Aka

[eastcoast 4,726]

The dog in the sketch was called Chiko. I have no photographs of him and did the drawing from memory. He was built like a very small deerhound. I have wrote about him before on THL but find myself thinking about dogs of the past and the places I hunted more often these days. He was out of racing Whippet bitch by a mongrel colie dog. His sire was a phenomenal hunting dog but totally taking for granted by most who used him to find stuff. The mating was accidental.

 

The places Chiko was worked were semi derelict industrial sites and seen better days farmland that bordered them. Looking back I feel sorry for the men who tried to make a living on these lands and quite understand the heavy handed tactics they used against us. The quarry were rabbits. Rabbits that had evolved to live above ground. The ground dwelling sort had long since been wiped out. Thick gorse carpeted by ground hugging bramble was the land. And this was where Chiko came to etch himself into my memory.

 

If I had him today I reckon he would make more than a descent show on a Grouse moor. He could find anything, if it was there, but didn't waste an ounce of his energy hunting in the hope of finding. Without a dog of this type hunting it was a pointless exercise in these places. He found and caught rabbits, the odd hare, the occasional fox, stoats, weasels, wild pheasants, partridge ( not sure which sort, didn't know there was a difference at the time ), woodcock, moorhen, coots, " ducks ", hedgehogs, and cats. It was a long time ago and these were feral cats, many generations of breeding in the places that at the time man had forgot about.

 

But here's the point of my thread. His name was Chiko. that was his given name as a pup, but known to me and the many hunting lads who knew him as " the Beak ". Because of his nose. Anyone got any stories about working dogs that have developed their own name due to the talents or characteristics that they developed and became known for in their life ? If anyone does reply I'm expecting " little c~~t or b*****d, all is good, but explain why.

[j j m 6,630]

very nice mate