He managed three Novice working tests, scoring well in the first two to finish in the top half of the competitors and then right at the end of the summer we managed a 3rd place which was a really nice surprise as the various injuries meant we hadn't trained as much as we hoped to.

The training we did manage to do was mainly with a new group set up by Brenda Moss and Larry Wilks of Arany Gundogs at the Commonleys Clay Shoot.  Brenda put on an excellent Natural Ability Test which included hunting and pointing partridge, a pigeon retrieve over a jump and another from water, a track of a rabbit off the leash and a gun sensitivity assessment.  Otto performed beautifully all day scoring really well, particularly with the pointing and tracking.

When the shooting season started we were stopped in our tracks again with Otto getting injured for a third time, so we missed out on a shot over training day for newbies.  However once Otto was better Brenda & Larry invited us on a rough shooting day which was very educational and fun, I learnt a lot and realised I need to do a lot more training with Otto. 

Frustratingly Otto has started to not retrieve game properly, fussing with it rather than bringing them straight back.  Frustrating as his retrieving has always been his strongest part of the Hunt, Point, Retrieve.  Best advice for now is to take a break and revisit game next year to see if he grows out of this...  I really hope so!!

A lovely sunny August Bank Holiday was the perfect weather for the second running of the Bovingdon Green Dog Show.

As official photographer you can find our gallery of images here where you can purchase images as digital or printed photos.

If your dog isn't captured in the gallery, why not book a dog photo shoot - we are passionate about capturing photos of your dog in their natural environment - running and playing as they do with you at home.

Last Friday I headed to Crufts (the worlds biggest dog show) for just the second time and first time with my camera. I was there to support some very good friends who were showing Grace, one of there beautiful Golden Retrievers. In two big classes Linda & Grace did really well being shortlisted in the first and then awarded Very Highly Commended in the second.

Whether you like dog showing or not, if you love dogs you will enjoy seeing some very special relationships between the exhibitors and there dogs at Crufts. Plus there are over 500 trade stands to visit and buy loads of stuff to spoil your pups!

Here's some photos from the day for you to look at...