Right now we have two dogs, Nenya and Tezla. They are both hard working spaniels and as we see it; perfect for the Nordic hunting scene. They match our demands in every aspect as long as we let them hunt in the manner they are supposed to; that is, true to the spaniels’ traditional way of hunting, but adapted to the special requirements of Nordic conditions.
There is nothing special with our dogs. They are what they are; hunting dogs. We never enter trials of some sort because we also are what we are; hunters.
What is new is that working spaniels have found their way up here, much have happened during the last ten years. Even though they are not as common as other breeds such as setters or pointers, at least people talk about them and consider them an alternative to the more common breeds. It is very pleasing to notice that that change of opinion is led by the younger generation. As we all know; the youngsters will take over after us and they will no doubt do it their own way. As being those we are, we can only approve and even encourage them.
We too were very young when we first started hunting with Springer spaniels. Of course we were told that that breed could not be used as a hunting dog in our part of the country; we thought otherwise and we have never found any evidence for us being wrong. We love doing this, but since then we have come to include the Cocker spaniel into that philosophy of ours. Therefore we now have one of both. Of course there are some differences between the two breeds, but, as we see it that is an asset because they complete each other in a way that suits us very well.
Nenya is a Springer bitch who is the natural choice for those hard and long days when she and her master are out alone. Her extreme endurance and enthusiasm make that possible. What makes hunting so special in the north of Sweden is that you cannot know what the day may bring; what game you will come by or what difficulties you will be confronted with. That does not bother Nenya. She is a pure blood working Springer and she will do what is asked of her, whether it has to do with flushing hard sitting willow grouse or retrieving ducks in lakes or streams. That rough and hard working dog is at the same time the perfect pet – who can ask for more? We cannot.
Tezla, the liver roan Cocker bitch is just as lovely as a pet, but she is also most enthusiastic about hunting. At the same time she herself is her biggest enemy, considering her abilities as a hunting dog. Her energetic way of doing it makes her less endurable and she cannot perform just as well as Nenya on that long day of hunting. Short legs in combination with that burning instinct for hunting makes her the perfect choice for that evening hunt for willow grouse along that particular brook, or the one in that particular lake for ducks; but above all, for the woodcock season. Without comparison she must be declared the better of our two dogs for that kind of work. To us, the name “Cocker” really stands for something, we would sorely miss that breed’s certain skills without her.
We believe spaniels can be put to work in all parts of our country, probably all over the world, to do a descent job. To us they represent everything we could ask for in a dog and for our particular way of hunting. Of course we feel the need for a certain adaptation to our hunting conditions, but, all in all, we cannot imagine a life without them.
