Put into practice some of the things learned on Sunday - and boy what a difference that made. I thought I should put a bit of time into whistle response when quartering (in anticipation of a run in Monday's Novice Ft) so spent lunch time out with himself.
Catja - coming back from the post office (remind me not to volunteer to send loads of people pictures on CD in the future) spotted a brace of hen pheasants in the verge; hasty stop and out with herself on a long lead for a bit of hedge bashing - she sharpened up her act now she has connected the idea of scent to bird. It is a pleasure to see. Afternoon tea-break saw her doing a mark and a blind. Need to put more time into the hand signals - I am not really sure she has got the idea yet. i think her version is 'hand signal is a release command to go in the direction she first thought of' which must be confusing to her as sometimes she can and sometimes she is corrected.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
training day - Suffolk
A whole days training amongst Brittanys - what a delight. The focus was on unseen retrieves - initially 'visible' (but not thrown) and at the end unseen and hidden.
It was most interesting to see how all the dogs progressed during the day - thanks to the policy of 'zero tolerance' all were paying much more attention to their handlers although the retrieverholics were still having a little trouble believing that which they could not see. A blank saluted thrown 'seen' dummy was used as a distraction for a blind on partridge placed in the furrows of fresh plow. So not an easy retrieve - ignore the obvious dummy and then take a line off the stubble into the plow and then start to look. All dogs made a pretty fair job of it and some outstanding.
Catja - i wanted, and we did some hunting onto caged game. I ran her with her lunge line on so I had a means to control her at the end. I was very pleased to see how she was air scenting something half a field from the placed birds and then worked her ground very well, coming on to the birds and pointing quite strongly. Once I had hold of the lunge line I was able to praise and stroke her. Very good on her retrieves and on partridge although she did mouth them a lot (I believe this is a common occurrence with cold game and should not be worried about unduly).
Topaz - well he was a surprise. He actually performed as I know he can. After an intial 'conversation' he knuckled down :-) He usually ran last on each exercise - on the hunting exercise to the caged birds it was interesting to see his work methods change. He initially pointed a spot all other dogs had held long on but quickly moved on (I was pleased with this as he does have a tendency to point residual scent) Where dogs had already run he ran an erratic patern; now this may in hindsight be because the wind was different at ground level (we were near the end of a long field with trees just behind us - I did not get onto my knees to see if I could tell) or it may have been copious amounts of foot scent made him work more directly to where he had seen all other dogs run. But once beyond that he quartered nicely - flat, fast and fence to fence. Drew up the ditch, perhaps a little far, but to be fair to him that is where the birds were likely to be.
Last retrieve was a seen blind blind combo - thrown seen sent to that, stopped, recalled and sent for a blind dummy behind (he spent some time looking for that , but I think only because he had been on partridge all afternoon and this was s dummy. That to hand and then onto the last partridge in the plough. As no one now had any idea where the last one was it was a send away to a possible spot and a 'hunt there' command and let him get on with it. He worked it out well.
A very very good day, great company, great trainer, great bit of ground - thanks to all.
It was most interesting to see how all the dogs progressed during the day - thanks to the policy of 'zero tolerance' all were paying much more attention to their handlers although the retrieverholics were still having a little trouble believing that which they could not see. A blank saluted thrown 'seen' dummy was used as a distraction for a blind on partridge placed in the furrows of fresh plow. So not an easy retrieve - ignore the obvious dummy and then take a line off the stubble into the plow and then start to look. All dogs made a pretty fair job of it and some outstanding.
Catja - i wanted, and we did some hunting onto caged game. I ran her with her lunge line on so I had a means to control her at the end. I was very pleased to see how she was air scenting something half a field from the placed birds and then worked her ground very well, coming on to the birds and pointing quite strongly. Once I had hold of the lunge line I was able to praise and stroke her. Very good on her retrieves and on partridge although she did mouth them a lot (I believe this is a common occurrence with cold game and should not be worried about unduly).
Topaz - well he was a surprise. He actually performed as I know he can. After an intial 'conversation' he knuckled down :-) He usually ran last on each exercise - on the hunting exercise to the caged birds it was interesting to see his work methods change. He initially pointed a spot all other dogs had held long on but quickly moved on (I was pleased with this as he does have a tendency to point residual scent) Where dogs had already run he ran an erratic patern; now this may in hindsight be because the wind was different at ground level (we were near the end of a long field with trees just behind us - I did not get onto my knees to see if I could tell) or it may have been copious amounts of foot scent made him work more directly to where he had seen all other dogs run. But once beyond that he quartered nicely - flat, fast and fence to fence. Drew up the ditch, perhaps a little far, but to be fair to him that is where the birds were likely to be.
Last retrieve was a seen blind blind combo - thrown seen sent to that, stopped, recalled and sent for a blind dummy behind (he spent some time looking for that , but I think only because he had been on partridge all afternoon and this was s dummy. That to hand and then onto the last partridge in the plough. As no one now had any idea where the last one was it was a send away to a possible spot and a 'hunt there' command and let him get on with it. He worked it out well.
A very very good day, great company, great trainer, great bit of ground - thanks to all.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
october 11th
First day on partridge for the Tango Two today. The last outing I had to go on my own as herself had her shortest skirt on and himself was suffering from meringue brain.
Anyway today was initially hard work - they are on a twin lead with swivel - but changes of speed on their part, position and many other things meant they got very well knotted. Topaz spent all morning on his lead so after lunch he stayed in the car - much to his
. Catja really upped her game when it came to 'interest'. She retrieved a runner and a rather easy seen, but managed to get up wind of four partridge on a bank we were beating so rather displayed her inexperience.
Tomorrow we are off to an HPR shot over day.
Anyway today was initially hard work - they are on a twin lead with swivel - but changes of speed on their part, position and many other things meant they got very well knotted. Topaz spent all morning on his lead so after lunch he stayed in the car - much to his
. Catja really upped her game when it came to 'interest'. She retrieved a runner and a rather easy seen, but managed to get up wind of four partridge on a bank we were beating so rather displayed her inexperience.Tomorrow we are off to an HPR shot over day.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
october 9
Topaz - has this summer really come on 'in his head' hunting very intelligently, checking 'hotspots' of his own volition, can hunt well down wind and will enter water on a blind and can be handled whilst in the water. His achilles heel is the sensitivity of his nose and his tendency to indicate game that has recently left. Also a weakness on retrieving where he will be distracted by a point in favour of a retrieve. He was awarded a Certificate of Merit at novice field trial last season.
Catja - still young; sits well to the whistle but sight points more than scent points. Has a tendency to run in on birds - something i have not heavily discouraged as I wish her develop some real passion. Her water retrieves are a work in progress. Her land retrieving is very good but she had a fright whilst swimming earlier this year that has made her wary of long swims particularly in weed. She also seems to resist getting her fur wet, however once she is wet she behaves more like a seal than a woosie dog
Catja - still young; sits well to the whistle but sight points more than scent points. Has a tendency to run in on birds - something i have not heavily discouraged as I wish her develop some real passion. Her water retrieves are a work in progress. Her land retrieving is very good but she had a fright whilst swimming earlier this year that has made her wary of long swims particularly in weed. She also seems to resist getting her fur wet, however once she is wet she behaves more like a seal than a woosie dog
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