’ve got there. Are you planning to breed from her?”“Funny you should ask.
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3 weeks ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
Many foods are toxic to canines, and most owners know to avoid feeding them to their dogs. But when accidents inevitably happen, common sense is key, says David Tomlinson As a general rule, dogs are pretty robust and can eat most things in moderation without any issues. However, the list of foods that are toxic or poisonous to dogs is a long one.
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3 weeks ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
Unlike its wirehaired and shorthaired cousins, the longhair pointer is a newcomer to the UK. The first to be introduced to England was a puppy called Freya of Melissant who was born here in quarantine in 1994 Is it a setter or is it some kind of spaniel? This is a question that owners of German longhaired pointers (GLPs) are used to, for in this country the longhair is the least known of the German gundog breeds.
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1 month ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
With its cryptic plumage, striking beak and curious drumming behaviour, the snipe is a fascinating bird that has captivated sportsmen for generations Bel Chapman’s summing up of the snipe is hard to better: ‘The most shifty and capricious of all gamebirds – here today, gone tomorrow,’ he noted in his book Bird-Life of the Borders.
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2 months ago | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
The flatcoat's tragic susceptibility to disease must be addressed, warns David Tomlinson Always the Edwardian country gentleman’s companion, these days the flatcoated retriever still has its fans, although its popularity has been eclipsed by the labrador. (Read: Flatcoated retrievers – the Edwardian gun’s choice.)However the breed’s fatal flaw is its susceptibility to cancer.
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Jan 28, 2025 | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
Does introducing a puppy to your one-canine household put the older dog’s nose out of joint? David Tomlinson advises on how to introduce a puppy Ensuring a new recruit is welcomed by long-standing residents can be a tricky business. So how do you go about introducing a puppy to an older dog? (Read: When to buy a gundog puppy.)How to introduce a puppyIt was a question from a Field reader that has inspired this query.
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Jan 9, 2025 | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
Guests arriving with uninvited canine friends in tow can be the stuff of nightmares for hosts, so be sure to check that an offer to stay also extends to your dog, says David Tomlinson Many years ago an old friend suggested that my wife and I might like to stay with him in his house in Devon during a brief visit to the West Country.
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Dec 30, 2024 | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
The health benefits of raw dog food make it an obvious choice for David Tomlinson but whatever you decide to feed your dogs, he believes quality should always come first Dogs are remarkable animals: they will live, and even thrive, on the most unlikely of diets. Vegetarian food for dogs has been around for years and now vegan food is gaining in popularity (although not, I suspect, among readers of The Field).
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Dec 16, 2024 | 
thefield.co.uk | David Tomlinson
With a little effort and for minimal cost, we can all have more wildlife in our countryside and towns, says David Tomlinson Rare plants, exotic trees, stunning sculptures – money can purchase all these things but it can’t buy wildlife. This is what makes creating your own private nature reserve so special. You don’t need a fortune to do it, nor do you require countless acres. What you do need is land (even a half acre will do) and determination.
