Every once in a while, we go a little off topic to discuss the world around purebred dogs, in part because it’s interesting, and in part because society’s activities often shaped dog breeds.

In Victorian England, nobility and gentry had a huge influence on dogs, particularly sporting breeds. Grouse shooting parties were de rigueur, but money couldn’t buy you an invite, it being a purview of the upper class. Grouse season began in August and lasted until February, and the number of birds shot in a day was staggering by today’s measure. There was no moral dilemma about this because the birds were raised for the dinner table, and this was how they were harvested.

Shoots were a quintessential British social scene in which men had their sport, and the ladies watched on, though a very few participated. The party often had between 15 to 20 guns, and trained gun dogs were on hand; As the range and frequency of shot increased over time, however, the dogs changed to meet the needs of sportsmen. Sporting men quickly learned that in the field, better bred dogs had more stamina, and the breeder of a fine dog was respected.

Here’s where we go a bit afield: We came across a passage having to do with proper ladies’ wear at a weekend shoot. It’s attributed to Richard A. Wolters and his wonderful book, “Duck Dogs:”

“The shooting costume became part of the tradition that has been passed down to today’s shooter. The women, not that much a part of the actual hunting scene, wore no special outdoor clothes. As a houseguest for a week, it was considered bad form to wear the same gown more than once. Seven breakfast suits, usually of velvet or silk, were brought; then seven tweed outfits were needed for lunch with the guns and remaining afield afterward to observe he afternoon drives. That was followed by extravagant tea gowns and then seven formal satin or brocade evening dresses, plus a few costumes for the balls…along with seven every elses. All this made a serious baggage problem with the railroads solved by designing special baggage cars for these shooting parties. Of course each family brought its valet and maids, who added to the housing problems. Taking one’s wife on a shooting holiday could be rather expensive.”

Shades of Downton Abbey!