Interviewing Jay Lowry, owner of Ryglen Gundogs at the Dallas Safari Club Convention was not pre-planned. It occurred because 1) I passed by the Ryglen booth multiple times each day and 2) their two English Cocker Spaniels sitting on top of water barrels were beautiful and friendly and I couldn’t keep from petting them.
I probably should have taken the mantra ‘never work on camera with small children or pets’ to heart, but being upstaged by Jay’s beautiful dogs really wasn’t too damaging to my ego.
Because I am always interested in the shooting and hunting applications of any ‘product’, let’s review one of the most frequently asked questions about these UK-Imported English Cocker Spaniels: “What can you hunt with this breed?”
From the Ryglen website:
English Cockers can be used to flush and retrieve most any upland game bird as well as rabbits. Also they would make a great retriever for dove hunters. They could do waterfowl, but only in very mild weather, their coats are not water repellent as a Labrador’s is.
[Video and photos courtesy of Frances Arnold.]
I don’t hunt, but I’d take either one or both as pets and have them spoiled rather quickly.
Beautiful dogs. Thanks for this article and pictures TTAG.
Two Rednecks bought a bird dig and took it hunting, one said to the other one, “Well if he don’t fly this time we will throw him in the air then shoot him.”
“Wwner” in very first line. How much could editor cost you guys?
cool
Nice side business for the full-time dentist. 45 puppies a year at 2,500 a pup, $112,500 gross a year.
Just on the dogs…
If you want to breed animals for a business raise beef or chickens.
Goats are better.
They can range on the nastiest scrub vegetation and *thrive*
A few dozen acres in Texas would set you up…
meat goats ain’t milk goats. superior dairy no doubt. and stewed goat is better than all, save tree rats and coneys.
It is my hillbilly experience that dogs are usually free to acquire. Like Gadsen and Tom, also usually unplanned. I found my current one starving in a ditch in south Baja. Potty trained in 3 days (no errors there ever since), quiet, asks before she does things, and can dance – okay, no hunting skills though.
Gotta’ love dogs. Can’t afford no fancy schmancy designer dog but give me a mixed breed mutt with a friendly disposition and that critter will have a nice soft doggie bed for life.
Also an endless supply of ear scratchies and tummy rubbies 🙂
There are plenty of pure bred hunting dogs available from rescue groups. I have gotten my three coonhounds that way. Two were certainly purebreds and my current one is probably all Walker but might have some extra Black and Tan in him.
Yup, every furry critter I’ve ever owned has come from a local shelter. Best friends ever.
The best dogs I ever had came to me accidentally. I wept when I buried them. Waiting for the next one to walk up the street.
Know just what you mean. It’s been 8 years since I buried my last one. I’m still not quite ready for a new one, but I’m keeping my eyes and ears open.
I am going to openly and shamelessly shill For Ridgeback Rescue of the United States and Canada. Your search engine will get you there. They aren’t for everybody. They can be stubborn and sometimes willful, they are smart dogs that think for themselves. The organization is picky about who the dogs wind up with. Probably a good thing, they can be more dog than most people can handle. But they will repay you with a loyalty not often found in your two legged friends. Let them know where you heard of them.
Beautiful dogs. Wish we had well trained dogs like that when I was a kid chasing rabbits and quail. Would have been more fun.
Hope you will keep on offering good content like this more often. I feel more and more people should know about this. Also, I agree on most of the points you have made.