What i did not write about yesterday was loosing a dummy - one of the white knobbly ones that cost only about £2.50 from America!

Now that rankles - so i was to be seen on my knees with my hands in the water firstly with the other one to see if my theory that it had got stuck in the mud at the bottom (which it could easily have done) and then in a vain effort to 'feel' for it. No joy.

Went home a bit disgruntled.

After sleeping on it - and thinking how much progress Ellie had made I decided to return to the pond, but this time with a stick, to try and 'rod' the bottom to dislodge it. No; this did not work so I finally gave it up as lost and did some more water work using the other. Mainly seens and with them sitting in a group to then go by name. Checking my watch I realised I needed to leave in about 20 mins so thought 'one more each for luck' - Ellie missmarked so was recalled , Catja was sent but would not focus on the area and finally Topaz hunted out a spot a little downwind from where i thought i had marked it down before wishing to go elsewhere. I decided to go and pick it myself - only it was not to be seen. This pond was eating my dummies.

I am now two dummies down - such is the inconvenience of not having them that it was off with the shoes and socks and roll up the trousers. The water was knee deep and there was ooze half way up my calves, but solid ground under the mud. An ever increasing circle of anticipation and expectation developed - me working my stick and feet through the grunge. Nothing until I was just about to give up, (I had to be 1 1/2 hours distant in 1 1/2 hours time) when I looked around and there was a nice white dummy floating on the water behind me - yesterday's. This spurred me on and several bits of stick and knobbly stones later, wet trousers and a whistle with mud in it I found the last one.

Much happier now- we even were on time at our next rendezvous.

Retriever training - was very much outside my comfort zone. 100 plus yard blinds with a distraction thrown before the dog starts. Neither had much pep in their step and Topaz kept stopping at about 40 yards to check back to me and again as it went from shade to sun, in fact i could not get him to move out into the sun - it was as if there was a physical barrier. All but one struggled with this exercise. Catja was given the 'distractions' to retrieve as 'blinds' - a very simple exercise as they were not far into the hazel thicket, but a good one to build her confidence in me sending her for something. I was especially pleased with the last one as i could not readily see her. She was out of area so recalled and whistled 'stop' when I judged she was where I wanted her, a moments pause and then the 'hunt there' whistle. I could hear her moving again and in a few moments she appeared with the last dummy.