Is a calamity waiting round every corner?

I sometimes think back over the countless hours I have spent in the countryside with my dogs. Whether it was roost shooting, wildfowling, rough shooting, pigeon decoying, beating, standing on a peg or simply going for a short evening walk, I almost certainly had a dog by my side.

There were remarkably few occasions when the dogs picked up an injury. Indeed, having flicked through some of my diaries, I am now convinced it’s nothing short of a miracle that one of my canine pals didn’t suffer a serious calamity.

Of course, bad luck can always rear its ugly head. Like the time a friend’s dog suffered