Ward McLean

“Toby, Sadie and Maggie,” Springer Spaniels

Why did you choose this breed? When I was growing up, our family dog was a Springer. My dad ruined it as a hunting dog because he took it out hunting before it had any basic training and fired a shotgun. This scared the dog to the point where she ran back to the car crawled underneath and laid there quivering. She was a wonderful dog, and to me at the time she was the perfect family pet. I wanted a Springer when I got married, but my wife wanted a non-shedding dog and we settled on West Highland White Terriers. I called them ornament dogs.

My main hunting partner had labs and we used them for hunting over the years. After the last one died, he decided to try a new breed. One of the guys in his office happened to be a member of our dog club and he convinced him to come to one of their training sessions. I bought my first Springer and joined the dog club a year later. Springer Spaniel’s are generally rated as a top flushing dog.

What kinds of training has your dog had? I am a member of the Calgary English Springer Spaniel Club, and everything I know about training is thanks to our knowledgeable members. The club is the largest in Canada and many of the members field trial their dogs. We have training sessions every Sunday from May through September, which are well attended. We also host four to six trials a year. At the training sessions the dogs work on pigeons and there are gunners who have been trained for field trial shooting to provide the dogs with long retrieves. I used bench training when the puppies were young for basic training before I started them quartering at training sessions.

Why do you prefer to hunt with a dog? I primarily hunt pheasants and partridge. It’s pretty hard to hunt these birds without a dog. I hunt with three dogs all the time because they have such high energy, it is better if you spell them off so they aren’t run down. There are days when I wish I had a Brittany Spaniel when partridge are flushed, particularly later in the season when the birds are so spooky. A pointing dog will hold them and allow you the opportunity for a better shot.

How important is it to have a dog as part of the family? Dogs have always been and always will be a big part of our family. I can’t imagine living without them!

Do you have any final words of wisdom about dogs, hunting and conservation? I am involved with the Calgary Chapter of Pheasants Forever that raises money for habitat development in southern Alberta and for youth education. Every day I spend in the field with my various hunting partners reinforces my belief in what we do. It is our heritage and we must preserve it.