ROBERT Storey Jnr (4) pictured with hound pup Damson who returned to the Kildare hunt kennels last week after spending two months with Siobhan English and family. Puppy walkers are a vital cog in the hunting wheel and each year dozens of hunt members from all over Ireland take in a couple or two of hounds for a few months of ‘puppy walking’.

“We love having the hound pups each year and we’ve had some from various hunts over the years including the Kildare, Laois and West Wicklow,” Siobhan said. “By the time they leave they know their names, and are walking on leads. They also know how to behave themselves around farm animals and follow me on horseback around the farm.”