From setters and spaniels to terriers and labs, dogs have played a crucial part in rural living for millenia. In this latest bookazine from the makers of Country Life we meet the iconic breeds that have become the right-hand hounds of breeders, owners, shooters and keepers up and down the length of Britain and find out what makes each kind so special.
Welcome to COUNTRY LIFE DOGS
Country Life: Dogs
The march of the tartan terriers • Scotland boasts five famously distinctive terrier breeds, all loyal, intelligent and amusing. Kate Green celebrates their heritage and appealing characters
It ain’t nothing but a wolfhound • Mythical and magnificent, yet gentle and intensely loyal, the Irish wolfhound can only be described in superlatives, finds Flora Watkins
Dances with wolves…
‘Such smashing little dogs’ • They’re not as well known as their Pembroke cousins that are so beloved by The Queen, but Cardigan Welsh corgis are small dogs with a big attitude, finds Matthew Dennison
Corking corgis
Sweet like chocolate • Never judge a book by its cover–or a labrador by its chocolate coat, especially now they are no longer reviled in the shooting field, says Katy Birchall
Major moments in the history of labrador breeding
A whiter shade of pale
EXPLORE BRITAIN’S MOST BEAUTIFUL GEORGIAN BUILDINGS • From the late English Baroque to the opulence of the Regency, explore some of the most beautiful buildings of the long 18th century through the discerning lens of the Country Life archive
Hopelessly devoted to you • Capable of feeling jealousy and grief, as well as the love and adoration we’ve basked in for centuries, the dog is a creature like no other for John Lewis-Stempel
Paws for thought • Your four-legged friend deserves to step out in style, says Hetty Lintell
Take me to Neverland • Intelligent, devoted and adept at working all country, the flatcoated retriever is the Peter Pan of the dog world with a tail that never stops wagging, discovers Matthew Dennison
Going flat out
Buying a dog? Buy British • Many of our most charming native dogs are now endangered, overtaken by ‘celebrity’ breeds, but they’re as much a part of our culture as Dickens and Stubbs, says Matthew Dennison
Dogs that need saving: registrations with the KC in 2017
How the terrier took over Britain • Most owners would agree that life with a terrier is a life enriched, thanks to their fierce loyalty, big personalities and reckless dedication to chasing things. Kate Green explains how this sporting dog diversified all over Britain
KC Terrier Group puppy registrations in 2013
EXPLORE THE STUNNING LANDSCAPES THAT MAKE BRITAIN BEAUTIFUL • A small nation of many islands, Britain boasts a vast array of natural features. Join COUNTRY LIFE on a journey through the United Kingdom’s most showstopping scenery, from the Scottish mountains to the South Downs.
Fancy is as fancy does • Originally known as ‘pudels’ or ‘puddles’, curly coated standard poodles were first bred in Germany to retrieve game from water and, as Matthew Dennison discovers, some still cut a typically stylish dash in the field
All shapes and sizes
Meet Pici, Britain’s naughtiest dog • Sociable, sun-loving and incredibly patient with children, this innocent-looking Jack Russell actually enjoys a secret life of crime. Victoria Marston finds out more and introduces the runners-up
Back to obedience school: the runners-up • There’s no denying that COUNTRY LIFE readers’ dogs are a cheeky bunch. Here are the best (or worst) of the rest
Best escape artist
Best consumer
Best thief
Most embarrassing
Most destructive
Works a treat
The love of a tyke for his master • Defining...
