ABOUT STAGSHEAD GUNDOGS
Stagshead gun dogs is a family run business. It started off as a hobby then progressed to what it is now. My father always had springer spaniels and would take them picking up and beating at our local estate called Ugbrook. Ugbrook is a pheasant and duck shoot. Since I was little all I wanted to do was to go with him.
At the age of 11 I started to take more of an interest in beating. I would go with my father every weekend throughout the shooting season. After that I moved on to picking up.I was finally allowed a dog of my own which I trained up to become my very own picker up dog. As the years went on I continued to pick up and was given the privileged role in leading the picker up team here at Ugbrook, which I enjoy very much.
I have three daughters of my own now and again because they were brought up around this environment they also took an interest in the shooting. About 18 years ago we lost our last springer spaniel. Labradors and spaniels, I would say make the best working dogs. So, we decided we would go for a change and went up country to pick our very first black Labrador, she was called Lady.
Six weeks after getting Lady we picked up Pepsi another black Labrador. When they were old enough I trained them up to pick pheasants and ducks up.
We were lucky enough to have been able to move houses to be nearer the estate. Our home now is surrounded by countryside and our local shoot takes place at our home and surrounding areas. Because of the amount of birds being shoot and work in which the dogs were being expelled to I built bigger kennels and bought more Labradors in to help take the strain off the other dogs. Unfortunately, we lost our first labs a few years ago.
We wouldn’t change a thing about the character of a Labradors. They have a lovely temperament, soft, intelligent and have been excellent around our children, now the grandchildren. Because of my passion for these dogs I went into breeding Labradors. I also offer the opportunity to stud our dogs out.
Both our stud dogs and breeding bitches have undergone some health tests. It has taken me a while to get where I am today, but because of the dedication and hard work I’ve put in, I am now a licensed breeder and continue my hobby along with my wife, daughters and grandchildren.