Mrs Down's Diary - Jan 27

The mouse has gone too that was tap dancing under the floor. But it was not a mouse. It was mice.

Five of them.

And shooting is back on again. After the temporary reprieve for game, John has been out with his friends except now he not only takes our spaniel Holly, but also Pip, the young Labrador we bought in June.

Pip is turning out to be a natural gun dog. John has invested a lot of time and love in her.

Unlike any other dogs we have had, Pip sleeps in every night, spends hours in with us and is in fact, thoroughly spoiled.

All of which is not recommended training procedure for a gun dog.

Nor have we ever done this before; but somehow this dog is taking dreadful advantage of our good natures.

In fact John is softening his whole approach to our dogs.

Now Nell, the sheepdog and Holly, both sleep under pig lamps and their outside kennel runs are piled high around with straw bales.

No wonder they shoot into their kennels at the first opportunity.

Not that Pip has not taken tremendous advantage of us. And her wonderful nose.

She can smell out food wherever it is. So far a goose carcass, garlic bread, panful of sausages (hot), couple of bacon sandwiches put out for John's breakfast and tin of roast potatoes have fallen prey to her appetite since Christmas.

I think I have put everything out of her reach, but always forget one thing.

But her amazing sense of smell is leading her to find game out on the field with consummate ease.

Every day John takes her out and hides objects and game when they go for a walk.

She finds everything. And now, when John has taken her on a shoot, at a much earlier age than he has taken any other dog, she is behaving very well.

Picking up and bringing game straight back to him. His friends are being generous and allowing Pip to pick up game that other dogs should really be going for.

Pip did get above herself once though and took a pheasant off an 'alpha female' gundog. Who soon put her straight.

Tonight however our potential champion gundog is fast asleep.

On John's lap. He is laid on the floor and she is laid across him. Spoilt? Ruined?

I should say so. She gets more attention than I do.

We are going away for a night or two at the end of the week to shoot at a friend's in Shropshire, and we are taking Pip with us.

I have borrowed a cage for the back of the car as Pip has already chewed all the wiring in the Land Rover and, love her though I do, not enough to let her make a meal of my car.