SpottyTB
Well-Known Member
wowzers, completely different world!! Amazing!!
Interesting what you've said re maltodextrin - thanks for the info, going to look into it!
Gundog people
- Thread starter Clodagh
- Start date
Interesting what you've said re maltodextrin - thanks for the info, going to look into it!
ihatework
Well-Known Member
My bar is very low ….
My spaniel was kicked out rehomed to a friendly mug, from a small working kennel
She was at the bottom of the queue when the brain cells were handed out
Has since had both elbows screwed together
Is completely untrainable for anything remotely useful
If she gets a whiff of pheasant the red mist descends
But my friendly local shoot tolerates us! She is quite good at sweeping up.
My spaniel was
She was at the bottom of the queue when the brain cells were handed out
Has since had both elbows screwed together
Is completely untrainable for anything remotely useful
If she gets a whiff of pheasant the red mist descends
But my friendly local shoot tolerates us! She is quite good at sweeping up.
druid
Well-Known Member
Started with a rescue Springer and has spiralled wildly out of all sane proportions since.....I took up gundogs when I gave up horses
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Not that I’m remotely at your level but I too swapped horses for Gundogs, although my family always had and worked dogs.Started with a rescue Springer and has spiralled wildly out of all sane proportions since.....I took up gundogs when I gave up horses
I’m not sure dogs are much cheaper, by the time you’ve got plenty of them.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Brilliant. What you got? How old and how’s it going?
druid
Well-Known Member
"My level"
- I muddle along with the help of a few nice trialling peeps, almost exculsively retriever based. There is no training days here and basically no gundog training except full residential type stuff. Almost no one does lessons for dog and handler. So we muddled through and here we are.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Mine have a normal breakfast on a shoot day then an energy bar (Sirius flaxseed bars if I’ve got any, Skinners if I’ve run out) at soup. Then a pouch of winalot at lunch if we stop. If we shoot through they have the pouch at the end before I drive home.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
Well no one ever gave me an award for doing anything with a dog!"My level"
druid
Well-Known Member
I basically stand behind her and she does her thing. She came out half trained, not a normal spaniel! Fingers crossed her offspring continue lulling me into thinking spaniels are easy.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
I remain unconvinced!
Thistle
Well-Known Member
I swapped horses for gundogs too, horses are still here but are retired lawnmowers.
My dogs are having a holiday whilst my heart heals after it's op!
My dogs are having a holiday whilst my heart heals after it's op!
BallyRoanBaubles
Well-Known Member
I’m going that wayStarted with a rescue Springer and has spiralled wildly out of all sane proportions since.....I took up gundogs when I gave up horses
gunnergundog
Well-Known Member
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
I see he fb posts, and did get fed by her on a weekend course. She has talent!
Splash2310
Well-Known Member
Two year old working cocker. We struggled to find a trainer until recently, so I’d been doing some stuff at home and he’s done the Kennel Club Citizen BS, but I’m pleased we’ve found someone now. He’s got FTCH (grandparents) and FTAW (his dad) in him, and genuinely seems to enjoy the gundog stuff as do I.
At the moment I’m struggling to get a consistent stop whistle, and we are struggling with retrieving but I think he’ll be more of a beating dog anyway.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
He’s certainly bred for the job. I bet he’ll love every minute. I think training a beating dog is so much harder than picking up, I love watching them work.
EllieBeast
Well-Known Member
Ooooh can I join please?
We’re off up to the North Yorkshire Moors for a grouse pointing training weekend this weekend.
Unfortunately for Erik, none of the fun is for him
he’s not steady enough on game yet to unleash in a group environment. He’s rock steady to dummies etc being thrown around him but the real thing is still too much unless I catch him with the stop whistle at the moment he spots them (and my timing isn’t that great just yet!). I’ll be one of the group chaperones and his job will be to remember his heelwork in exciting situations and sitting to flush when the other dogs find stuff sucks to be you, Erik!
(For those that don’t know, Erik is a German Longhaired Pointer, 15 months old and I’m a total newbie at this gundog training malarkey. My husband has his 5yr old 1/2 sister who is an absolute Angel and all round gundog superstar. Me and the monster have a looooooong way to go)
We’re off up to the North Yorkshire Moors for a grouse pointing training weekend this weekend.
Unfortunately for Erik, none of the fun is for him
he’s not steady enough on game yet to unleash in a group environment. He’s rock steady to dummies etc being thrown around him but the real thing is still too much unless I catch him with the stop whistle at the moment he spots them (and my timing isn’t that great just yet!). I’ll be one of the group chaperones and his job will be to remember his heelwork in exciting situations and sitting to flush when the other dogs find stuff sucks to be you, Erik!(For those that don’t know, Erik is a German Longhaired Pointer, 15 months old and I’m a total newbie at this gundog training malarkey. My husband has his 5yr old 1/2 sister who is an absolute Angel and all round gundog superstar. Me and the monster have a looooooong way to go
)Splash2310
Well-Known Member
Really positive training session for us this morning, I’m so pleased! He behaved beautifully, and the trained said that she was impressed how much his heelwork had come on since the last one. Also did well on the stop whistle today, and with the retrieve which has been proving a problem. Hopefully he continues well and we can move up into the next group and start doing tests.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
I presume the grouse aren’t nesting yet? I suppose you wouldn’t rush into it up there on the high ground. I hope it goes well. Poor Erik, learning to be bored is so… boring!Ooooh can I join please?
We’re off up to the North Yorkshire Moors for a grouse pointing training weekend this weekend.
Unfortunately for Erik, none of the fun is for him
(For those that don’t know, Erik is a German Longhaired Pointer, 15 months old and I’m a total newbie at this gundog training malarkey. My husband has his 5yr old 1/2 sister who is an absolute Angel and all round gundog superstar. Me and the monster have a looooooong way to go
I hope it goes well. We’ll need a report please.
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
That’s great. Isn’t it lovely when the penny drops. Onwards and upwards .
maisie06
Well-Known Member
I have a cocker and 2 springers. The Cocker is 8 now and has always been a hard headed, hard hunting dog, I was given him by his breeder as he was sold at 8 weeks and returned at 14weeks...the penny should have dropped as she said he likes to pull on a bit and is very independent. I had never had a spaniel before so thought I had better train him and enrolled in classes at a local centre, little did I know these wer ham and cheese classes and the trainer hated spaniels and kept telling me so, said I'd never get a heel, to headstrong etc etc...so I neverwent back, muddled along for a bit and met the lady who owned his dad who put me in touch with a Gundog trainer, went along with NO clue whatsoever, had a lesson and was hooked!! well that dog will heel and is a fabulous picking up dog that is used on a small syndicate to sweep thick cover, he's no good in the beating line as far too hot and gets a red mist!!!!
Older springer is a lovely dog, he's done walked up shooting and worked the beating line, he's done the odd scurry here and there, he just wants to please, he still goes training at the Gundog club and works in the season.
Youngest springer is FT material even though I will never compete!! I took him on a training day, clicked him off in beet and the trainer said "fecking hell" look at that go!! he's so natural in his pattern but he's also a thinker - totally buzzy and wired = Just how Clodagh likes them !!!!!!
I have thought about entering a test but I freeze in a competition environment so will settle for the training and working side of things and maybe get a friend to trial the youngster!
Older springer is a lovely dog, he's done walked up shooting and worked the beating line, he's done the odd scurry here and there, he just wants to please, he still goes training at the Gundog club and works in the season.
Youngest springer is FT material even though I will never compete!! I took him on a training day, clicked him off in beet and the trainer said "fecking hell" look at that go!! he's so natural in his pattern but he's also a thinker - totally buzzy and wired = Just how Clodagh likes them !!!!!!
I have thought about entering a test but I freeze in a competition environment so will settle for the training and working side of things and maybe get a friend to trial the youngster!
maisie06
Well-Known Member
Sounds like my cocker - he sweeps up in record time!!
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
That’s a great descriptive bit! I don’t like buzzy and wired spangles though, they make me feel tired! I mean, I admire them with other people but I do t want to own one.
maisie06
Well-Known Member
same here!! Do you find similarities though, like the discipline in the training and the trying to be at one with the animal you are working with?Started with a rescue Springer and has spiralled wildly out of all sane proportions since.....I took up gundogs when I gave up horses
maisie06
Well-Known Member
I'm the same with Border Collies = love them and watching them work but I couldn't own one!That’s a great descriptive bit! I don’t like buzzy and wired spangles though, they make me feel tired! I mean, I admire them with other people but I do t want to own one.
druid
Well-Known Member
Not really, because my last few years of horses was playing polo and riding out flatbred TBs. More adrenalin rush than anything else.
druid
Well-Known Member
Pups are probably heading for a rabbit pen spin soon I think, just at the stage where they need to see the real thing to get them engaged. They're 7 months old today. I'll do very little hunting apart from a spin or 2 on rabbits now with them until then can go rabbiting properly. More important to work on their handling, self control and retriving. All retrieves are memories for now, to start to bring in some steadiness but also to keep excitement levels lower. They might get a mark or 2 once a month but I'll leave much of it until they are steady then start to introduce marking exercises. Mostly, it's about getting them success everytime we go out so they're enthusiasim isn't diminished
Their mother was doing more handling work, stop and hunt. Set out 2 poles 60 yards apart (or whatever distance suits you). Call furthest pole A and closest B. Heel from B to A, drop a memory retrieve. Return to B. Send dog, stop at A and hunt whistle to retrieve. Next step, walk to A without dog, tuck a memory blind into some sort of cover, I use a snipe dummy and set it within 10 yards but not right at base of A. Return to dog at B. Drop memory at B. Heel back to a point 30 yards away from B in the opposite direction to A, so ABC are all in a nice line. Send to B, stop and hunt for retrieve. On dogs return cast again to B, stop and hunt. allow it to hunt for 10-15 seconds but do not allow it to leave the area. Then stop and send back to A, stop again and hunt. Build up the dog's trust in your handling and to leave an area and move to a new one to hunt if asked (how often is judge or gun's mark not right and redirect needed?......)
Their mother was doing more handling work, stop and hunt. Set out 2 poles 60 yards apart (or whatever distance suits you). Call furthest pole A and closest B. Heel from B to A, drop a memory retrieve. Return to B. Send dog, stop at A and hunt whistle to retrieve. Next step, walk to A without dog, tuck a memory blind into some sort of cover, I use a snipe dummy and set it within 10 yards but not right at base of A. Return to dog at B. Drop memory at B. Heel back to a point 30 yards away from B in the opposite direction to A, so ABC are all in a nice line. Send to B, stop and hunt for retrieve. On dogs return cast again to B, stop and hunt. allow it to hunt for 10-15 seconds but do not allow it to leave the area. Then stop and send back to A, stop again and hunt. Build up the dog's trust in your handling and to leave an area and move to a new one to hunt if asked (how often is judge or gun's mark not right and redirect needed?......)
spacefaer
Well-Known Member
I'll pop in here if I may? We have (ahem) 12 dogs ... cockers and labs. I'm both lucky and at a disadvantage as my OH is a gundog trainer who picks up 4/5 days a week and also trials fairly intensively.
I'm comparatively new to it as we were both horse based with some dogs, but as he's lost interest in riding and hunting, he's intensified his dog work.
I am on a steep learning curve! I've never done the basic stuff that a new handler might do, as I've come straight in at FT level in terms of training! He's incredibly subtle and precise - it's more like learning dressage by going to a trainer who's teaching at Grand Prix. I think there are big gaps in my training as he assumes a certain level of basic knowledge. I'm still astounded when I can handle a dog for a dummy - but then I used to be amazed when my pet dog showed an inkling of recall so I guess I've got better!
I'm comparatively new to it as we were both horse based with some dogs, but as he's lost interest in riding and hunting, he's intensified his dog work.
I am on a steep learning curve! I've never done the basic stuff that a new handler might do, as I've come straight in at FT level in terms of training! He's incredibly subtle and precise - it's more like learning dressage by going to a trainer who's teaching at Grand Prix. I think there are big gaps in my training as he assumes a certain level of basic knowledge. I'm still astounded when I can handle a dog for a dummy - but then I used to be amazed when my pet dog showed an inkling of recall so I guess I've got better!
Love
Well-Known Member
Very excited that I can join in with this one!
For those who don't know, we have Purdey the GWP who is currently 10 months old. She's our first gundog. We started looking for trainers very early with her but struggled to find anyone available. We have recently got her onto a 4 week HPR course with Worcester gundog society - Paul Brant is running it. We have done 3/4 so far and I am absolutely amazed by how she has come on in that time. Even Paul commented that she is like a different dog and that he has never seen a GWP hunt as well as her - almost as fast as a spaniel. Very excited to see where this adventure takes us!
For those who don't know, we have Purdey the GWP who is currently 10 months old. She's our first gundog. We started looking for trainers very early with her but struggled to find anyone available. We have recently got her onto a 4 week HPR course with Worcester gundog society - Paul Brant is running it. We have done 3/4 so far and I am absolutely amazed by how she has come on in that time. Even Paul commented that she is like a different dog and that he has never seen a GWP hunt as well as her - almost as fast as a spaniel. Very excited to see where this adventure takes us!
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
At least when I quietly go off and get it wrong, even if I take my OH as dummy throwing stooge, he has never trained a dog so doesn’t comment.