The DogFather

Charlie is joined by Neil Geddes, a veterinary ophthalmologist (eye specialist). They discuss Neil's background and how he became a vet, his early days, and how the industry has changed over the past decades.Neil will be a feature of the podcast and will field many questions from Charlie and the listeners on all things veterinary science. In this episodes, Neil answers a range of questions from his biggest vet blooper, whether he would trust a vet who didn't own a dog, and just how similar his job was to James Heriott's..?

Charlie is joined by John Forbes-Leith to discuss the Fyvie Labradors. John's family have had the Fyvie line since 1885 and is, by our reckoning, the oldest continuous line of Labradors in the world. Discovered in Canada, Labrador Retrievers were brought back to the U.K. for retrieving ducks from the water. From the early boats, some went to the Duke of Buccleuch, others went to the Earl of Malmsbury, and some went to an Aberdeenshire family. Both Buccleuch and Malmsbury have lost their lines, but the Forbes-Leith kept theirs, breeding mother to daughter for 150 years. However, if you asked in the trialling world or even in the Kennel Club about the Fyvie Labradors, no one would have heard of them... so join Charlie as he lifts the lid on one of the most exciting story in recent years.

Charlie is joined by the Mordor media man, Joe, and together they discuss the early days of Mordor Gundogs. Charlie shares how his love of dogs started, why he rejected his place in the army, and how he laid the groundwork (literally) for Mordor to become the place that it is today.He shares how he first discovered Craighead farm and why, upon purchasing it, he wasn't initially going to use it for dogs. Why he built the kennels first, which resulted in him having nowhere to sleep but... in the kennels. He eventually moved into the house; however, it didn't have windows, plasterboard, or electricity, so he spent a winter in a brick ruin with only a fire and a few dogs for company. It's a raw, funny and insightful episode, and we're looking forward to part two...0:00 - Introduction 1:05 - Charlie Getting Into Fieldsports5:50 - Buying His First Dog (& It Going Wrong)10:55 - Who Taught Charlie? 16:05 - Getting A Cocker & Lab 21:53 - Why Did He Reject The Army?28:25 - Starting Dog Training Full-Time 31:10 - Why The Name Mordor? 32:25 - Finding Craighead Farm 38:02 - Living In The Ruins45:20 - Typical Day In The Life