k9h
Well-Known Member
Had a training day to day so we will be on top form for next season! Hopefully! Plus we will be doing these once a month.
Firstly thank you to Kevin for organising the whole day.
Arthur & Margaret who where our trainers for the day. They were very patient & insightfull to us.
Also the Bannister family of the Coniston Estate & Hotel for the use of their land & great facilities & top grub!
So the morning started with a frosy start the sun came out to play too! :lol:
We all met up for a coffee first in the Ghyll conference room.
Then the spaniel people were asked to leave (sorry asked to go get their dogs & congragate with their trainers for the day!).
Then it was the turn of the retrievers 8 labs, 1 Chesapeake Bay Retriever & 1 flat coat that was only 5 months old.
So we collected dogs & waited at the gate to meet with our trainers.
Silence!
Till Rach said we should introduce ourselves & got the ice broken!
Then we went down the hill. Once there, again we introduced our dogs, saying what we would like them to do & what they had done so far.
It was a pretty level group of age & ability bar the young 5mnth flat coat.
First off we had to stand in a circle & then take it in turns to weave in & out of each other. Then individually walk into the centre of the circle leaving your dog where you set off from & then return to the dog.
Then we all walked into the centre & waited & then returned to our dogs.
Then in a straight line we all individually walked away from our dogs about 10m & waited. Then one by one we were to call our dogs to us.
At this point we did have an audience of passing walkers & their dogs so added to the atmosphere!
Then on to individually walking with your dog to heal & stopping, making them sit to the hand & whistle.
Everyone completing these exercises very well so far. The young dog not being asked as much as the older dogs as never having done this before but she did really well.
Then whilst we were stood in a line Margaret & Arhur bombed us all with dummies whilst we made sure our dogs did not run in! This was done twice. Which was really good.
Now was the time to try some retireves!
We all lined up along a fence line.
Arthur stud about 20m away from us & threw the dummies towards us by about 2m.
I was up first & Quail shot straight out & picked up, thought for a second before returning & dropped the dummy at my feet. (I know this is one of our weak area's).
Then down the line they went, with a shorter retireve for the young dog.
Then it was the same exercise again with Margaret taking Arthurs spot for throwing. When dog was sent out Arthur then spread four dummies out infront of handler about 2m infront. So the dogs had to come over them before delivering. Thus trying to teach them not to swap dummies.
Over time you would put the fallen dummies further & further away from you the better your dog got.
Again this was done well by all.
Then it was time for a coffee break.
Now for some water fun!
A lovely gentle entry point in to the lake opposite the island. There were a few geese by the island. Plus they had left plenty of deposites by our entry point :roll:
So again only short retrieves being put out of about 5m with the focus of getting your dog to come straight in without shaking or dropping the dummy first! Easier said then done.
Sadly the goose muck was tempting for a few & when they came to the bank it was snack time. Though on 2nd attempts they were all much better.
Unfortunately one dog did a perfect pick up of dummy then desided that one of the Canada geese would be better & set of for one at a steady pace. He did come back (without a goose but also without the dummy) which was now about 30M just under the island. A chap (sorry told you I would forget your names!) The dog was called Bob again I think & I will guess Steve for owner??? (Sorry if wrong person/dog).
He sent his dog out which had not clearly seen where the dummy had now ended. He went out very well & about half way with some encouragement from 'owner' all of a sudden you saw him spot the dummy & go up a gear. Picked it up & brought it back, with no shake & perfect retrieve which was then commerated with a massive round of applause from us all!! =D>
Then we moved on for a little jumping practise!
A nice little ski slope type of fence, so solid all the was up, so they could walk up & jump off the top & if really clever jump back up & down the ramp.
So dog & hander placed at the front of jump. Arthur behind to throw dummy Margaret at side to try & stop any detours around!
Sadly our dogs were much smarter & thought why go over when I can go round! Though in the end we just stood a little closer & up & over they went & back again.
Then we stood in a line & Arthur came & stood next to us with a starting pistol whilst Margaret threw a dummy to simulate a shot bird. Where we waited 5 sec before sending the dog for retrieve. Again all dogs coped well with.
Then we all walked in a line whilst Arthur walked behind us shooting his pistol which we were ment to stop & the dogs sit on the sound of the shot. Again all performed well.
Sadly it was time up :cry: but time for lovely food :lol:
Which I must say was a lovely spread of mixed game foods.
3pm was kick out time!!
Was a most enjoyable day, was great for my dog to go back to the basics & be in company & learn it is work time & not play time!
So I have plenty to work on till the next one. Quail has been fast asleep since she came home & it is not physical exhastion but mental! So I hope alot or just some of what we have done today stays in her head.
Pint of shandy if you have made it this far! LOL!
Once again a massive thank you to Kevin for organising the day & hope you catch up on your lost sleep tonight!
Also to the trainers for the top advice they gave.
Some pics
Sorry no pics of Quail as yet. Though there was a chap there that took over 400 picks! So hoping she is in a couple of them!
Firstly thank you to Kevin for organising the whole day.
Arthur & Margaret who where our trainers for the day. They were very patient & insightfull to us.
Also the Bannister family of the Coniston Estate & Hotel for the use of their land & great facilities & top grub!
So the morning started with a frosy start the sun came out to play too! :lol:
We all met up for a coffee first in the Ghyll conference room.
Then the spaniel people were asked to leave (sorry asked to go get their dogs & congragate with their trainers for the day!).
Then it was the turn of the retrievers 8 labs, 1 Chesapeake Bay Retriever & 1 flat coat that was only 5 months old.
So we collected dogs & waited at the gate to meet with our trainers.
Silence!
Till Rach said we should introduce ourselves & got the ice broken!
Then we went down the hill. Once there, again we introduced our dogs, saying what we would like them to do & what they had done so far.
It was a pretty level group of age & ability bar the young 5mnth flat coat.
First off we had to stand in a circle & then take it in turns to weave in & out of each other. Then individually walk into the centre of the circle leaving your dog where you set off from & then return to the dog.
Then we all walked into the centre & waited & then returned to our dogs.
Then in a straight line we all individually walked away from our dogs about 10m & waited. Then one by one we were to call our dogs to us.
At this point we did have an audience of passing walkers & their dogs so added to the atmosphere!
Then on to individually walking with your dog to heal & stopping, making them sit to the hand & whistle.
Everyone completing these exercises very well so far. The young dog not being asked as much as the older dogs as never having done this before but she did really well.
Then whilst we were stood in a line Margaret & Arhur bombed us all with dummies whilst we made sure our dogs did not run in! This was done twice. Which was really good.
Now was the time to try some retireves!
We all lined up along a fence line.
Arthur stud about 20m away from us & threw the dummies towards us by about 2m.
I was up first & Quail shot straight out & picked up, thought for a second before returning & dropped the dummy at my feet. (I know this is one of our weak area's).
Then down the line they went, with a shorter retireve for the young dog.
Then it was the same exercise again with Margaret taking Arthurs spot for throwing. When dog was sent out Arthur then spread four dummies out infront of handler about 2m infront. So the dogs had to come over them before delivering. Thus trying to teach them not to swap dummies.
Over time you would put the fallen dummies further & further away from you the better your dog got.
Again this was done well by all.
Then it was time for a coffee break.
Now for some water fun!
A lovely gentle entry point in to the lake opposite the island. There were a few geese by the island. Plus they had left plenty of deposites by our entry point :roll:
So again only short retrieves being put out of about 5m with the focus of getting your dog to come straight in without shaking or dropping the dummy first! Easier said then done.
Sadly the goose muck was tempting for a few & when they came to the bank it was snack time. Though on 2nd attempts they were all much better.
Unfortunately one dog did a perfect pick up of dummy then desided that one of the Canada geese would be better & set of for one at a steady pace. He did come back (without a goose but also without the dummy) which was now about 30M just under the island. A chap (sorry told you I would forget your names!) The dog was called Bob again I think & I will guess Steve for owner??? (Sorry if wrong person/dog).
He sent his dog out which had not clearly seen where the dummy had now ended. He went out very well & about half way with some encouragement from 'owner' all of a sudden you saw him spot the dummy & go up a gear. Picked it up & brought it back, with no shake & perfect retrieve which was then commerated with a massive round of applause from us all!! =D>
Then we moved on for a little jumping practise!
A nice little ski slope type of fence, so solid all the was up, so they could walk up & jump off the top & if really clever jump back up & down the ramp.
So dog & hander placed at the front of jump. Arthur behind to throw dummy Margaret at side to try & stop any detours around!
Sadly our dogs were much smarter & thought why go over when I can go round! Though in the end we just stood a little closer & up & over they went & back again.
Then we stood in a line & Arthur came & stood next to us with a starting pistol whilst Margaret threw a dummy to simulate a shot bird. Where we waited 5 sec before sending the dog for retrieve. Again all dogs coped well with.
Then we all walked in a line whilst Arthur walked behind us shooting his pistol which we were ment to stop & the dogs sit on the sound of the shot. Again all performed well.
Sadly it was time up :cry: but time for lovely food :lol:
Which I must say was a lovely spread of mixed game foods.
3pm was kick out time!!
Was a most enjoyable day, was great for my dog to go back to the basics & be in company & learn it is work time & not play time!
So I have plenty to work on till the next one. Quail has been fast asleep since she came home & it is not physical exhastion but mental! So I hope alot or just some of what we have done today stays in her head.
Pint of shandy if you have made it this far! LOL!
Once again a massive thank you to Kevin for organising the day & hope you catch up on your lost sleep tonight!
Also to the trainers for the top advice they gave.
Some pics
Sorry no pics of Quail as yet. Though there was a chap there that took over 400 picks! So hoping she is in a couple of them!
