Haberfeld Heinrich                                 and              Haberfeld Peony

At the beginning of 2016 I was looking to buy a puppy and get back into dogs as a hobby.

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I had always admired the continental pointers (in the UK known as hunt, point retrievers - hprs), and I had a love of spinones and German wire-haired pointers because of the beard and eyebrows (like the wire-haired dachshunds), however they were too large for our household at that time.  I was watching the television coverage of Crufts 2016 and Frank Kane announced the brittany as the "smallest of the hpr breeds".

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I did some more research and thought that the brittany sounded like a good option for my ambitions.  At the time I wasn't sure about what we wanted to do (gundog training or agility, I didn't think we'd show) but the brittany sounded like it would make a good active companion, trainable and with a low risk of health issues.

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Our early months with the breed weren't easy - brittanies do not make an easy first gundog.  We started by going to a purely positive trainer, who had no tactics with how to cope and adapt training to his breed-specific traits (they said to wait for him to look at me.... a pointer!).  In the end they recommended we go to a more balanced trainer - Huw Jones of Ffynongain gundogs.

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Huw taught us so much about handling and training gundogs, and helped cement my passion for competing with gundogs to a high standard - one that can rival a labrador in retrieving, while not compromising on game finding ability and natural pace and style.  With his help Berwyn and I were able to compete in gundog working tests, pointing tests and field trials, and gain his working gundog certificate and qualify for the 2019 BASC working gundog classes at Crufts (where Ber won his class) from beating and working on Huw's shoot.

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In 2018 I got my shotgun licence and joined the Carmarthenshire Wildfowlers Association, so I could fulfil my ambition of shooting over my own dog.  Being out on the marsh was a passion of mine from training the brittanies on snipe - a bird which is a true test of their hunting and scenting abilities.  Having joined the wildfowlers there is nothing like seeing the marsh birdlife so close at the sunrise and sunset.  Even on blank days where we don't shoot anything it is a magical experience. 

 

From wildfowling I wanted a retriever - a dog a bit bigger and stronger that was better suited to the strong tides, so when my family wanted to get a large dog we agreed that a curly coated retriever would suit all of us.  Duke is our first curly coated retriever and is a joy to own and fits out dual purpose aims, being a good show dog and a keen working dog, demonstrating the curly coated retriever renowned persistence when it comes to working on game.

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I am keen to support organisations that have the same goals that I do for maintaining dual purpose breeds, and for encouraging new people into the working and showing sides of dog ownership.  I have been a member of the Brittany Club of Great Britain since acquiring Ber and have served on the committee since 2018, acting as the area representative for South West Wales.  We regularly participate in organising and hosting shows and working events, and with the club have attended The Game Fair in the gundog breeds tent since 2016. 

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We are also members of the Curly Coated Retriever Club, The Working Minority Retriever Club, The United Retriever Club and the Adult Handling Association, as well as a number of local dog showing and gundog clubs.​

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I want to continue to develop as a handler and trainer, both in the show ring and especially in the field. 

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My long-term ambitions are to train and handle gundogs to an elite competitive level and to build up a winning dual purpose stud dog line in both of my current breeds.