A Farmer and His Dog by Adam Henson

Author:Adam Henson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

CHAPTER 9

Have You Thought About Hungarian Wire-haired Vizslas?

AFTER RONNIE DIED, our house felt very empty. Charlie and I both believe that a house needs a dog living in it, but for a few months all we had were the sheepdogs kennelled outside. There was no welcoming snuffle when you came through the back door and nearly tripped over Ronnie on her bed in the passageway. There was no feeling of the comforting, unquestioning, non-judgmental presence of a dog to rush up to you with a wagging tail, delighted to see you even after the worst of days. There is nothing more relaxing than a dog pressing itself against your knee while you absentmindedly stroke its head.

And there was no furry companion for Ella and Alfie, who were nine and five when Ronnie died. I’m a great believer that children thrive when they have a dog to love and be loved by. Of course, Ella had Pearl, but Pearl, despite her tricky start, was a working sheepdog and had always lived outside. We all felt the loss of Ronnie acutely, because the house felt strangely empty.

So there was no question: Bemborough farmhouse needed a dog. We’d also had a couple of break-ins on the farm, and we know that a barking dog is the best protection you can have against thieves, especially as we live in a fairly isolated place. When you go to sleep at night, it’s reassuring to know there is a dog downstairs that will make all the right noises and make sure a burglar thinks twice about trying to get in, but neither Charlie nor I wanted a proper guard dog, like a German shepherd or a Rottweiler. We wanted a dog with a good bark, to alert us if necessary, but we also wanted a gentle family pet, and, for me, the bonus would be if it was also a gundog. So the big question was: which breed of dog should we go for?

I have fond memories of the Labradors I grew up with, but I know how gluttonous they can be, and how it’s always necessary to check there is nothing within their reach that they may decide to devour, which can be tiresome. I also vividly remember the death of Raven after eating rat poison, and I don’t want to experience something like that again.

Of course, after Nita, I’m a fan of springer spaniels, but Charlie is not so keen on them. They can be neurotic and non-stop, which can get irritating in a busy household. I considered German pointers, which are good gundogs, but I was told they are highly strung – like spaniels only with longer legs – so I crossed them off the list. So we faced a blank canvas, with all the many dog breeds – the Kennel Club recognises over 200 – to consider. We discussed it endlessly, and somehow no dog that we came up with completely suited all our needs, or appealed to us. There was a

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