Celebrating man’s (and woman's) best friend!

Yorkshire Dales Moorland Group

Working dogs play such an integral part in managing and enjoying the moors. We just could not cope without them. From retrievers to pointers, spaniels to terriers, these intrepid characters are not only hard working partners to keepers and shoot staff they are also deeply valued pets and loved family members. These images are a canine collection of some of the dogs used on shoot days, field trials, grouse counting and also as part of predator control tasks.

It is conservatively estimated that on the driven moors of the Yorkshire Dales some 600 to 800 hundred dogs will be employed for the aforementioned duties over the year. When you consider all the other dogs engaged on low ground shoots in the area too the figure is not insignificant.

The ancillary costs associated with caring and looking after our doggy pals is quite breath taking. The food costs, training kit, transport and housing equipment runs into the thousands of pounds and is a large component part of income for our local veterinary establishments, feed merchants and online suppliers.

But costs aside, let us not forget the sheer joy we get from watching working dogs doing what they were bred to do and what they love - working. We call it working but its the least appropriate term. Every working dog on the field or moor is actually playing. They are indulging themselves whether that is seeking out a fallen grouse in the powdery pollen dust of August heather or a grizzled terrier digging into a moss clad stone pile striving to get to the winter stoat within. To watch true bird dogs like pointers and setters jack knifing into a point as their olfactory senses indicate a covey up ahead or to admire a team of diminutive cockers hunting through dense rushes to find a dead pheasant, it is a pleasure to behold.

For all the dog lovers amongst us I hope you enjoy this tiny collection of gundog memories. PS and its National Labrador Day too