Alfie the waterfowl retriever at the Country Sports Day

Alfie is a super-fit fox-red Labrador, whose owner Chris Green performs as the “Cornish countryman” at country shows. In this episode of Dogs with Jobs, Chris discusses all things water-fowling in this lively interview, recorded at the Country Sports Day 2023, which took place at Bereleigh, East Meon.

Chris Green kneels with a cocked shotgun over his shoulder. He and Alfie the fox red Labrador are looking at each other — Alfie and Chris Green, the “Cornish Countryman” taking a break at the Country Sports Day in East Meon

Water-fowling is hunting wild ducks or geese for the pot. It’s fully legal under the UK’s Hunting Act to hunt particular species during the shooting season. It is a solitary and, it’s fair to say, a minority sport, for which patience, physical fitness, ornithologist levels of bird knowledge and a well trained and talented retriever like Alfie are essential.

A bundle of decoy birds, used to set up a sense of security for wild birds on a day wild-fowling on the estuary — Chris carries decoy dummy birds like these and camouflage to build a hide in which to wait for hours on the estuary for wild birds

Chris explains Alfie’s various jobs during a day spent water-fowling, which starts long before dawn. Chris learned from his father the art of water-fowling, and practices it today on various estuaries throughout the South West of the UK. He gives an insight into this ancient practice as he chats to Dogs with Jobs presenter, Kate Fairweather, in a break from performing.

You can find out more about the talented Chris Green, who makes country films, here.