Tresallier Brittanys

out on the ATV

2011-10-31T01:50:00.000-07:00

The weather has not been that nice so i took the plunge and had the ATV out to do the birds. Topaz loved it and rode pillion - must get a photo. Fresco was not at all sure and would not stay on it if it moved - so he had to run alongside. A Brittany moves at 20 kph before breaking into a double suspension gallop. With this ease of movement around the farm I took the opportunity to visit the copse in Dean Pond - to check the feeder. Quite often one can find a single bird but tonight assuming things would be as normal I sent them both ahead - to be greeted by a dozen birds flying out. Hmm - just shows one must never make assumptions.

Monday saw another meet up with Steve and Sam - this time I wanted to check out a boundary hedge or two with another visit to the Dean Pond copse; I also wanted to do some considered work on Fresco's pointing. - On the way into the copse Fresco gave a lovely indication and point - as I moved forward with him a large dog fox shot out of the undergrowth and away down the far hedge - Fresco managed to find a single pheasant at teh other end - but if he pointed it I will never know, at least he didn't chase it.

Steve and I and the dogs then moved back up hill to the home wood, rape with a back wind. Both dogs found birds, immediately after I had said I thought we were to far out to find anything. Laughing Fresco got into a really nice pattern - he would drop down wind and then do a left and right cross back to me then drop down wind again. No intervention from me as I had a phone call at the time. Another timely reminder to 'trust the dog', mind I think some of the reason for the pattern is the uniformity of the field so no distractions to alter the wind or his attention.

What a week for Fresco

2011-10-29T01:49:00.000-07:00

What a week this has been for little Fresco. Tuesday he was rushed to the vet after being hit by a car, in the event he was suffering from gravel rash - such that I threatened to call him Tetley. (for non UK readers this is a reference to a tea bag advert - the quality of the bag being linked to the number of perforations in it). Despite lying on the vets table very sorry for himself he was perky by the evening and back to full speed the following morning. Friday saw him up at sparrow fart to go to a dog show - he won his class - but then he was the only entrant. Catja came along as well and despite being feisty and alert outside the ring failed to appeal to the judge once in it. She hates being in the ring and makes it show. We had been looking for an 'easy win' as there were only three bitches in the class. Mind you such a result allowed me to get away and back home with most of the afternoon spare. This was used to good effect by meeting Steve and his pup Sam at the farm. I had a particular bit of work I wanted to do - we have one particular field of stubble turnips that is attracting about twenty birds regularly, i now have a feeder and water there but I wanted to know if they were mine or immigrants from the adjacent ground. My intention was to work up the boundary edge and push them back to our pens. The wind was not in our favour and Steve who was working the field had quite a few bumped birds - but it did allow him to make sure Sam's stop was up to snuff. The birds all flew out of our ground and Sam had a couple of tentative points and some messy ground work. But no worries you could see he was trying to work out what was going on. The next field proved an eyeopener to Sam who had several nice points and some good sits to flush. Fresco worked teh middle of the field and missed a covey of partridge - partly because of my poor positioning and partly because of teh size of the bights he was taking. By the third field Sam proved he had got the idea and indicated well. A very good evening for both dogs.
Saturday saw the first picking up day for us. A boys only day - leaving Catja at home. Topaz consistently performed well - mostly runners. The only one he failed on was a bird that fell next to a beater who said 'I'll get that' followed half a minute later by 'You've got a runner' we never found it. I noticed that he often 'aimed off' and ran deep when working to a downwind bird. this allowed him to then work across the wind to find the bird. As he did this several times I read it as a conscious decision on his part.
Fresco was allowed a short blind for his first retrieve of a 'hot bird' - he ended up with a mouth full of breast feathers and a perplexed look on his face, he left the bird and came back to me. Sent out for it again this time he picked it up by its rump and struggled back with it - it was a very large bird. He had three further retrieves during the day and performed nicely on all I was very pleased. Otherwise he had to sit off lead and watch. He even wanted to retrieve a bird that was in its death throes with wings flapping.
One particularly memorable moment was when a shot bird landed between me and the dogs - neither moved, even when the dog from the next peg came in (complete with lead on it) to collect. I wonder how long that sort of steadiness will last?

What we don't know we don't know

2011-10-27T01:48:00.000-07:00

What we know in relation to what we might know.

An interesting little diagram that I liberated and modified from the terrierman blog ( http://terriermandotcom.blogspot....f-blind-one-eyed-dog-is-king.html
) I wonder how much the sum of human knowledge could be increased if we all got to grips with the things we know and deny? I think one example for me might be Fresco slipping his whistle - again last night he did not turn when he should have and I put it down to my indecisive use of it, the fact he had just gone over the brow of a hillock and around a corner and that I was carrying half a bag of wheat (mind you with the state of my knees at the moment the fact i was carrying anything makes little difference to my ability to run). Once I had got to the corner of course there was no sight of him. I thought the best policy was to return to the car - a wise choice as that is where he was. So - perhaps I have now gone from self deception about this dog and his recall and am creeping into 'I don't know what I don't know' of his behaviour?

Devils Jumps

2011-10-25T01:48:00.000-07:00

Sunday I took Fresco for a session in Devils' Jumps a 36Ha field currently stubble. There was a back wind and it is a long way to the end of the field before I could turn into the wind for him. When well away from the boundaries (so no geographic distractions) I took a gamble and let him off to hunt; my prediction was he would run around like a loon with not particular pattern. i was so wrong he ran down wind and then broke and quartered back to me. I write this not to say 'how good is my dog' but in the realisation that if he can do a text book pattern of his own making with no whistle in a large open space then whilst he could do that in more confined areas the fact that he doesn't does not mean he his hunting badly, just differently. It made me think how often i might have tried to 'correct' his pattern when in fact his underlying trend was 'on message' It was again a fine example of me the handler mis-reading my dog!

Steve T joined us with Tilley who had a good blast before we moved on to the area around one of the pens. A good chance for some points and some steadiness. We finished with the dogs sitting in the pen as the birds started to go up to roost for the night. A very useful couple of hours.

Guest Trainer

2011-10-23T01:47:00.000-07:00

I was invited yesterday to be the guest trainer for the Asburnham Gundog Group down in Battle. A most interesting experience - four half hour sessions one each of puppy, novice, intermediate and advanced. About 8 to ten dogs in each class. so it was a bit difficult to 'do' things that they could each have a go at - particularly as part of each session was introducing them to the Brittany which very few had ever seen before. Fresco spent a bored two hours thethered to a game bag watching other dogs. I thought it would be, and think it was good for him.

In the end I talked them all through my ideas about body language, praise, calming and did the focus exercise of walking around the dog slowly. With the advanced group I managed to run over by half an hour as we did use of the wind and how and when to blow the whistle - much amusement was generated when I explained about catching them with the ear leather up to reduce the incidence of selective hearing. I had been invited by Tania Stapley a retriever breeder and trainer of many years and a KCAI(WG Ad) (Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Working Gundogs, Advanced) so I was pleased to get positive feedback.

I had taken the boys with me - partly to ease the pressure at home and partly to have 'demonstration dogs' in the end I did not use either as demos as I felt the audience did not really want to know what i could do with mine they wanted to do stuff with theirs also I was half concerned Fresco would zoom off to play with any likely candidates as he is not used to having many dogs around. After the sessions i let him off and to my surprise he did not zoom off like a loon having been on a leash for two hours but worked the ground and wind quite nicely shoeing no intention of going after any other dog. My biggest problem was to keep him out of a rather green looking pond on our way back to the car!

The afternoon was spent putting feed out for the birds and some more watering points. In the last wood Fresco either got spooked or decided to go off for a bit of self hunting whilst I took a phone call- it was very much at dusk and the birds were going up to roost very noisily, however he did not recall to his whistle so I began to suspect he had gone off in search of his new 'friend' who lives just below the wood. As i had a small trailer on the back of the car and was parked in a deep dip the only way out was out through a very tortuous woodland path. My sense of humour was further affected when on finally getting out into the open the car got stuck in soft mud and without its four wheel drive (recently removed for engineering reasons). However whilst on the phone to my son seeking a tow who should turn up from behind me, hardly out of breath ??

Finished in time - just

2011-10-20T01:46:00.000-07:00

The staircase was fitted just in time - by half 6 on the last day! Will go back next year to colour and polish it - probably after a run at Vimpelles.

The last week Julia came over and we spent time digging drains, building stone walls and walking the dogs in Giverset Forest. A bit formulaic for them- but the dogs love these woods and it is easy walking for us.

On my return a visit to 'my birds' -- they are looking good now, feathering up nicely and beginning to fly well. however a bit too friendly as they seem to have no fear of dogs or humans. Fresco has adopted a bit of a laconic attitude towards them - he ignores them if he can see them and only shows interest on the hidden ones, however I still don't feel he has truly got the idea of pointing and holding the birds yet - hopefully this will come with a bit more experience and a scarcer population of birds. He does sit nicely to flush though so that is a bonus. They are holding well around the two pens - which is good - just hope they are still around next month when we host a novice field trial. Talking of Field Trials I had Topaz entered in the BCGB one which has just been cancelled through lack of entries. Crying or Very sad The HWHV trial was similarly suffering before its close and sent a round robin email - we only made the reserve list on that! Perhaps third time lucky with the Bristol and West's trial??

Training of Fresco is coming along - I discovered a 'hole' the other day. Whilst he is now pretty good on his stop whistle on a run out to a blind retrieve he just ignores it - which makes redirecting him before he looks for redirection a bit difficult. Will have to do some work on that; however i recall a similar problem with Catja and she ended up sticky for a while - running out a bit and then stopping in expectation of the whistle.

water jump

2011-10-10T01:41:00.000-07:00

I am not getting the time I thought with the dogs. The job is on the verge of going off schedule (for reasons well out of my control) so the days are long to keep things close on track. With the temperature in the sun in the high 20's and sometimes low 30's the evenings tend to be a trip to the local reservoir. We operate from the earth dam at the end of the lake, the boys sit below the 'horizon' created by this and I walk to the waters edge and throw dummies in, returning to send them for blinds over the brow and about forty paces to the water and a good throw out. Fresco loves it and has really got an enthusiastic entry going - even when we are being circled (as we were last night )by a military helicopter who came around four times.

Off to the Pyrenees

2011-09-28T01:57:00.000-07:00

Tresallier have split into 'boy team and 'girl team' - The boy team have gone off to the Pyreneean foothills for a three week jolly to build a 19th century copy of a French staircase (as you do). The girl team stayed in the UK and are doing things like attend the BCGB weekend.

Last weekend we actually made it to the Pyrenees for real.

Lunch was by a stream - where the water gets in your ears!

Evenings are spent doing water retrieves as the days are so hot Laughing

Whilst back at the workshop there are rather too many chickens that roost in the wisteria -

relief keeper

2011-09-15T01:57:00.000-07:00

mixed emotions today.

My little tricolour friend ate the back out of my best shoes, mind they are / were still just wearable. However I come home this evening and all I have is the sole - cannot be pesky fresky as he had been with me.

Went to the pens this evening and guided Mark around - he is going to relief keeper for me for the next few weeks as I swan off to work in France. In one pen Fresco come trotting along with a pheasant in his mouth. As the deed was done I was more worried i did not pressure him and make him hold it too hard. When it came to hand it was cold and stiff and very emaciated - so a casualty of something. A quick inspection of it's larynx did not reveal any worm infestation but it was very thin and would I think have died of starvation. Odd and not something in an ideal world I would have liked to have left for another to sort out.

Took them all out mid afternoon for a small run. Catja was on the button, Topaz had his self hunting head on and although he came back everytime on the whistle it was by a slightly scenic route. Ellie was Ellie and Fresco ran like a loon. I don't know what got into him - it just looked as if he was running for the sheer joy of running and doing everything in an approximate manner. Sat late, wandered off line badly, didn't turn when asked -stuff like that. Maybe he was suffering from cabinitus and just needed to let his hair down. Hmm.

HGS working test

2011-09-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

HGS working test - went well. The weather held for me with only one shower mid afternoon, when most competitors were in the shelter of the woods.
A bit of a prickly start - a few errors in my transcriptions of dogs' names into the running order and an earlier computer crash that had misplaced a couple of entrants - so they did not appear on the lists. Crying or Very sad As the whole of the event was managed out of a database this proved a bit of a problem - the lists were alphabetical by handler so any new one changed the numbering system and many numbers had already been issued. - I will have to revise that for next time also a better method of handling competitors living at the same address. The up side of using technology - and a village hall as the venue - was the ability to crunch the results in ten minutes and give ordered results sheets to all.

So what of the day? We had 39 runners in three classes in the end. A very pleasing turn out allowing a good test of the ground without the pressure of numbers. Much appreciated was the availability of fresh ground for each dog and also the chance to run in open fields.

The open dogs had a split retrieve of a seen and blind near one of the release pens to add interest followed by a blind retrieve of a cold pigeon. The novice dogs a split on a woodland ride requiring the dog to be stopped and directed and a seen down into a dell and over/under a fallen tree. Whilst the puppies had a seen and a memory placed by the handler. All dogs had a water retrieve. The pond was quite thick with elodea so the tests reflected this added difficulty. However as the pond is a flight pond for duck no one could really complain that their gundog shouldn't use it.

Julia provided catering all day - hot home made soup, sandwiches, tea coffee and cakes (60 plus cupcakes of many varieties). The sponsors provided over £150 worth of prize vouchers for the competitors and judges and the club gave certificates and rosettes to sixth place. I will be able to report back to the committee with a profit that will pay for all my field trial licenses this winter.

cool weather

2011-09-09T01:56:00.000-07:00

I keep checking the weather forecast - willing it to be dry tomorrow for Hampshire Gundog Society's Gundog Working Test. The best forecast still tells me there will be half a millimeter of rain in the afternoon. I am now at the stage where I think I have done all in preparation; safe in the knowledge I don't know what I don't know!

The birds seem to have put on a spurt of growing, they certainly are consuming more, about 1/3 of a bag a day more. Had to refill one of the water tanks as a small and I mean small leak - no more than a dripping tap - had drained it to nigh on empty.

As the weather is starting to cool the dogs seem to revving up; their toilet trip in the morning is now done in 'super hyper drive' there seems a desire to get as much ground under their paws as possible - or is it that they have a series of 'haunts' that they wish to check. ? I have started to use this time to refresh the idea of 'stop' particularly with Fresco as his running I think he is getting into a bit of a habit - he is running to his next objective oblivious to the world around him. I don't want this to become the thin end of a wedge so to speak.

birds

2011-09-07T01:55:00.000-07:00

The birds are growing very nicely and the severe weather the other night did not affect them. What was interesting however was both radios had lost tune with their stations and were silent - so silent I thought the batteries had died. I think it must have just been the vibration from the wind that had moved the tuning dial a bit (these are only after all cheap £6 analogue radios)

The electric fence survived but both needed much debris removed to make them in any way effective again.

My car has gone to the repairers after being run into by a youth driving too fast. The replacement 'thing' is not meant to have dogs in it 'in case a future client has an allergy' - this has proved very inconvenient on one hand and on the other it has highlighted just how much I rely on the dogs to do my job. I tried dogging in a boundary hedge tonight by myself and just watched the birds trot away in front of me and not go in the direction they would when the dogs were behind them. I have gone from the dogs doing it for 'training' to the dogs having to do it because the job won't get done properly if they don't !

has he started pointing ?

2011-09-03T01:54:00.000-07:00

A most interesting spell for Tresallier dogs. Our time at the drier has finished, but before it did I had a great opportunity to run Fresco at a cock pheasant. I had spotted it strutting its stuff across the short grass and took him down wind of it, by this time the bird had tucked itself down and out of sight. He was intent on having a pee and generally bimbling about when all of a sudden he spun into a point with his mouth working to stimulate his vomeronasal gland. A great breakthrough.

The birds have settled in well. We now have a good supply of grower pellets, something of a saga getting them here!. They have an aniseed additive as well as medication so with luck we should have a relatively easy time. the real problem at the moment is the number of people who walk their dogs and when it is pointed out to them their dog is in the wrong place only reply they will 'try' to keep it under control. Have these people never hear of a lead?

We have volunteered to 'dog in' for the Longwood keeper and have been given a stretch of boundary to cover. Our first outing there were clouds of partridge an pheasant on this boundary - so a very necessary job. Catja slipped into her old ways and chased a bird across the field - see our exploits at Vimpelles earlier in the year. We had another trip out in the evening when on going home the road was littered with partridge sitting on the hot tarmac. Imagine my surprise and pleasure when taking her around my pens this evening she worked diligently and flushed birds out of the shrubbery in small batches sitting and not chasing Laughing . Maybe there is hope for her yet. Fresco also had a small run and went on point to some poults that I had seen running into the hedge. The other day I had left him sitting at the pen gate, but he had decided to get up and explore got 'hit' by the electric fence, this sent him back to the car and also made him wary of being near the fence. I had to take time to take him back to near the wire and make him sit a while. He was not happy and I hope this does not affect his attitude to birds in the future.

Entries for the HGS working test have trickled in steadily and we have quite a good card a good result considering a test has been cancelled this weekend for lack of entrants. Disappointing that there is not one Brittany. (I do not feel it right to enter under judges I have chosen and on my own ground)

French Nationale 2011 Clairmarais

2011-08-18T01:50:00.000-07:00

Back from France - to a day of torrential rain; whilst Julia stayed behind and is in the sun. Laughing

TAN and REP day.

The site for the TAN and REP were at some distance from the venue for the show and therefore some distance from our campsite. For some reason we never get sent 'joining instructions' or even simple information like a postcode or an address. In the days of GPS this would be handy and the old standby that has proved its worth for many years - a map would also solve the problem. The problem being many fold - firstly our satnav did not recognise the name of the village given to us and we had to refer to a map to help it out. The second was it in it's infinite wisdom decided to take us across country along roads that ran into gravel pit lakes. We were not alone in this.

Arrival at the venue and we along with all others tried to register, not a particular problem - but life would have been easier if the secretary's table had not been close to the door as was the coffee bar and anyone and everyone who wished to talk with each other.

We were entered in the TAN and the REP the natural aptitude test and the water retrieve). participants for the REP were asked to go to this venue first; and to leave the hall last. We did, even making sure we had some idea the colour of car being driven by the judge - so we had something to follow. Off went the cavalcade one quarter of an hour earlier than advertised - something that put pressure on those struggling with their navigation systems and relying on the almost historic late start of events. Off went the confident cavalcade turning this way and that coming to a stop in a small cul de sac, the wrong cul de sac requiring much reversing and turning to get out of. Half the party then turned one way and half the other. We turned wrongly and again had to do a U turn.

The REP pond was approached across an open field with a small horse and pony, a very friendly and inquisitive horse and pony - I am sure in teh UK we would have at least put up an electric fence to keep people and dogs at a safe distance. The pond had several duck swimming on it - well until the judge fired his pistol - which made them start and most of the onlookers as well. This was no namby pamby .22 but at least a 9mm loaded I suspect with black powder such was the cannon like effect - or maybe it was just that the judge to spare the dog's ears pointed it behind himself.

We were second to go, the duck were still circling with a view to landing again and those birds on the far bank were being most 'attractive'. The test was for the dog to be 'offlead' and to retrieve as the bird was thrown, which was after the cannon had spoken. Fresco was minded to get in teh water as soon as his lead was removed - but I think this was as much my body language - trying to get him to look forward as it was his innate desire to get wet. Straight in on command and a nice swim out. Nosed the duck and turned back. REcalled him to my side and sent him again, picked teh duck up by teh neck swam a few strokes and let go. REcalled and resent. Refused. Eliminated. Now i thought this was going to be a given. But on consideration whilst he has had various feathered game on land he has had nothing but canvas in the water; so I suspect a lack of training was the culprit in this case.

We watched quite a few of the others. A surprising number did not like the ducks. Some were eliminated for not swimming out, some for refusing. Some for throwing their dog in - in desperation I think. Congratulations to all those who did achieve the test, particular mention perhaps to Berry (Topaz's brother who is not known for his retrieving who swam out well beyond his obvious comfort zone to get the duck - only the second time in his life he has ever retrieved from water.

Returning to the village and off to the TAN fields. A single track approach road with cars parked on one side and locals wishing to use it in the other direction at the same time. We arrived and watched. To stop the dogs barking we had the boot open - much to the amazement of the onlookers.

We watched several runs - dogs with much speed and vigour, but no apparent sense of wind direction or any interest in their owner's wishes, they just wanted to get on with the job. The job in this case was to find a grey partridge loose in a stubble field. Whilst some TAN fields were dizzying their birds ours had the feathers on one wing clipped, making them fly short and weakly, several were pegged as we watched. One dog managed to work its way out of our field across another and across the next competitors ground, who in turn ran back across to ours to check ours out.

Fresco - when his go came worked really well for me, was very attentive and turned on his whistle like a dream, he found the bird and worked up along the foot scent straight to the flush, his performance was such that we were give the opportunity of another go, with immediately or after a break. I chose the break. His second run was not so nice to watch ( I thought) as he bore straight into the wind to where he had found the bird previously, which quite sensibly was not there so he had to hunt a bit. Again he winded it, worked up to it and flushed it, sat to flush and whistle nicely despite having a mouth full of feathers Rolling Eyes However we were eliminated for not pointing.

We were by then the last to run - I am disappointed I did not think of getting Topaz out so that Fiona his breeder who was standing with us could have seen how he works.

Saturday night is Gala Dinner night. A nice reception and a good chance to catch up with many and meet a few more. Dinner was a protracted affair, starting at about 9 with pudding served after midnight; I thought I was at a wedding reception. The meal spoiled for me by having a bread based component in every course and to add insult to injury the mineral water bottles were at the end of the evening just refilled with tap water that tasted of chlorine and polythene in about equal portions.

The advantage of having a tent nearby was manifest as we only had to stroll - or was that stagger a fw hundred yards to bed.

A long night - the raindrops that fell incessantly sounding just like the grain in the drier back home; so much so that in the morning I woke with a start, sat up in bed and shouted 'the drier's stopped' - much to my wifes amusement.

We had Catja entered in open Orange and White Female - a large class where we were graded 'excellent'. I thought we were in with a chance of a place but I think after two hours her interest and patience had worn thin. I noticed she was walking carefully over the grass - seemingly avoiding bits with little hops, something not conducive to a nice gait. Whilst waiting she strained at her lead to go and sit on the stone path rather than stay on the damp grass. The bitch that one went on to win CACS and then best bitch in show.

Fresco - was entered in 'jeunes' a class not competing for a title. Moved very nicely and was measured at 50, I was asked if I was happy with that, which I wasn't and when he was remeasured on a flatter bit of ground he was the 49 he usually comes out at. A nice enough critique but as he lack 'substance' at the moment meant he only received a Tres Bon. Whilst it is nice to get excellent I think this one will be a slow cooker, his father was.

Catja was part of the 'lot d'elevage' and the kennel 'vom Junkenhof' came a very creditable fourth beating some very renowned names - Kerenlouan amongst them. (meaning that the dogs displayed were of a much more homogeneous nature)

Waiting for judging to start

Fresco

Team'vom Junkenhof'

young Brit

2011-08-08T01:49:00.000-07:00

The drier work is getting easier - the control faults I think have now all been ironed out; I even managed a whole day without a stoppage (despite three breakdowns in part of the system) Laughing Funny how little things like that seem to become important.

We had a good day at Hampshire Gundog Club's Open show - a grand entry of 13 brittanys - not bad for an open show when two days later there were only 20 at a champ show. I have to admit I put it down to the hard work done by my wife who went and personally talked to prospective participants some weeks ago. Certainly a record to HGS to have so many britts. Catja was up to her usual tricks of being a vache normande, Ellie showed her socks off and took her class whilst Fresco seemed to steal the judges heart and took the BoB slot. Unlike his mother he has 'attitude'.

Training wise I am still working on his sit to fall and sit to shot. The problem I am finding however is if Fresco sees the dummy or the pistol he becomes a bit sticky as he awaits / anticipates a retrieve. I felt with a trip to France imminent I should give him a go in an open field on his own. I am pleased with the result - he was running nice and fast and flat to a good distance. A spell in the woods changed his pattern to much closer work. He is a pleasure to take out; however as there is so little game on our ground this year I have yet to see him point anything from being on the run, he has found the odd bird and sat at the flush, but always from the other side of the bush to me! Not a good way to approach a TAN but the best I can do at the moment - I would like to have seen at least a few just for my personal peace of mind.

Took a young Britt and his handler out the other day - they were suffering from the age old problem of the dog doing its own thing. As always one can never reproduce the circumstances when you want to - but when the dog was hunting it was obvious there was no rapport between him and his owner. So we did some work on that. By the end of the morning the owner was amazed not only at what the dog could actually do - but also that I was able to demonstrate the dog really wanted to be with him. A very satisfactory outcome.

2011-07-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

These last few days have seen little dog training whilst my new 'job' has taken hold. I am running a grain drier for my son's boss. Quite an eye opener and a very steep learning curve. The drier itself holds over 100 tons and takes two hours to fill or empty. However once it is up and running it can easily process 25 tons an hour. The first days were hard work - as, whilst the drier is quite modern, the overall system is of some vintage - little is automated and relies on hand adjusted vanes - there are several sensors to tell stop things if something goes wrong - but if this happens the elevators need emptying (by going down several ladders - some start about the height of a house down) and take the side panel off to allow the grain to spill around your feet - knowing you will have to shovel it up. So the trick is to stop things in the right order and not by turning off the last moving part - as i did or allowing it to block and stop itself Laughing

left hand panel is the drier control showing all four burners running, both exhaust fans and a warning that the hopper is not properly full. The right hand panels control the levators and conveyors.

Topaz keeping an eye on things - they have proved very useful as they will bark when the girls come to take seed samples - which is handy as when down a pit with ear defenders and the vacuum running not much is heard.

The dogs have taken it in turn to come along as being a large shooting estate there are quite a nice number of pheasant who visit through the day and who are not that worried by machines or people.

Calshot and the Queen

2011-07-16T01:43:00.000-07:00

Friday - Took Ellie to Calshot - she succeeded where the others had failed - she got up onto ans stayed on the sofa alongside the client. She wanted to play with the next door cocker but it was far to hot so she spent her day mostly in the shade under the table. Her biggest worry was the kite surfers - I think the canopies look like large birds at which she woofed and then ran inside and up the very steep staircase to sit next to me! As we left she was allowed some free running on the sand exposed by low tide.

This is Fudge - he is a Maesydderwen

Ellie shade worshipper

Seagull hunter.

Today took Fresco when I went ot help at HGS 'Retriever Water Picnic' a day of water tests. I managed to have a couple of goes at the novice tests with him - in the first a seen with shot down a bank, across a ditch and up the other side. Nice run out, pick, and return all without any more than a release - but he stopped to give the dummy a bit of a 'seeing to' just the wrong side of the line. He also started to run for the retrieve before it had even been thrown. On the return another was thrown into the same place as a blind. Exemplary retrieve this time, release on name and return to hand at high speed. The judge admitteed he was one of the best performers she had see so far and was astounded at the speed he could change direction.

The next test was a seen thrown into water; handler to then walk away and call the dog in for a blind after which the seen was asked for. He ran in on the first placing of the seen. Came to the recall perfectly but on sending on the blind shot off around the corner I suspect intent on returning to the seen. Stopped and recalled and sent again to the blind. That to hand he went with speed for the first dummy and by the sound of the water entry was quite a dramatic one.

Certainly a lot more drive than any of the dogs I saw operating. I was pleased with his performance. I think more than a few were surprised that a HPR could do it like that and then such a young dog. There are still a lot of preconceived ideas about

I like my vet

2011-07-13T01:42:00.000-07:00

I do like my vets - I admire their honesty. The conclusion about his hot ears was 'my best guess is ...... ' The best guess was an allergy of some sort, but as he had no other hot spots nor anything about his paws then the problem could be extremely difficult to trace. Before going to the vets I had tried a variety of ointments and unctions, 'cornucresin', 'canaural', another dog skin ointment whose name is unknown because 'he' had 'retrieved' the bottle at one time and the label was obliterated and aloe vera gel. Of them all the aloe Vera seemed the best but not as good as the salt water. It could however be that the change of environment was the reason for the improvement rather than the salt.

Training wise I am starting again in the sit to fall of dummy. I had left off this for a while as he was running in more often than I expected. This time he rapidly got the idea but became very 'sticky' whenever he saw I was carrying a dummy. I have to be very careful to keep it hidden until the last minute. I did manage a throw late last week where his bottom came to the deck before I hit the stop whistle - a most pleasing result, but one that was not repeated on our next outing Mad
The next problem I can see developing is his speed - I fear he is outpacing his nose. On dummies his nose is quite startling - he winded a three inch long canvas dummy on choppy waves from about 20 paces yet he can literally run over a dummy in his determination to get to it before it runs off.

I saw a partridge get up from the roadside ahead of us the other day and land in the adjacent field. There was a back wind but I was very pleased to work him out and back behind it on hand signals alone however the bird got up as he worked back up wind - about a yard in front of him; to his surprise. He did sit to his whistle rather than chase it so some good came from the exercise and with luck he got such a good whiff of the fleeing bird he will know for next time (I don't think he has seen a partridge before).

Monday night was HGS night - we did sit to fall with the dogs there, I think i will have to look on that exercise as a 'this is the way to introduce a new command' exercise rather than getting a result as most dogs were still really poor on their sit to whistle - so hard to progress; also hard to encourage the handlers to work on the basic problem. The highlight of the evening was the GSP bogging off - a side of the dog I had never seen before, it lives with three labradors and behaves very much as a sedate labrador so to see it run with some speed was great. Her retrieves have also improved markedly since the handler has been encouraging her to run in for them.

A problem I encounter with my own dogs was also highlighted that evening - the dogs marked well the dummies thrown from alongside but varied widely in the ability to mark those that were thrown from a distance away, mis marking range and also not relating the throw to a retrieve.

building desire

2011-07-06T01:40:00.000-07:00

I don't know how you do it but this is basically the system I am now using.

Build recall - my puppies had the recall whistle from the very first plate of slop that I gave them; the bowl is held down and the whistle blown - the pups are already coming to hand. This is a very important element - the come tohand bit on every recall and something I insist on 95% of the time even on an older dog (sometimes I recast before they are back) - after all a retrieve is just a recall with a mouthfull.

Build the desire to retrieve - i start by forgetting all about steadiness and let the dog run in for every dummy. Every thing that is ever picked up and brought to me gets effusive praise (quite hard when it is you socks or shoes or glasses for the umpteenth time). The dog is never ever wrong to bring me something. Also much praise and chest rubbing and firm stroking before ever taking the item.

I introduce the stop whistle and throw a dummy as a reward. Because the dog wants the dummy so much - because of the job in the step above it will stop and spin around to look at me. One can increase the length of time it has stopped before throwing, adding a hand signal to be able to hold the dog as the dummy is thrown and release it on command.

Taking a line. Choose a path through low vegetation - dogs tend to run defined paths rather than crash through undergrowth. Drop a dummy so the dog sees it and walk on - turn and set the dog up for a blind retrieve and use your body and arms and hand to create a guide, send it back; increase the distance. Once you think the dog has got the idea you can drop a dummy unseen and send it for that (same path idea, same path even) Just make sure you reduce the distance to the 'beginner level' however. Always always use the same build up and hand signal and language. It is a ritual. The outcome is the same - always for the dog; at the end of the run in the direction you have pointed is a retrieve. If the dog goes wrong ie veers off have an 'I don't like that ' noise (I use 'ah ah ah' If you use the stop whistle you will find the dog will quickly anticipate this and become sticky.
Next step is to walk a dog leg so the dog is now not going back along the path it has just taken. Then on to 'seen retrieves' that have been thrown. Whilst there is an argument the dog should mark it and not need any guidance in the early days i like to go through the same ritual. It helps the dog understand it is in retrieving mode and not in hunting mode. If it miss marks don't let it hunt but pick the dummy yourself and try again. When throwing 'marked retrieves' make sure the dog actually has something to mark against - a tree something otherwise your are wanting it to measure trajectory not mark a fall relative to a fixed point, something it can navigate to and around. Teaching trajectory appreciation is easy - throw a dummy and let the dog run to it as it falls - I have yet to see a dog end up in the wrong place.

apologies about swapping between first and third person - not time now to modify it :-) off to the vet with a dog with hot ears.

sticky retrieve

2011-07-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

Took Fresco out on his own twice yesterday - once in the morning - he was very sticky - I think because he knew I was carrying a dummy and as he did not want to miss out on a retrieve he was constantly stopping. Things improved when I put it in my pocket. I was hoping to make a start on his sit to fall.

Again in the evening in the adjacent field of short grass. He ran very well from fence to fence, flat and crossing at a nice close distance in front of me. A few sit to fall exercises and then home and swapped for Catja - a noticable difference in the speed of a male pup and a female matron ! She really fell into the galop. She is carrying a little bit to much weight for my liking and as she probably wont be in the ring again this summer I can make a start on working towards the winter. Topaz's turn was cut short by the return of the cows to the field Crying or Very sad - but he will need some work to improve his stamina I feel.

exploring cues

2011-07-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

Having had those problems exposed last weekend I set about exploring them and the cues that were needed to resolve the issues.

The not turning on the whistle was obviously an 'I know best' or 'I am going to do my own thing' problem as when we went out into a clear grass field and himself decided that he was going to inspect and eat cow poop rather than respond to the whistle. A little bit of leg work on my part disabused him of this idea.

The running in to a dummy rather than coming to hand (quite why one would need to do this at a shoot I am not quite sure) - here I set up a situation where the dog was one side of a length of stock fence and the dummy was thrown over to the other - i was therefore able to interrupt his desire to retrieve as his path was frustrated. He came to hand but was beside himself with frustration and was off like a shot to the pop hole he knew existed in the fence once released. When repeating this in open paddock he came in to hand - but only after a few reminders on the whistle - at least we are going in the right direction.

Another area of practice we are indulging in out in the open is taking a line back to a 'memory' he is running quite nice lines - albeit along natural pathways but is easily distracted by a smell; performing better when his out run is reinforced with regular 'back' commands. It is a trick they can and will learn - Topaz takes a very nice line now and will run it despite the cover in his path - but he is after all seven times older than Fresco.

working test

2011-06-27T10:19:00.000-07:00

Golly - how remiss - no postings for a fortnight!

The weather here has swung between very hot and very wet. Usually being one or the other at dog work times Sad

Tresallier has been approached by two further owners, this time with Weimararners. One who quartered like a train and took no notice of his owner and one who quartered close and was passionalty attentive of the owner. The ranger took so little notice of his handler that the handler failed to notice the fleeting glances; by walking behind and saying when the dog looked and having the handler reinforce with a visula cue the dog's moves this flash glance built up quite quickly to a more attentive 'look' still not a lot but a good start. The dog's next problem was it constantly back cast - something it had obviously been taught to do. Once it was pointed out that a dog or even a human will turn towards the direction of a sound the handler could see how the timing of the whistle and ensuring it went into the correct ear had such a profound effect on the pattern the dog ran. In the space of a session we had the dog going from 'bog off' to ttentive quartering and turning into the wind on the whistle. The hard part will be to maintain this.

The problem with the other dog was the reverse - she paid a lot of attention to the owner - always anticipating a fresh command; it was noticable that at no time did the handler encourage or praise the dog as it was doing right. Repeatedly telling the dog it was 'good' in a happy bright voice changed it from a plodder to a nice pacy enthusiastic runner. Then of course the double whammy of a positive feed back loop kicked in. The better the dog did the happier was the handler which made the dog do better still.

When it came to retrieving the 'ranger' had a fantastic nose and used this to make up for its marking. The attentive one could mark to a sixpence and was out and back in a manner that would make many retrievers stare.

I don't usually enter 'working tests' but I came home last week to find my wife had entered Fresco and I into the Spinone test at Elstead; puppy. He as about the second or third youngest in the field and this was his first ever working test. I was looking forward to seeing how he performed when there were other dogs around. Four retrieving exercises and a hunting exercise.
Retrieve one - a simple memory - walk the dog out at heel (offlead) throw a dummy (seen) and return to start - send dog. Although he went to the spot he had a bit of difficulty finding it; he could smell it but not see it (note to self take yellow dummies not white ones next time) but diligently worked the spot.
Retrieve two - on a triangular path - walk dog out off lead, throw dummy, walk on, sit dog, wlak back towards start. recall dog. send dog for dummy. Handler error here - instead of recalling on the whistle I was going for the silent silent handling approach and used only raised arms - then my mistake I called 'Fresco' at which point he broke back for the dummy. Mu mistake I say because when out training I will sit him on the whistle and then throw a dummy as a reward for the sit - releasing him - yes you guessed by his name.
Retrieve three - a seen - but with a block of bracken between the dog and the thrower so only the trajectory as a guide. et us say a GSP or Munsterlander has a height advantage here. He marked it a tad short, which was not good as what wind was a back wind; however without any further commands he opened up his area of work intelligently until he winded it - but this is not the way to get top marks for a seen.
Hunting - this was in a tree surrounded field with a cheek wind to start with and a head wind at the end. Another error I made was to let him watch a few of the earlier dogs run amok. He ran like a wasp with good pace, slipped his whistle several times and stopped to 'park a dung'. Mind his sit was good.
Water - a short paddle to a dummy. Released on his name. job done. praise.

The winning puppy also won novice, owned and handled by one of the top people - in fact the top few places were taken by trainers of reputation. (and rightly so) I was however very pleased to take the sixth place rosette.

So a useful check on our progress. Points to address..

Turning on whistle when hunting needs to sharpen up.

Recall with a dummy distraction rather than a dummy reward. - I think this will make a good step towards a flying dummy as the cue to sit.

Off lead heel work used to be very good but lacked crispness ( because we haven't practiced it recently? )

HGS training tonight - should be interesting as I expect some new members and also we have access to a 4x dummy launcher.

beach hut

2011-06-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

I have three 'jobs' on the go at the moment - one is in a beach hut at Calshot with a view over to the Isle of Wight. Fresco seems to love it there and spends a lot of time (if allowed) in the water. Here he is resigned to just watching the seagulls.

Friday saw an early start to attend the show in the Malverns - under Pat Rush. Despite being on site in plenty of time - somehow I nearly missed my class with Fresco - so thanks to those who found me! A good thing, with Fresco winning Best Puppy. Pleased with that as this will be his last outing for some while I think and to get an appraisal from such a breed specialist is very useful. I was then asked could I run a friend's bitch ? - a lovely biddable girl she was (the dog that is) who moved nicely , stood well and spat out the treat she was offered in disdain. Laughing a great delight for her owner when we won the bitch ticket and then went on to be judge Best of Breed. I have to admit for the first time I really saw how competitive dog showing could become addictive - I was in that ring to beat the opposition. I didn't know I was that competitive. Unfortunately I had to leave immediately to drive to a job near Southampton, finishing there just after 7pm - a long day.

Saturday met up again with Barney and his handler and a friend of hers with a GSP. A bit of ground I had recc'ed a few weeks before. My how Barney had come on - he was not spitting his dummy, he was moving freely away from his handler and was attentive to her - it was a real pleasure to watch. She had worked on responding to him any time he looked at her and also having him always come to her hand whenever called in.

Sunday - what is this ? rain all day! took all up to Burkham and worked them across the large field several times - Fresco worked the wind well and also had a nice range and speed; something he has not really displayed before, mind you I have not previously encouraged him to. Might this be because the weather was cooler or is it just his age? He sat well on his whistle when stopped from thinking about chasing tweety birds. Will soon have to consider introducing him to some proper game.

seeing the light

2011-06-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

An 'interesting' week - Tuesday a recent tick bite flared up into the classic Lyme's disease bullseye rash so half a morning at the doctors for antibiotics and a blood test. Wednesday - a phone call to tell me my son had been missing for 12 hours in the Cuillins (a jagged mountain range on the Isle of Skye ) he was walking the ridge on his own after splitting with his girlfriend. All however ended well; looking back it was interesting to see how one copes with that sort of news - you hear what the person says to you but you don't comprehend the content beyond the basic statement. Thursday the garage's initial diagnosis of the engine noise is - needs a new gearbox. Friday saw me carrying five sheets of plywood up a windy beach - most amusing to the spectators my spins and turns. Made me feel my age!

Saturday had a long delayed outing with a young Viszla and his owner, a sort of 'exploratory' outing to see where if anywhere I could help. The dog had done well at some working tests - retrieving - but had always been marked badly on hunting. After an hours walk I felt it was a combination of a young dog who did not really know the 'game' who was looking rather than hunting, it was a dog that had often gone out with two spaniels run by a handler who would not let them out of his sight and an owner who was unsure of what she should or the dog actually do. i had Catja with me - the Viszla initially ran around after her like a wasp however soon settled into doing its own thing - it quartered nicely, flat and not to wide, kept checking back with the owner, came to its whistle well - a nice dog without experience, time is on their side.

When we did some retrieving exercises the dog ( called Barney) was very keen on the dummy, but spat it at his owners feet - she was doing the classic 'lunge' to catch it before it hit the floor. The dog had no 'hold' command and also would reject anything put to its mouth even if it had only just retrieved it. Whilst explaining the idea about not taking the dummy immediately I threw another for it and on the dogs return caught it by the collar and stroked its chest and talked to it - it held the dummy without chewing and gave it on request. I tried something different - sat the dog out and held it on a hand signal (arm up like a policeman), threw a dummy and then released it on its name. Nicely to hand.

This was quite a moment for finally seeing the obvious for me. It would seem handling dogs is not about 'training' them to do as you want but it is about 'understanding the cues we have to give to get the behaviour we want'

Sunday - the Brittany Club Open show. Catja is looking very good at the moment so I had high hopes, once in the ring she had other ideas - so put on her best beagle ears would not stand still - until after the placings when she stood magnificently, elongated her neck and put up her ears - something not lost on the audience judging by the roar of laughter.
Fresco managed First in puppy dog - but then he had no competition and His sister first in puppy bitch, Fresco taking Best Puppy in Show. He has a long way to go body wise but it was reassuring to talk to those more experienced than me and hear their words of advice, he seems very popular.

feeding regime

2011-05-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

Catja has been looking as if she were holding on to her weight a bit to much and Ellie has been a bit under the weather - i think more attention needs to be taken by me at feeding times, I suspect some are eating the food of others! About mid week all had to skip a meal and had an extra exercise run in the morning (save Fresco who had his usual rations). i think he has little kangaroo pouches in his real legs as the muscle volume on these outrageous yet he always looks as if he needs a feed. Even after a feed, save when he has had rice pudding. Laughing

Anyway the feeding regime seems to have worked for Catja who was looking good yesterday - she won BoB at South of England Gundog. RBoB Mabeleine. Fresco won best puppy - not hard as he was the only one and Topaz won best AV Field Trial dog or bitch, he also looked really good.

Finally got my new website up and running this week.

www.guybagshaw.co.uk

some of you will recognise some of the work.

HGS training

2011-05-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Monday was HGS training night - or so I thought; I was not alone with this thought so a few of us moved to a new venue and had an interesting evening doing blind retrieves through thick cover, marking by sound alone and some 'walked up' seen retrieves into standing crop. (walked up - the dogs and handlers walk with dogs off lead, dummy thrower fires shot and throws dummy and then selects a dog to retrieve. To help reinforce sit to shot and marking. We used a field of rape throwing the dummy into the edge of the footpath that runs across it)

What was most interesting to me was how well the dogs can mark by the sound of the fall alone - it was done so thy could not see the dummy at any stage).

On the blind retrieves in thick cover I was very pleased with Fresco as he eyewiped the other dogs on two occasions. Purely by holding his ground better. I was out of my comfort zone with regard these retrieves for him but he seemed to step up a gear (if that is possible); might have been the fact there were other dogs getting to have a go all the time.?

26 May

2009-05-26T22:32:00.000-07:00

Basic heel work and the new style 'back' signal.

Back signal seemed to work well - but we were on the roadway outside the workshop so some good ground lines to follow and not much going on either side of the tarmac.

Heelwork - should do this more often as it really improved all the dog's focus. Ellie seems to love it and walks along looking up with a 'I love my Dad' look on her face - to her lead means going for a walk.

Topaz also was very focused and did squares and about turns and reverse turns on the spot. One of my favourites (don't ask me why I don't know) is the one step forward and sit stop, step after step.
Not quite as good off the lead.

Latest on the Bobwhite front.
12/18 candled fertile.

All fertile made it to hatching
4 failed to make it out of the shells - they made a start but failed even with human help to make it.
5 hatched but died as they had straight legs - unable to stand up.
3 have survived and seem quite strong - well are growing and are noisy.

Now have 120 coturnix quail eggs on their way.

2009-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

Bank Holiday Monday.

Some basic directional work with Topaz over two sessions. At 100 yards he keeps coming back on what is a directional cast. I will really have to think about these hand signals. The response is far from good enough.
The 'go back' hand signal I am changing from a hand wave - not unlike a ostrich head nodding agreement to a 'punch the air' signal - used by Andreas Eissing when he was over here last year. To start with I have only done this on paths and field edges so there is a nice boundary to follow.

Catja had some work on her sit and turn. I have let her get out a bit to far so am now having to close her down a bit. After yesterdays bimble about looking for the distractions - I know she knows 'fetch' and I know she knows 'find' as separate commands - but I am beginning to think one coul

Ellie - along with Catja had a run in a silage field. Knackered in about 10 mins - the hill is on a steep slope and the only way through is to bound (unless running a wheeling) .

Tuesday will be some very basic heelwork - but they don't know that yet

2009-05-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-05-23T14:35:00.000-07:00

Bob whites are suffering - they seem to have locked knees and so cannot stand - only one has so far survived. Internet research suggests itis a problem of close relation. So another good reason for having a pedigree and using it!

Saturday - a good doggy day. Took them all to the New Forest for a run on heather and work in the pond that Tara and Amber know so well. They had a fantastic time. Catja was spronking from tussock to tussock - chasing dragonflies mainly.
Ellie was the dark horse - she got into the water to retrieve a dummy and return it to me - time after time; with passion. She has never done that before. I wish i had my camera with me as she went nose to nose with a big shaggy beast. the cows and horses were not phased by dogs so it was a great chance to work the dogs around them.

Returned home and then a trip out to see the bob whites or bob white as it turned out plus another walk up an old ox drove. A good point by Topaz but he moved in after the flush.

The moral for the day however was Ellie - one should never give up on a Brittany - I wish there was some way to tell her i was so proud of her today.

2009-05-22T14:36:00.000-07:00

Early breaking news - as in egg shells. So far 5 bob whites have hatched but one later died . Two more chipping their way out.

Took all three dogs up to the Lythe at Selborne. Have not been there for over a year. At the end are a couple of man made ponds which I have in the past used with Topaz for some water work (and had Scouts up there floating paper boats with candles in them - at dusk - quite magical - think Divali)

A couple of nice old fashioned meadows on the way for some marks into long grass. The pond was nice and clear save a swan half way along. That was not a problem until it decided the pond was not large enough for all of us and it was there first. Topaz in a burst of innocent enthusiasm paddled out towards it and 'was on a mission' but decided to heed my recall when the bird started to paddle towards him. The last thing I wanted was Catja to have another reason not to go in so we moved to an adjacent pond - not such a nice entrance and i threw a dummy in as a blind and sent Catja 'back' for it from a start about 20 feet from the shore. She got into the water and only then winded it. I was very pleased with this as she is now becoming quite reliable at getting into water from a variety of banks. Not sure how far she would swim though - that has to be the next area of work.

On the way back to the car more 'marks'. Topaz just will not pay attention and watch the dummy away and down, he always at the last moment looks away so the majority of retrieves are 'blinds' - which does look good when he should be out and back.

Lastly did a few long 'memorys' and for Catja a blind that needed her to go back through a kissing gate - I wanted to get her through a physical barrier with the ground texture staying the same; next time I will try a hedge, or a small fence jump or maybe a small stream.

2009-05-19T14:37:00.000-07:00

Work is definitely getting in the way of dogs at the moment. We did however get across the road for the first time in many weeks. The grass field was fresh sown earlier in the year and is now nearly half a metre high. The dogs love it but keeping track of them is difficult as one only has the occasional flap of ears to mark their progress. Sit them in the middle and they are completely lost from view

No more news at present on the Bob Whites 12 of the 18 candled as fertile; but in the meantime I have been invited to use a pheasant training pen. Looking forward to that as this could be the first good step in getting Catja steadier to flush.

2009-05-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Monday - HGS night. two this week. one 15 month and one 5 month. Simple seen retrieves followed by some hunting followed by some more seens.
It is a real pleasure to see a dog come on - the Vizla at the end was really holding her ground and hunting for the dummy (which she had miss marked) Whilst I would normally want to see a mark run to and not hunted for I felt it was important to see just how determined this little bitch was; and she was. The Brittany on the other hand went over the courseof the evening from retrieving only a feather to returning to hand with a puppy dummy. Such a happy little dog that never strayed far whilst hunting (albeit looking) She enjoyed working with her owner who was being encouraged to 'look' into undergrowth as well.

Catja was there as 'demo dog' - when handlers have never done something before it often easier after describing what I want them to do to do it with my own dog so they can see. One can talk over the dogs actions much more effectively than directly to a handler as they are running or after. As we were near the pond we finished with a few simple water retrieves. these she went straight in for without hesitation; and then back in almost for the hell of it.

In the trainers 'wash up meeting' (we have a chance to discuss how our evening went and problems or otherwise ) a couple of interesting points were raised. One was about a recent working assesment where the judge admonished the handlers for wearing their whistles around their necks - in the judges opinion they should carried like referee whistles off the wrist. Ready to put to mouth but not in mouth. None of us could see the benefit of this and all wear neck lanyards and have developed the art of talking around the whistle to the dog (and to others should the need arise). The whistle is there to offer immediate command, milliseconds can make all the difference!. Someone suggested they would loose their dentures - as they often directed the dog and blew the whistle at the same time.
If using a silent whistle (metal) then the trick is to put a piece of plastic tube (available from Band Q or similar) on the end with which to hold the whistle. (it also gives you something to chew on when it all gets a bit tense )

2009-05-17T14:39:00.000-07:00

Saturday - no dog work as i got sucked into repairing one of the forklifts. Rebuilding a solenoid was straight forward but it worked on teh bnech but not in the truck .... hmmmmm.

Sunday Retriever training with 'les oranges'. Catja started quite well but tailed off in performance - had a new trick introduced - the 'short lead gee up' On a short lead the dog is fired up and then put back to heel this is repeated a few times and then set up for the retrieve. A much improved out run.
Topaz once he had got his toilet duties off his mind settled down well. We had a path with dummies set either side - the wind direction across the path axis. At the outset we had to commit to the side from which the dog would retrieve. He was quite good at it. I was pretty pleased. Need some work on his hand signals but the sit wasn't bad - for him.

A quick trip to the workshop ended a good day - I had worked out what i might need to do to get the solenoid to work and it DID!! so that is one sorted, just need to change a few bits of electronics and rework a commutator on the other.

2009-05-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday
Hmm - I have a bit of a moral dilemma. Catja was out and about the workshop this afternoon - mainly asleep at my feet at the desk. However suddenly I had this sense she wasn't there and at the same time there was a call from the workshop to say 'I think you have a problem with your dog' She was standing in the middle of the workshop with a live chicken in her mouth.

There are chickens in the garden next door - but through a hedge and behind some chicken wire.

The chicken was a bit short of feathers but seemed otherwise ok so I put it back in the hedge and when i went back a bit later it had gone.

Now the dilemma - should i go around and knock on the door or should presumption lay blame at the feet of a local fox? After all if my little dog can get in then the local fox certainly could.

2009-05-13T14:40:00.000-07:00

2009-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Monday
A catch up day at my desk - the price one pays for taking time off!

The evening saw topaz and i off to HGS gundog training. We were on a lovely bit at the edge of a wood with a small decoy pond. It did himself good to stay tied to the game bag and watch the vizsla. A lovely 15 month who came on a treat in the space of an hour - I got the handler to change their whistle sit command to a more 'spaniel' style 'peep' away from the more genteel 'would you awfully mind stopping and sitting' version she was using. That worked well. With a length of line on (as this dog was magnetically attracted to the water) we did some simple marked retrieves. Including a couple of goes with Monet's old duck- who is now becoming well traveled - his last flight being outside the hotel at Fritzlar.

Topaz as a reward had a directed blind on the pond; sent in, stopped, directed one way before dummy was thrown in behind him and he was redirected to that. Quite pleased as he did not follow his urge to get onto the island and look for duck!

2009-05-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Gosh - i see i haven't posted since last Tuesday!
The week being a short one for me - BH on Monday and away on Friday and the in between we were on site so no dog training and no walking save daily duties exercise.

Friday - a day in the car for them all as we went off to the CBV show in Fritzlar in Germany. Twelve hours door to door with areas of traffic that put the M25 to shame (in the extent of carparking they offered). Normally on a 500 mile trip one can reckon on beating the satnav by about half an hour or so including stops - but this time no stops ad an hour and half behind.
It was nice to meet up with some old friends. a nice convivial dinner ended the day. Catja's photo in the Shooting Gazette meeting with much approval - I do sense the German Club looks upon her as 'our Catja'

Saturday - Early breakfast and a walk out to the stream where of course all got wet!
The show was held at the local horse centre and was on grass outside so a blessing as there was little need to hoover the ground for ants. Catja moved very well and stood well. The tips and tricks from Les Strudwick (he of Leonbergers and now proud owner of Array Adorn Eastonite) were useful - Catja was walking into a good stand and did not need to be handled. I did try my 'this is the best dog here' face but as the judge does not speak English this probably did not get across. The judging was shared between the Breed Master and Club Secretary (the French judge who had been booked was unable to attend)

This is a conformation show - The dogs are graded as in France and then those graded excellent are put in to order 1,2,3 etc. Dogs need to attend this before they can be bred from; the result is entered officially onto the dogs papers.

Catja was graded excellent and placed first in her class (open). She then went on to be give the position of best bitch in the show. A best in show between dog and bitch is not given.

pictures here http://www.facebook.com/album.php...amp;id=716403565&l=fb738e7d37

after the show a scurry was run pictures here http://www.facebook.com/album.php...amp;id=716403565&l=6f867a7d74

A lovely day with great people - there were as many who had come just to watch (without dogs) as were entered. - which indicates how sincere they are about the dogs. After the show Julia and I retired into town for cake and beer - which seemed the better option to attending the club AGM.

A final chat and coffee with Andrea, Hermann and Anne before they departed. Donald (Catja's half brother a most lovely faced laid back dog) displayed some calm retrieving on the hotel forecourt whilst Catja indulged in some puppy bounce style retrieves rather than her more sedate usual style - I think having an audience went to her head. It was interesting to see how Catja went into play mode the moment she saw the sister she had spent many months with whereas others had to go through the rigmarole of becoming friends. She recognised Andrea and Hermann immediately and subjected them to her enthusiastic greeting.

Sunday - the long drive home. Preceded by a nice walk by the river. They were all loose and Topaz disappeared, on looking around i saw an orange and white streak racing along the far boundary of the football field we were next to. Whistled the stop - nothing. Then realised it was not Topaz at all but another dog. topaz was eventually seen on point amongst some nettles; and as I went in to move him on the other two backed which was rather nice. He put up a duck which Catja then proceeded to chase - so that is not sorted yet! On her return I said nothing. (previous posts refer to my current thinking about this behaviour). She did find a retrieve however - proudly bringing in a wooden clog. Her fear of water seems to be nicely under control - she was going in just for the fun of it, walking in or jumping in off a log and swimming around in circles. Back to the hotel for breakfast to be serenaded by the hotel's resident grey parrot whistling Colonel Bogey - much to my amusement.

Last job of the day- before moving off- was to find a supermarket to buy some beer to bring home - but they are all shut on Sunday. Did manage to get some 'drop' in a Dutch petrol station en route though

2009-05-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Bank holiday weekend.

Saturday - took her to the stream at work for a bit of a play in the water. I have to admit I got the sense she did not want to stop.

One of the points raised in the book i am reading is about play being used not to act out hunting scenarios but actually to test out uncertainties in a safe environment. It was with attitude of mind that I took her into the stream on Saturday, donning my wellies and splashing around with her.
Later in the afternoon we went to Ropley pond for another session. I hunted her around the pond first and then threw a dummy and almost immediately sent her in. There was no hesitation. Several more and I called it a day. The last being off a little bank - so was a 'jump in'

Sunday - we had volunteered to man a Brittany stand at the Blindley Heath Country fair. It is a small world as we were next to the girl who brings her Sussex to the shoot we pick up on. There was a most impressive display by a Welsh sheepdog handler who herded a flock of Indian Running Ducks around the ring with three collies. All on different whistles for left and right. He moved them forward by calling their name in a soft voice and stopped each by using its name in a hard voice - much as you would admonish a child - he said.
Walking an HPR around a game fair is most time consuming. She was on point to the birds of prey, and then the ducks and chickens and was gripped the sheepdog and duck display. When the spaniels did their display she marked every dummy - much to the amusement of the people standing next to us. I was most interested they teach their spaniels to be steady before they teach them to retrieve.
Monday - went to work briefly to empty my car of junk and at the same time gave my starting pistol and dummy launcher a bit of TLC and oil. The launcher, not having any grease handy put some wax on the shaft. I went outside and gave it a go - forgetting that I only now have 'long' blanks. The dummy flew 100 feet before it hit the top of a tree and fell to earth through the branches. Moments later the man who was working in the field appeared and started looking about. So plan B kicked into action as I had no wish to explain or justify my action - Plan B involved hunting Catja around the back of the yards and into the rape field with a few dummy retrieves for good measure, a walk to the stream and then back with a view to hunting up the 'fall' as we went past. The field person waved at us cheerily and the dog particularly as she carried her dummy along. We did a simple water retrieve and then as we returned Catja ran off to the fall having obviously marked it from earlier.

On the way home via the pond - again- this time i put Monet's duck out on the pond before fetching her from the car, a little hunt and then an 'aport' from a distance (as a directed blind). She went straight in. Another as a long mark saw her go in at the earliest opportunity rather than run down the bank for the shortest swim - that did surprise me. There is a small jetty over a bank of iris or similar, about 2' above the water; I thought we had made so much progress I would throw the dummy from here and show her how to enter from the bank. Well no chance for that she just jumped straight of the jetty.

Only once did she hesitate on entry and that was where she was next to lemna covered water; this she patted hesitantly so I called her away and sent her from a different place. The concept of texture and contrast certainly is worth paying attention to.

2009-05-01T14:43:00.000-07:00

another idea thrown up by the autism book. Dogs don't handle distinct change. That is they don't take to new situations.

This I found interesting as it seemed to be another way of expressing the 'dogs don't generalise' concept. With the added idea of contrast or change as the de-motivator rather than 'new'. So for instance (and this is my take on it) a plain sight retrieve on flat ground is different from a plain sight retrieve on flat ground with a footpath to cross in the middle. - unless of course the dog has crossed footpaths several times before. because there is a change in contrast in the ground both texture and colour and this is what is making the dog wary.

Anyway - Wednesday was quite warm so took the orange to the water with a view to only splashing about at the edge - harking back to the idea of detail one of the things Catja baulks at is sparkles on the water - so I thought 'get her to make her own' Sent Topaz out on a blind (so blind there was in fact nothing out there) once out I lobbed the dummy in (only about 5 yards) off he goes for it and in jumps herself and swims out to it. She has never gone into that bit of water before. ! A couple more retrieves some over the stream and on the other bank. (going to be a loss when they let the pub opposite whose garden I am using by proxy )
They were both then on super-hypaw drive; I have noticed that before that once wet the rate of travel increases.

Last night there was a mist over the field about 10 feet deep - you could see it coming down the valley. The grass was jeweled with pearls of water - scenting must have been good as they all were very 'busy'

2009-04-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

A useful morning yesterday with the keeper. lovely water. good hedgerows and woods and fields. Fly in the ointment is he felt the 'syndicate' would not wish to have field trials in the shooting season - which is contrary to the view the landowner held. Tests and Spring Pointing were OK - will just have to see. I think a panel judge or two and a meeting with all stake holders is called for.

Took himself with me on our drive around and he did his usual bit of standing on the cuddy box peering out of the front window. When we visited the water he went on point and flushed a pheasant from behind a tree - very pleasing.

On the way home stopped off for a bit of water work, as I had wellies on board I went in with her. She was on super hyper drive after getting wet, didn't wish to go home.

Another thought from the autism book - animals react to detail, it is the small things that stop them, if there are several connected to one behaviour you need to correct all the details not just some of them before you will get an improvement - but then it will all drop into place at once.

2009-04-28T14:45:00.000-07:00

Tried a new exercise for the orange ones. - clock or waggon wheel. I am reading a couple of books at the moment that have prompted a few thoughts. ' The Pershore Way - training retrievers' said something along the lines - 'repetition is the greatest tool for a dogs understanding'; the other, which I have only just started and bodes well is by Temple Grandin - Animals in Transition. (about using an understanding of autism to understand animal behaviour) here she related a story about 20% of air line pilots in flight simulators not seeing a plane parked on thier approach runway. Highlighting the fact that in a lot of cases we 'see' what we expect to see and the corollary we don't see what we don't expect.

It was this idea of a dog seeing what it expected to see linked with the idea of repetition as a training tool that seemed so powerful.

Back to the waggon wheels - they were both 'pants' we were in a grass field so no natural 'paths' to line them on. Catja wanted to go where she could smell one and Topaz just kept drifting off line or taking his own line. Instead of the 10 yard blind retrieves (the grass is long and hiding the dummies) with arrow like precision I had thought would be nice we ended up doing five yard runs to ensure success each time. I might have to go to a park or somewhere like that to get short grass for seen retrieves.

Otherwise it has been a good doggy day. I won some bob white quail eggs on eBay and have a keeper lined up to hatch them for me; and I have a meeting with another keeper for a tour of his ground for a new FT venue.

2009-04-26T23:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday - a very good dog day!
morning - a couple of hours helping an errant Brittany find her paws. You have to love these dogs - this little bitch knew exctly what to do but was playing everything to her advantage. A few pointers to the handlers and a whole new world opened for all of them. It was lovely to see how she related to them in the end. A dog with a tail is so much easier to understand :-)

afternoon - Topaz to retriever training. 100yard blinds. he did this quite well - but his taking a line needs to be improved. He did not swap dummies however!

It came to mind today that Brittanys 'speed hear' - a bit like speed reading where you pick up key words and fill in the understanding. Brittanys do this - hearing particular words and filling in the missing bits to suit themselves :-)

2009-04-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

2009-04-25T14:46:00.000-07:00

Friday was spent driving to Kent and back - no dog work

Saturday - hours and hours in traffic in London. But late afternoon saw a chance to work Topaz up a hedge and along the edge of a grass field. Oh I do hope he retains this style in the coming season. I do however feel he now needs ome work on his 'lines' they could do with being a bit crisper - straighter for longer. The stop is pretty good at the moment.

Catja - I threw a blind in the adjacent field before letting her out - that was to easy. Work with her is to go further on a cast; before letting her nose kick in.

After this took them up to the pond. Catja went in when instructed; but i would not say happily. Second retrieve was much better and her hunting of the margins once wet was exemplary and very fast. I threw her duck across the corner - expecting her to run the bank and go in close to it. To my surprise she jumped straight in and swam a good 30 odd feet to the dummy - returning by the bank route.

I left the dummy on the bank and got Topaz out of the car. Sent across the pond and out the other side then along the bank to the duck. I even convinced him to come back over the pond - despite his start around the bank.

2009-04-23T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday - no dog training as it was my FIL's funeral.

Thursday - had a site visit about 100 yards from 'our' pond so had a little session there. Catja went in OK to a retrieve about 2 metres in but one that was about 5 metres out fazed her. Topaz to the rescue.

Repeating closer again and then subsequent further ones had her swimming out with speed - but i am not sure if she is doing it because she 'must' rather than because she wishes to.

I might have to invest in a a pair of chest waders so can get out there with her.

Lunch time a quick trip out for some memories and marks in the field margins. A cock pheasant got up downwind of from within the rape which is now about four feet high. Catja watched it away and then went to investigate. One could watch her progress by the swaying stalks. Out of interest I tried the stop whistle - and she did; so at least she responds to the sound as a command and not any visual cues as well.

2009-04-21T14:47:00.000-07:00

well Mark I driven by PO rubber bands did not have sufficient umph. Mark II with the rubber bands replaced by a piece of shock chord worked but only after a fashion - the feathers moved a bit when the dummy was in the water but the whole thing ran out of 'go' after to short a time. Topaz was sent to retrieve it and was less than impressed - picking it up by a single feather. It now lies in the bin.

Tonight was 'Fun night' at ringcraft. Norwegian judge. Catja did not make it to the cut in her class. Ellie in Graduate took first out of 12 and then went on to be Reserve Best. Quite a result for her. Particularly as I only took her at the last minute as I know she likes parading. She did move well and her tail did not stop; she walked into ever stand. Chuffed.

2009-04-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

I have been reading a couple of books I recently bought on Amazon. one on the biology of dog behaviour - which is fascinating - about why rather than how, and Cotton - retriever training. This also has revealed a number of insights. The first one I like was teh assertion that even his best dogs needed reminder lessons in obedience and heelwork as often as twice a week. It makes a change to read a top trainer voice a view other than 'repeat half a dozen times to set the behaviour.

Continued the individual outings, with the emphasis on stop. Catja now puts her bum down in a flash when close but when out will often only stand. I would like to get her to sit sharply when away - so that any lapse in this eres towards the stand rather than standing now when any lapse is still movement.

I got to thinking about the sit close and sit out scenario - and began to wonder if it is not distance that is the key but 'attention' or 'focus' on me or even 'us' as a team. When working close it is a case of 'look here' 'now look there' with the odd dummy thrown in behind so she learns that I know where they are ans she may well have missed them. However when away she is more self directed in her hunting, led by her nose. I think received thinking is the dog has gone from 'pack drive' to 'prey drive' . If this is the case - and it makes sense to me then I need to dream up some way of keeping the dog in touch with me when she is in prey drive.

Wyngold's post elsewhere about high prey and high retrieve drive dogs being hard to make steady also struck a chord.

She also had a small session in Ropley pond and another in the local stream. The local stream is a small chalk stream with watercress in it, cold and a bit swift - so I am only using the slack water to get her happy to go in; if the dummy gets into the stream she is not happy enough to bounce after it but climbs out and then watches it from the bank. Ropley pond has a shallow entrance and is still water, full of dead leaves and at the edges the mud stinks. Here I am using the slope to encourage her further and further in until she swims, once wet we go to a banked bit so there is drop into the water.

Without access to a pinioned duck I can only build on her desire to retrieve her normal dummy. I have the concept of a dummy with twiddling wings (something like a cotton reel tank from my childhood - for those who have not had the pleasure get a cotton reel - the ones about 30mm diam and thread a small rubber band down the middle, put a piece of matchstick under one end and hold it in place with a piece of selotape, put a whole match the other and use this to wind up the rubber band; put it on the floor and let go.) So if i did something similar with a dummy and a bit of pheasant wing - threw that into the pond I would have a very enticing object.

2009-04-16T14:49:00.001-07:00

Only took Catja out last night - the idea being to hunt her across the grass field en route to the set aside corner. Hmm she ran well and then spotted a couple of cocks fighting and went hell for leather after them, when they were no longer available she kept hunting on her own. Me in hot pursuit. I think I have somehow taught her that I am displeased she does not catch them. Not that I am displeased she did not stop to the whistle. I will have to rethink my strategy.

2009-04-16T14:49:00.000-07:00

Today - different venue and just ran each separately. Catja sat when asked, once when she disappeared around a corner - when I arrived she was sitting where i would have expected to find her with an 'is this alright dad' type of look.

Topaz was much more up to speed than the other day and most times did no more than three steps before sitting - so a work in progress; but at least he was doing it every time. The biggest problem was he wanted to be drawn towards the wrong hedge.

Ellie had a lovely run - round and round in ever decreasing circles. She started tight at heel and was pleased to be ther it seemed. She would sit as I raised my whistle let alone blew it.

2009-04-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a trip down memory lane. We had a small job in London only a mile or so from where i used to live 30 years ago. So after we had finished I took them for a brief walk in Belair Park. This is where I took my first spaniel 'Bracken' I still remember her first encounter with ice - racing across the snow she saw some duck in a small patch of water; without stopping at the edge of the pond she continued only to realise the change in surface texture. Classic cartoon reverse paddling with her feet ensued as she slid across the ice.

I thought a little visit might be useful for Catja as the duck are very tame and used to dogs so we could get quite close without them flying off. I even managed to get her to go into the water on command (but only with insistence in the voice and me standing right behind her) which I think was a good step. Mind she had the last word on the subject as she smelt like a stale muddy puddle all the way home.

Funny what memories spring to mind from little triggers - I then remembered how we had first got Bracken - we went to see a litter and left saying we would think about it. However our vehicle suffered a puncture about half a mile away - something we saw as an omen about leaving without a pup - so we went back and said we would have one.

october 14th

2008-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

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.

training day - Suffolk

2008-10-13T07:45:00.001-07:00

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.

october 11th

2008-10-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

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.

october 9

2008-10-09T07:42:00.000-07:00

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

2008-03-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

Giverset Forest

Catja vom Junkenhof

2008-03-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Catja's first 'outing' was to the GWP Spring pointing test at Moundsmere. This just happens to be the estate we dog in for and beat on in the winter. Two very nice runs from her but no birds were found, unless you count the dried carcase she found in the rape and brought back to hand:-)

KC Novice Field Trial

2008-02-01T09:45:00.000-08:00

We were forecast rain and snow later - but in the end we had a bright sunny windy day.

I entered this a long time back and meant to withdraw after our efforts at Mordiford - where himself ran in and after his bird. A quick end to a four hour drive and a four hour walk around saturated fields! Anyway the draw came and we were fifth reserve so the decision was made for me - until Wednesday when a phone call said there was a run available would I like to take it. All that resolve to have a rest went in a fraction of a second.

With only a couple of days notice I had no time to 'prepare' only one trip to a local wood for some hunting and retrieving, and a blast across winter wheat to sharpen up his pattern.

The first run was along a hedge and in a small cover strip. We were running 5th and it was obvious, it being Feb 1st the birds were not sitting around politely awaiting the visit of an HPR. Topaz worked the hedge fast and nailed a bird, it was flushed and he SAT. worked on he got a little too far ahead and we were called back to work the cover crop; his guardian angel had her eye out for him as he came back down a wheeling and then spun on point, the bird flushing very soon after - he did not move save to sit and look to see if he could see the bird away. no retrieves. We were still in by the skin of our teeth His drive and that he produced the birds outweighed his poor in places ground treatment.

Second run - in a piece of waste ground with a very strong tail wind. i suggested to the judge I would start down the leeward corner - but he said the host did not want the ground worked to the boundary behind us so I cast him off differently. He initially ignored the whistle (something he is prone to do when in competitions) and ran off to the end of the patch and started working there. I felt it best to keep quiet - my best move as the dog then worked up to us into the wind. A few more bits of ground - the dog now much sharper on the whistle - so it is more obvious he was under control. Again through by the skin of our teeth - his drive, speed and determination outweighing his distant working. The judge said I would have been better 'starting the dog down into the far corner' - I said I thought that is the question I had asked - he thought I had said I had wanted to go down there to work the dog back myself. Nice to have clarified that.

So we just needed some retrieves. Luck again held out as our first was about 40 feet across woodland to a hedge for a dead hen. This was a hard close hit bird with a shattered rib cage and broken legs. We were given the benefit of any doubt (he had done a lot of 'arranging' as he picked it up. We still needed another retrieve - and fortunately there were two birds down at the end of the wood - in front of the gallery. One in open grass and the other in the wood behind a wood pile - they thought. We were given the woodpile bird. Concerned he might wish to go hunting in any direction but the right one I used the little anticlockwise reverse (turn on the spot with the dog at heel so it has to focus on me) and set him up. He exploded towards the gap behind the woodpile - about 50 yards away, running as if there was a line on the ground to follow (bear in mind there was a cheek wind) at the same moment I blew the stop (as I wanted to then give the 'hunt there') he spun on scent ran in and picked the bird up, by the shoulder and brought it back. Penny Simpson was there taking photos so I have something to really remember that by.

We made the water. Topaz does water.

3rd Nick Lamberts HV b Archenfield Wigeon
CoM Guy Bagshaw Britt d Tailliside Water Chestnut of Tresallier

Judges John Naylor, Ray Butler.

I have to admit I was in a daze, the retrieve had made my day but not until I was about half an hour away did the result really hit me. The warmth and sincerity of all the competitors congratulations was phenomenal - and very humbling.

It was nice to see two Brittanys running - Mick Young on his first FT; was unlucky to have a difficult piece of ground for his second run - very wide and with a strong tail wind. Ruby worked a good solid performance, responsive to Mick; her style gives her a nice tight pattern so Mick chose to work the last quarter of the field - I think before coming back to work the other. In hindsight if the guns and judges had stayed still-- - a bird was kicked up from ground he had not worked so he was out for missed game.

That was our first Certificate of Merit - ever! a really nice way to end the season.

2008-01-20T11:08:00.000-08:00

Early days in the New Forest.

Catja at Loudiac

2007-08-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

Five rings of Brittanys. Over three hundred dogs entered. All got judged and an appraisal of each is given to the handler at the time. The dogs deemed 'excellent' had a chance to be judged and placed No 1, 2 or 3. however this is arrived at it seems by attrition, one dog after another is dropped. There were four UK dogs entered. 2 open dogs, open bitch and veteran bitch. Mick Young's bitch was the last bitch to be put out of the ring before the line up was finally decided from an initial class of 46. Britt, was placed 3rd in her class of Veteran Females. We had not entered Topaz – another year should see him body up a bit more.

Something that was especially good to see was David Campbell from Canada and Kathy Gorman (BCGB) assisting in the ring. Not just as box ticking record keepers but judging by the arm movements very much involved in the assessment of each dog.

The high point for the Sunday for me was to meet Catja again and have her to ourselves for several hours. She is – he says with blinkered eyes – a magic little dog. Hermann has done some impressive work with her. For instance she went off to play with another dog and his answer was to call her and throw a dummy - she forsook her new friend and ran to the dummy. Perhaps she is not a real Brittany?? Running around (chasing her own shadow as much as anything) wore her out. Not much beats having a puppy go to sleep on ones lap.

lunch

2007-08-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

It is now lunch time; three vast covered eating areas had been set up and ten large cast iron wood fired boilers had been preparing the meal all morning. Each person had half a front leg of pork with carrots potatoes and a quarter of savoy cabbage – that is if you could eat that much. This was preceded by melon and ham and followed by an apple tart and coffee. All for 10 euro. The only extra to pay for was the wine. The link between hunting dog and food is very strong. Those who attended the 'foreigners welcome dinner' on Thursday night spoke of boundless food and wine of very high quality. Having heard so much about that particular meal I was disappointed by the evening meal on Friday, overcooked curried chicken was not my idea of French cuisine which coupled with an unimpressive red wine and a carafe of water straight from the tap tasting strongly of chlorine made a memorable experience. Saturday nights gala dinner was however spectacular. The 40 euro ticket (about £25) brought with it an array of hot and cold canapés all as delightful to look at as eat; served with champagne. The first course a lightly poached scallop with asparagus and a piece of Rouget served on fine diced tomato. Main course was a boned guinea fowl thigh served with a slice of foie gras marinated in Calvados and then pan fried plus seasonal vegetables. The guinea fowl was flavoursome and the foie gras smooth and rich. The cheese course was a set plate of two fermier cheeses with young salad leaves and dressing. Pudding was an individual strawberry tart held together with an almond flavoured set custard. Coffee and chocolate to end. All helped down with two different reds, a white and a Sauternes with the pudding. Whilst we did not stay for lunch on the show day it is sufficient to say there was as much space allocated to tables and eating as there was for the dog cages.

loudiac TAN day

2007-08-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Anniversary Weekend of the French Club Epagneul Breton was held at Loudeac on 18th and 19th August; with extra events – museum visit, kennel visits etc the two previous days.

We arrived on the Friday afternoon, staying with friends in their caravan locally so as to be in time for the Test d'Apptitude Naturel – TAN and the Raport d'Eau Profond REP (deep water retrieve.)

Arriving on time we spent an age negotiating our way into a field already populated by hundreds, literally hundreds of cars and vans. We parked – we thought cleverly so as not to have far to walk to where the action seemed to be taking place. People milled around and the Tannoy blared – instructions on forming convoys and group lists were being read out. We register and receive our pack with the complete running order, map of the TAN sites a dog lead, bottle of cider and an apple. (note the bottle of cider :-)). The only real problem we found was that the map, although it showed where we had to go did not mark where we were at present and a visit to the Secretaries tent did not help as they did not know either. However someone said all we had to do was leave town, cross the river and follow the signs TAN that were out. All that careful parking was to nought – with five TAN fields and nine FT fields nearly all the parked vehicles now wanted to get back out of the field and on to the road, ideally at the same time. Despite convoys of vehicles forming we decided to go it alone and try following the signs, after about ten minutes of driving we caught up with a string of cars – which turned into the field marked TAN 3 – ours. Pierre Willems was our judge along with an assistant and a man who was placing the dizzied grey partridge. An initial welcome few words from Pierre explained what he was looking for. A dog that worked the wind and did not just run around, a solid point and no sign of gun shyness with ideally a steadiness at flush. We were drawn second. The first dog ran around well, just that ran around, failed to find a bird and finally ran up towards us and went on point. No TAN given.

The wind was quite strong and the birds were not staying put particularly long, getting up and strutting warily up across the field. Topaz had already showed that today was going to be a fast day when I took him out earlier, and with the wind under his tail not much would stop him. Not much did. He ran the field from boundary to boundary with rather large bights. We were called back from working to far ahead by which time our bird had popped its head above the stubble. I cast him off again downwind and away from the now visible bird, turned him, but he did not turn sharply and I feared he would bump the now walking bird. My luck was in, he caught the scent as he ran past and spun on point. I reinforced this by whistle and voice as the bird was now walking away and i did not want him to run in. i did not hear any instruction to run him in to flush and the assistant walked past us to flush the bird and fire the shot. Topaz just sat up more alert and watched the bird away. We were done.

We watched the next half dozen participants and judged that Topaz's performance was far from bad; marred however by the need for quite a lot of whistle and the big bights.

We left the field in search of the REP which was being held back at the main site. Another trip to the Secretary's tent was needed to find out where it was being held exactly. Not much use. Asking a few bystanders did not help either – they thought it had not started yet. Ho hum – it turned out it was the man who looked like he was set up as a 'fisherman' so by the time we got to have a go there was quite a crowd watching. A steady off lead wait and a pretty spectacular water entry raised my hopes of a high quality retrieve. But no he picked the soggy duck up by its wing and when he got to the waters edge put it down.- not happy with the wall of humans. Walking backwards and calling him in made him do just that, sans bird, send him 'back' and he went into the water and started swimming out for another. The judge said he had done enough, 'sufficient'. If I could give him the dog's papers he would sign it off. Sadly in the UK we have no papers to record such achievement! We stayed and watched more. Topaz intent on every bird thrown – much to the amusement of the onlookers. So when any dog failed to retrieve we were asked to do so, even having to put on a demonstration for 'the dignitaries' who came by.

Anyway two certificates was the haul for the day.

Himself - picture

2007-07-26T07:29:00.001-07:00

Tailliside Water Chestnut of Tresallier
aka
Topaz

Thursday

2007-07-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

I am trying about 100mtr memory s along a right angled path - as in he has to run back and turn left; so i go out of sight to him, (but i can see the retrieve from where I am standing). Not always successful without a bit of 'driving' so maybe will shorten these up a bit.
Also doing circular arrays of three - but still having difficulty getting him to focus on me for the 'mark'

Short - as in dummy throw length 'seens' are done near a rabbit infested hedge to try and help him understand that a retrieve is a retrieve and not a chance to go on point :-) not sure if he has got the message as this lunch time the last retrieve was interrupted by a phone call ( I am using the field next to the workshop) he returned with the dummy but stopped short - i had to go and take the call and when i got back he had not moved and the dummy was still in his mouth.

Maximum of five / six per session with a bit of hunting as the reward at the end.

Just need to dream up some method of increasing his 'focus' on me at the sit out

Evening run - very good lines; once he had been convinced he was to do my bidding worked with a will - amazing strong retrieves overe 100+mtres - a real joy to watch. If only it was predictable.

walk

2007-07-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

Within 20 yards of the start T went on point, now usually there have been rabbits there but this time I spotted a partridge moving away from us. He then moved forward and pounced on a day old chick. Not good but gave it up on command. The chick was not to be seen on our return later.
did a 150mtr memory around a corner - had to be 'driven' past the 40mtr barrier he seems ot have. Another 100metre seen out of a field and down a track - all out of sight of me proved successful. One day imay just learn to trust him.

Quartered a recently harvested field. Quartering across about four windrows. Went on solid point at the edge and on walking up to him he flushed a cock pheasant. Sat on flush. Carried on hunting the field and ignored the deer that got up from the edge and ran off. Did not spot the two hares who broke half a field away.

Worked up to where teh hares had been and put down a 40mtr seen. Hoping to make capital from teh recent hares scent as a distraction. Sent him back for the retrieve, success not distracted by scent. carried on quartering teh field and another strong point followed by a hare breaking from about a metre away. He ran after it but at least sat when told.

Tiring a bit now as laboured jumps over the straw on the uphill run - when compared with the initial runs

River Arle

2007-07-21T23:56:00.000-07:00

took them both for a walk along the banks of the Arle (in Arlesford) A 'millenium' footpath so lots of dog distractions. Did a couple of 150 mtr go backs - working on getting T past the 'thrown dummy barrier. Also a seen across the shallows with a pair of duck within 3 mtr. He had to be kept on task for that one.

walk

2007-07-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

short training walk up through the maize and into the wood. Long memory retrieves and a couple of seen. The dog was demonicly fast - possessed. This training stuff must be paying off.

Retriever Class

2007-07-20T12:14:00.000-07:00

Retriever class tonight showed a lot of improvement. Everyone commented on this. T's run outs were pretty enthusiastic and his hunting the ground for the dummy better than usual. He even sat and looked back when unsure - how about that. Having missed finding one dummy he was called back and a lab sent - who also failed to find it; a second lab succeeded. The next retrieve T was not going to allow that to happen! and ran like his tail was on fire.

The Triangle

2007-07-19T12:08:00.000-07:00

We had a trip to East Kilbride for work today. a 4.30 start and a seven hour drive. An hour and half meeting and that was it. A pre booked phone call to Bill Thayne and a meeting in Band Q outside Livingstone then gave us several hours walking talking and dog work. What a pleasure. A little hunting in deep grass; after a short spell of the two dogs having done a spot of self hunting. Maybe my fault as they had only had two wee stops in 10 hours in the vehicle.

Really good to work a fresh bit of ground, were able to throw for Buck and Bil threw for us. Topaz 's water was very enthusiastic. A great afternoon.

Had a rainbow end on the car bonnet on the way home - must buy a lottery ticket this weekend :-)

Retriever Club

2007-07-06T12:18:00.000-07:00

Our first proper meeting with the retrievers. five in all. Had a rolling conversation with a nice young lady who insisted she knew me - nice but also slightly unnerving. (me of a certain age and she young) Anyway problem was resolved - we had me on the shoot at Moundsmere. Topaz did well - relative to his usual - but was spending most of his time with his nose in the air and not concentrating on the job in hand. Need to spend time on 'memory retrieves'

Retreiver trainer

2007-06-27T12:24:00.000-07:00

Saw a poster in the local hire shop for lessons by a FT Ch Flat coat retriever breeder /trainer. If anyone knows how to teach a dog to retrieve then he must. Phoned up and went to a one to one assessment evening. He like T and offered us a place in the class. Home work was to make a list of all the commands i was using and edit it down to one command for one action. Found i had about 35 words or signals for 12 responses.

Mid Wales Gundog Soc'y GWT

2007-06-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Hmm, not worth the drive. lovely spot but we were made to run with a tail wind - after great show had been made of checking the wind with a handkerchief. Topaz only had a short hunt over short grass on top of a knoll. Wind from the right cheek over gorse and obviously carrying scent as he was more interested in working towards that than where the judge wished him to go. Water retrieve not good as although i thought he saw the drop he swam out about 5 yards before returning to shore and investigating the path intently.

basic day

2007-06-14T15:58:00.000-07:00

took Topaz for a bit of hunting. Patterns not good but he did point a pair of pheasant. we have a GWT at the weekend. Hmm not sure it will be worth the drive.

general run

2007-06-07T03:27:00.000-07:00

Worked topaz across teh field at home. Came on a hare from upwind - he had been takeing to large bites ! but that is another matter. He sat and watched it move away - slowly as it was obviously rather stiff or cold.

BCGB Open Show

2007-06-05T10:36:00.000-07:00

both dogs behaved quite well - let down as usual by the handler fussing. Pleased with Ellie - she had never been in the ring before, was really quite steady by the third time and stood still.

Brittany Club Training day

2007-06-05T10:32:00.000-07:00

Really nce weather. topaz was on form. training sessions run by Fiona Wensley and Rory Major. it was really heartening to see Topaz do retrieves - albeit simple with some considerable vigour. With an audience. He must at last be maturing a bit.

Water retrieves - he loves those and ended up being the sweeper for all the other dogs who failed. i think he rather liked playing to the audiene.

Ellie did her usual run out to a dummy - all paws and enthusiasm, followed by her usual return - fast until she reaches about 4ft from home when she spits it and starts doing her own thing. Not to worried about this as she is still only 14months. got her into the water and she swam and she picked a dummy up of the surface. very pleasing day.

The story so far..

2007-04-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

This blog is prompted by the need for a record of progress of Topaz an orange and white Brittany dog, nad ellie a Black and white one

Spring pointing

2007-04-16T10:43:00.000-07:00

A good turnout of Brittanys. 5 out of a card of 9.

only one grading was given of 'very good' to Adrian (sorry misplaced my running order with his Weim - will edit this post later)

i will leave it for others to comment on their own individual runs.

From my perspective Rory and Susie really made every effort to allow every dog to show it's colours and gain a grading.

I have to admit i came away disappointed.
Topaz had unbeknown to me packed his Biggles Helmet into his overnight bag (we stayed at my sister in laws). As soon as he was cast off he flew at top speed down the ditch we were to work and then down the wheeling of the adjacent field of rape. This completely wrong footed me as a i did not expect it and secondly i felt no trust. when he finally returned - which seemed an age - but i believe to the spectators was quite presentably i cast him off in the other direction and this time managed to turn him on the whistle, we worked a few beats before he once again flew off up a wheeling in the wheat field we were in. Ear muffs firmly down. Anyway he came back, turning of his own volition - as no amount of stop or turn seemed to be heard by him.
He ran hard and fast - and sometimes very flat, sometimes in rather large bites. The last beat of the field took him to a hedge, missing ground as he did - a partridge flew up behind him. At the hedge he went on an 'unproductive point' - i walked up to him and commanded him on knowing there was nothing. stopped him and put the lead back on and walked back to the judges. Thinking my number was up.

However - Susie asked why i had done that? and asked me to cast the dog off and work on - they were really enjoying watching him work. The bird was from unworked ground and not a missed bird.

Through the hedge we went and cast him off up hill, only to turn him as early as possible - desperately trying to - as i thought keep him in control- by my way of thinking. we did a few more quarters, another hammer off up the hill side before being told to 'lead your dog'. On his final return to me he ignored me and ran past back to the hedge - about 10 yards up from where i had turned him on our second part of the run. The day was very warm and little breeze so he was onto a pair of partridge before he could stop - they were up as he stopped but more bumped than pointed.

Lessons to learn.
1. preparation - i had not done large fields without hedges - except in France where i had trouble stopping him. I had worked him on several pieces of new ground the previous couple of days, but mainly small stretches of set aside and grass.

2. Stop whistle. Will have to go back to basics with this one. He is at teh moment - as they say in the metal polishing trade 'highly polished, deeply scratched' a condition where one has gone to final and finest grit for polishing before working through the lower grades properly.

3. I have worked enough hedgerows in my life to know my best chance for a result was there - it was a heaven sent opportunity and i blew it, and let the dog down. Another ten yards on an earlier cast and we would have had a strong point one side of a hedge, with a flush from the other I have no doubt.

Rory and Susie were very generous in their feedback. They thought he had everything going for him, style, speed and they could see he had a fantastic nose. more work was needed on getting him to listen to his handler, who in turn needed more experience.