Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland: Where black Labs are king

Golf has been king at Gleneagles Hotel since the magisterial five-star Scottish resort-hotel near the Perthshire town of Crieff opened in 1924. That’s understandable, given its world-class King’s, Queen’s and Jack Nicklaus-designed Centenary courses.

But if you happen to prefer the loving eyes of a black Lab to a bogey, there’s still good reason to check out Gleneagles, also the home of a unique Gundog School where some of the world’s most winsome Labrador retrievers serve as teachers.

While in Scotland last month, I joined a friend for a master class, which met in the same building as the resort’s falconry school. Then Mick Doughty, our instructor, took us to the kennel, where we met Debbie and Max.

Spaniels and other breeds are used for the sport of hunting, long popular in Scotland, but black Labs are favored at Gleneagles.

Doughty said that the breed actually came from Newfoundland, Canada, where they helped fishermen retrieve their catch, then entertained the family in the evenings (ergo their beguilingly affectionate manner).

We learned how to make the dogs heel, sit and retrieve dummy birds thrown to the far end of an obstacle course with artificial mounds, fences and logs the Labs had to jump -- obviously a cakewalk to them.

But the best part was at the lake, where the dogs waited impatiently for their turn to retrieve a dummy bird thrown into the water. They love to swim and, when they come out, shake off water on command, so as not to douse onlookers.

When class was over, I tried to kidnap Debbie, but Doughty wouldn’t let me.

Prices: About $118 for a 45-minute introductory lesson or an advanced Fieldcraft lesson, and $212 for a combined lesson lasting an hour and a half.