IF you want something done right, do it yourself’—so the saying goes, but I don’t suppose whoever first espoused this (especially if it was Napoleon) ever took it upon themselves to train a gundog. We’ve all been there: it’s the first drive on the opening day of the season and your young, over-zealous dog has—yet again—developed selective hearing and disappeared into the distance, leaving you with a hoarse throat and flushed cheeks, as you reflect glumly on all the hours, blood, sweat and tears that you’ve put in to training him since he was a puppy.
This all-too-familiar scenario is why, for many, buying an older, pre-trained gundog from a respected trainer and breeder is an appealing alternative. An experienced professional not only saves house-training and socialising a puppy, they can also provide a dog that works to a high standard in the field and fits happily into family life.
‘I produce dogs that I like to call the “AGA dog”, the ultimate family companion,’ states award-winning trainer and
