Working Springers & Cockers is divided into three sections:

• A modern day training manual that focusses extensively on the psycological aspects of training with particular emphasis on communication. Attention is drawn to the pitfalls that most trainers are likely to encounter and methods that can be adopted to prevent or correct them. A chapter is devoted to the early days of introducing the young spaniel to the shooting field and the signs to watch out for when he may be deciding that he wants to forget his training and do the things that he enjoys.
• A pen sketch of 22 successful field trial personalities, listing their successful dogs, various anecdotes and their answer to various training questions.
• A list of all English Springer and Cocker Spaniels that have achieved the title of F.T.Ch. since trials began at the end of the 1800's. The list is supplemented with statistical analysis of successful sires and dams, together with successful blood lines.

Working Springers & Cockers also contains over 100 photograghs of successful dogs and personalities of the field trial world. The photos of many of the dogs contained in most modern pedigrees are present. Some of the photographs date back to the 1930's showing some of the very influential O'Vara springers that figure in most working pedigrees worldwide.

The Shooting Gazette, the UK's leading field sports monthly says:

"The definitive book on Spaniels? The new book by this A panel spaniel judge is essential reading for anyone who has a love for the working spaniel, either the English Springer or the Cocker. It applies equally to anyone who is about to purchase their first spaniel or to those who have dogs. For those who already own spaniels, Mike Smith offers an abundance of information for the shooter, the working test competitor, the field trialler and the pet owner who is content to discover more of their dog's ancestry as well as picking-up a few tips on training their dog".

The late Keith Erlandson, one of the UK's acknowledged spaniel experts said:

"........It will be of particular interest to persons who participate in spaniel field trials as it is heavily loaded in this direction and contains a compilation of the views of 22 individual successful spaniel handlers. The book also contains the most comprehensive and up to date lists of Cocker and English Springer Spaniels that have achieved Field Trial Champion status, ever since records commenced in 1899. There is also much analytical data regarding successful bloodlines.....The photographs are particularly interesting for as well as many pictures of successful handlers and dogs of the immediate post-war era, the book contains archive photographs, including the very rarely photographed Mr. Selwyn Jones who was the owner and breeder of the very successful and highly influential O'Vara spaniels".

Here is an American perspective (click on the link) - www.spanieljournal.com/4bfawcett.html

The worldwide price of £30.00 includes priority airmail and all handling and shipping costs.

The UK price is now £25.00 ( inclusive of p&p) due to the increases in postal charges recently introduced by Royal Mail.

I will be only too pleased to sign the book to your specification.

ORDER HOTLINE: Tel/Fax +44 (0) 1786 825 163 or

e-mail me at: Click here

Credit Cards: MasterCard, Visa, Switch, Maestro or Delta

Or write to me at: Mike Smith, PO Box 15021, Dunblane, Perthshire, FK15 9YS, Scotland.