Gundog people

Scatter kibble, or put kibble in bowl. Send him to it and as he finishes recall him for a much higher reward food (chicken, whatever floats his boat. Here it's cooked liver). Build up to calling him off the kibble and then start to jackpot super fast snappy recalls. You'll need to proof it again on the shoot around game though.

You need to have a plan if he doesn't recall (and it better not be to blow recall a second or third time....!!)
 
I was shown a game to play with the dogs to establish recall.

You need a mat like a bath mat, or you could use a specific area of grass. .

2 pockets of treats, one low value, everyday kibble. the other high value, cheese or meat.

Throw a low value treat onto the mat/target area, send the dog using whatever send command you use.

Recall and reward with the high value treat.And a big happy fuss/well done.

I guess you could throw a handful of low value and recall away as you progress. It's quite a good exercise, easy and quick, but teaches quite a few things including steadieness. Just be sure to be very consistent on your commands. You could even progress to 2 mats/areas and add direction as well
 
Thank you Druid and Thistle for your help. Working Scout is always going to be a high adrenaline situation but he is much improved. I am also far more vigilant about setting him up to succeed.
I blew it today, sending him for a blind behind and not taking time to check that he was focussed and locked on the right direction. Still, he got a retrieve just not in the direction I planned. He sitting up off lead during the drive and his recall is about 98%. He really likes pork pie. 😂
 
Trials either cancelled or rescheduled so we haven't had a run yet. Started shooting over the pups and both are doing well, more gun sense needed but that comes with experience. Mimi has been dogging in, she needs the exposure to game. She just doesn't have her sister or mother's gears yet despite having pheasants off her nose regularly. Our temps are due to drop this week coming which will be nice, it's been so mild and muggy.
 
We've been out on a few days, zazu has had some good retrieves on some runners and Rafi has done some nice retrieves too.

I went to game carry at a novice trial, which was great as I got to walk in line. Mainly partridge in sugar beet. I was surprised at how easy the retrieves looked, until a few dogs couldn't find the retrieve then I thought must be harder than it looks 🤣 id like to do a training day in cover crop

Been on a few dummy training days but struggling to fit in much training now with the dark nights
 
I’ve been out a lot. Yesterday I took the two novices, and really missed an old head. But it was good for me and them to have to fill the gap, I can be guilty of not letting them learn on the job. Two long runners that my main girls would have gone for in the air I had to go back and find manually. But a couple Scout did go on and get, spotted before they had come down, , and very pleased with himself he was too. Red found the ones tucked up and hidden, she’s slow and she’ll never be flash but she’s got an amazing nose.
 
BallyRoanBaubles said:
We've been out on a few days, zazu has had some good retrieves on some runners and Rafi has done some nice retrieves too.

I went to game carry at a novice trial, which was great as I got to walk in line. Mainly partridge in sugar beet. I was surprised at how easy the retrieves looked, until a few dogs couldn't find the retrieve then I thought must be harder than it looks 🤣 id like to do a training day in cover crop

Been on a few dummy training days but struggling to fit in much training now with the dark nights
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@Thistle does this, if you live eastward way she may be able to recommend a day?
 
Clodagh said:
I’ve been out a lot. Yesterday I took the two novices, and really missed an old head. But it was good for me and them to have to fill the gap, I can be guilty of not letting them learn on the job. Two long runners that my main girls would have gone for in the air I had to go back and find manually. But a couple Scout did go on and get, spotted before they had come down, , and very pleased with himself he was too. Red found the ones tucked up and hidden, she’s slow and she’ll never be flash but she’s got an amazing nose.
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Myrka has spoilt me - he's never on lead, can hunt a ditch in front of the flush point while there is hundreds of birds in the cover crop beside him (yes with lots of whistle and "steady", but he does it!) then move out on to the hill and pick back stop runners. Young ones have a lot to live up to
 
druid said:
Myrka has spoilt me - he's never on lead, can hunt a ditch in front of the flush point while there is hundreds of birds in the cover crop beside him (yes with lots of whistle and "steady", but he does it!) then move out on to the hill and pick back stop runners. Young ones have a lot to live up to
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Ffee is my Myrka. The best all round dog I’ll ever have. She’s got a cut pad though, and did 3 big bag days last week so was on her knees. I know it was bad as I came down in my shooting clothes and she just stared at the wall. 😆
 
Clodagh said:
Ffee is my Myrka. The best all round dog I’ll ever have. She’s got a cut pad though, and did 3 big bag days last week so was on her knees. I know it was bad as I came down in my shooting clothes and she just stared at the wall. 😆
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He's also my first FTCh, none of them will ever quite fill his boots. Sadly, I've never had a pup by him that quite made the grade so his line ends with him unless I find something by one of his brothers in the future.
 
BallyRoanBaubles said:
I'm south Cumbria/north Lancashire
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My local gundog club runs some training great days in Beet. We're in the middle of Beet growing country so lots of trainers put days on before the trialling season starts, on dummies. Some also have live days early season.

You should find suitable trainers/days via local clubs.
 
Thistle said:
My local gundog club runs some training great days in Beet. We're in the middle of Beet growing country so lots of trainers put days on before the trialling season starts, on dummies. Some also have live days early season.

You should find suitable trainers/days via local clubs.
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Thank you I'll keep my eye out on my local clubs pages
 
Just spent the last hour reading this thread! So many lovely working dogs! ❤️

I have a working Springer, Sprocker, Cocker and Lab. You all make me look bad - I am not great at fitting in any gundog training these days if I'm honest. I find I get to stressy if I take them for a 'training' session. Much prefer long walks, although always ensuring the basics.

They pick up on a local shoot once or twice a week. They aren't to bad considering. Lab is old, but the easiest dog to work. The (Headstrong!) Cocker was my first spaniel, novice mistake and bought a dog with a red pedigree. Did a lot of gundog training with him, a fab dog until he got to around 5.. then he has learnt he can totally bugger off around game and come back when he pleases. I must of tried 6 trainers now with no luck. Therefore he hasn't been on a shoot for 2 years. He is 7 now, so not a young dog.

The 2yo Sprocker is mad as a box of frogs, her first season picking up and done really well so far. She got a COM in a puppy test that was open to crossbreeds, she is a really fast stylish hunter. My Springer is fab, I bought him to trial but I am just to soft/never got around to it.. he has taken a liking to chasing deer recently so really do need to start doing more training. Just need a bit of oomph to do it!
 
Hormonal Filly said:
Just spent the last hour reading this thread! So many lovely working dogs! ❤️

I have a working Springer, Sprocker, Cocker and Lab. You all make me look bad - I am not great at fitting in any gundog training these days if I'm honest. I find I get to stressy if I take them for a 'training' session. Much prefer long walks, although always ensuring the basics.

They pick up on a local shoot once or twice a week. They aren't to bad considering. Lab is old, but the easiest dog to work. The (Headstrong!) Cocker was my first spaniel, novice mistake and bought a dog with a red pedigree. Did a lot of gundog training with him, a fab dog until he got to around 5.. then he has learnt he can totally bugger off around game and come back when he pleases. I must of tried 6 trainers now with no luck. Therefore he hasn't been on a shoot for 2 years. He is 7 now, so not a young dog.

The 2yo Sprocker is mad as a box of frogs, her first season picking up and done really well so far. She got a COM in a puppy test that was open to crossbreeds, she is a really fast stylish hunter. My Springer is fab, I bought him to trial but I am just to soft/never got around to it.. he has taken a liking to chasing deer recently so really do need to start doing more training. Just need a bit of oomph to do it!
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That sounds very stressful!
 
I was out in the snow on Dartmoor yesterday and just finished up in storm Bert on Exmoor. No snow there though, just a lot of horizontal wet.
 
young dog went on a shoot over training day, had a couple of flushes and went a bit headstrong, had to be pulled back into line... he's a really lovely hunter was driving through thick bramble like a bulldozer, if he didn't have such an inadequate handler he'd be trialling already...
yesterday I took the youngster beating to reiterate what he'd learnt on his training day - much better, it's a very small family shoot so ideal for him to learn a thing or two and everyone is so nice,,, so in the afternoon I took the old boy out for a spin, he's an absolute shite in the beating line so we decided he'd be put on any runners, well a huge cock bird came down and ran hard, Beau clocked it straight away so was released to do his thing - the only time he moves fast! he caught up with it in the hedge and the way he gets them is a joy to watch he somehow always makes sure their legs are pointing away from him he kind of scoops them up! brought back beautifully, he also had another bird from thick bramble the picker up's labs couldn't penetrate and was delighted with himself.
 
Had a nice half hour shooting over the pups this morning. Skaer was pulling me about a little but we had words and she hunted nicely on heavy scent for a nice flush and retrieve on a cock pheasant in bracken. She's been in the beating line for 2 days straight and she has been spot on, probably 40 or 50 birds off her nose. Trial for her Wednesday looking for that elusive win. Sassy flushed 2 woodcock (not shot on our estate) and had a lovely retrieve uphill on to a bracken bank on a loose cock pheasant. Took a little handling as another bird ran uphill passed the dead cock and then flushed while she was on her outrun so she tried to pull on uphill a few times before picking. Poor old Sterling had 2 long blank runs...typically the one I wanted a flush for most, always seems to be the way. Mimi had been left at home as there just isn't enough hours in the day!
 
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