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Hey, I’m Megan

I'm Megan. Mother of two Sons and three Spaniels

I started my journey with spaniels in 2017 when Woody was a puppy and I had no idea what I was doing.

More than eight years, three dogs, and a few hundred muddy walks later, I’m writing about it, because the learning never really stops.

A note before you read anything here:

I’m a Spaniel breeder, and owner who has made most of the mistakes, read most of the books, and worked closely with professional gundog trainers over eight years. Everything on this site is honest, first-hand experience. When a topic is outside my lane, I say so and point you to someone better qualified.

The story

I’m based in the heart of Brighton. In 2017, I collected an eight-week-old Show Cocker Spaniel from a breeder in the Midlands and drove back to the Brighton. Two young sons in the back, puppy in a crate, absolutely no idea what I was doing. Her name was Woody. She immediately chewed my seatbelt and fell asleep in my lap. This blog started as a way of writing down what I was learning, mostly so I didn’t forget it.

I’d always had dogs, but a Cocker is a different animal entirely. The energy, the nose, the need to work, it became clear very quickly that bringing Woody into the shooting field wasn’t just a nice idea. It was what she needed. I had no background in gundog training whatsoever. I found a local trainer, joined some forums, read every book I could find, and started documenting the process. The blog was my training diary before it was anything else.

Alongside the training, I started photographing Woody on our walks. I’d been a photographer for several years. Landscapes mostly, some portrait work; but photographing a dog in the field gave me a completely different challenge. It also gave me a reason to find every interesting walk, swimming spot, and dog-friendly café within driving distance.

Wilma arrived in 2019. She was our chaos merchant. Fast, distractible, and utterly brilliant once she found her focus. Writing about her training journey honestly, including the weeks where nothing went right, seemed to resonate with a lot of people who were finding the same thing with their own dogs. That’s when the blog became something more than a personal record.

Wyn arrived in 2023, and I’m documenting his gundog training in real time. He’s in his first full season now.

The blog was my training diary before it was anything else. I wrote it for me, to track what was working and what wasn't
Megan

At a glance

  • Spaniel breeder — KC registered, fully health tested
  • Living with Spaniels since 2017
  • Photographer by trade, honest reviewer by necessity
  • Trained with professional gundog handlers in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
  • 100+ UK trails walked

Meet the pack

Woody, Wilma and Wyn

The blog exists because of these three. They are English and Working Cocker Spaniels. A breed that demands more from you than most, and gives back more than any other I’ve encountered. Every piece of information here is tested by them, every walk involves at least one of them, and every training post is drawn from working with them directly.

“A Working Cocker Spaniel will teach you more about patience, consistency, and reading body language than any book. They are not easy, and that’s precisely why they’re worth writing about.”

Woody
Woody
Wilma
Wilma
Wyn
Wyn

The reason this blog exists. Woody arrived in 2017 and immediately made it clear that cocker spniel ownership was not a passive activity. She was my first gundog and we learned together. Badly at first, then gradually better. She completed multiple seasons in the field in Brighton, and is now our senior statesman. She mentors the younger two by largely ignoring them, which turns out to be exactly the right approach.

Woody is KC registered and health tested. Hip score within breed average. Clear on FN. She is the reason the blog takes ear health seriously. We managed a chronic ear issue from age three, which became one of the most-read series on the site.

Wilma joined us in 2019 and immediately dismantled every assumption I’d built from training Woody. She was faster, more reactive, and significantly less interested in what I wanted from her during the first twelve months. She’s now a dependable working dog who I trust completely in the field.

Wilma is KC registered and fully health tested. Maintaining her chocolate roan’s condition through a shooting season requires specific attention.

Wyn is our youngest and our current live experiment. His training is being documented in real time, month by month, session by session, with no editing for outcome. He arrived in early 2023 and is now entering his first full season in the field. Following. Eight years of experience with cockers means I ask better questions, but it doesn’t make the puppy easier.

Wyn is KC registered with full health test documentation.

My credentials

What I am qualified
to write about

  • ✓
    Spaniel breeder Breeding Show, English and Working Cocker Spaniels means health testing, KC registration, and a level of responsibility for the breed's welfare that goes beyond ownership. It shapes everything written about health, temperament, and what to look for when buying a puppy on this site.
  • ✓
    First-hand gundog training experience Eight consecutive seasons preparing and working Working Cocker Spaniels, trained alongside qualified handlers in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. I know what worked for our dogs and I document why.
  • ✓
    Gear that survives real use Cocker ownership is a demanding product test. I know what holds up across multiple seasons, what fails in the first winter, and what the marketing doesn't mention.
  • ✓
    Coat and ear care for Working Cockers Eight years of managing three dogs' coats through working seasons, including a chronic ear issue in Woody and a chocolate roan's coat demands with Wilma. Practical experience, not theoretical.