Utility Gundog Society Kent & East Sussex Special Puppy Working Test 2014

Utility Gundog Society Kent & East Sussex Special Puppy Working Test Judges D Higgs, G Home, A Scutcher, D Stevens, B Gardiner by kind permission of Roger & Sheila Wade at Grovelands Farm on the 10th May 2014

Winner Casablaidd Quill Hogan FCR D 030612 handled by Jacqui Crew
 2nd Brockaghs Eanna Lab D 050712 handled by Susan Cooper
 3rd Yexinnitta Union Lab D 180512 handled by Stewart North
 4th Bridlebrook Lilly Miss Lab B 020213 handled by Ian Hamilton
 COM Colhook Teak at Leospring Lab D 221012 handled by Joy Venturi Rose

A long way for me to travel, but have been eager to put Yexinitta Union aka Charlie Lab (yellow) D 180512 through his paces as his puppy days come to a close.

I also have to decide, which gundog to run at the Kennel Club Working Tests at Chatsworth this year if I am fortunate enough to get a run. My Open Retriever FTW Russlayne Bracken of Northglen Lab B 230308 is hopefully in Pup so not sure about running her? FTAW Ballagan Handa of Northglen Lab B 140408 is useless on dummies never that enthusiastic when it comes to dummies and my working cocker FTAW Toadsspannel Foxey of Northglen aka Pip B 200811 has been winning some Open Spaniel Awards so looks very promising at the moment although she is in Pup and looking a bit fat!

 So I am left with Charlie who has had a first and third over the last week!

The 5 tests today started for me with a mark retrieve over a fence in long grass, I was the second dog to go, so no tracks or multiple falls had occurred, Charlie marked very well but hit the fall of the previous dummy, could not find it, and decided to run over to the thrower. Handler error should have stop him immediately, but waited to see if he would turn? but did'nt so stopped him push him right and picked. Mission accomplished!

Test 2 was a retrieve over water past a small Island on a pond close to a fence, Charlie took a nice line wrong side for wind and winded the dummy bag on the floor over the fence just a short distance away. The Judge decided to reset the test and asked the dummy thrower to keep the dummy bag off the floor. After a short while I was asked to complete the test again, this time as Charlie was sent another shot was fired from the test next door, which prompted him to stop! I then pushed him back, he went onto the island, pushed him back again and picked, although he decided to come round the pond, having discovered this was the easiest route on his previous attempt.

THIS IS SOMETHING NOTED FOR FUTURE TRAINING!

Test 3 was a long mark retrieve along a narrow track easy for the handler to mark, but the trees make it more difficult for the dog. Complete handler error, Charlie over shot and I allowed him to self correct, the distance was too far cold not see dog and lost him for a short while in the wood hunting, recall was poor! eventually got him back and picked. I think is where first place today was lost!!

Test 4 was a blind retrieve with shot, although the shot was some distance away from the fall, which caused a few problems for lots of dogs, Charlie did pull towards the gun, but stopped when asked too and got to the fall with one cast. The dummy took a little time to find, with the dog being out of sight, did not respond to recall several times? so just left him to work it out, then picked.I was a bit too quick with the dummy and dropped it..probably still annoyed with my self because of the last test.

Test 5 was a 2 dog walk up with a mark retrieve over a ditch, Charlie had to wait whilst the first dog was sent, which took ages to retrieve. It eventually picked and then we walked up a short distance for Charlies mark. After sending he hit the unsighted ditch bank fairly hard, but thankfully maintained his line and pick very well.

This was his best performance all day.

Most of the puppies running during day had come to grief on one or more of the tests, even the winner messed up on the water retrieve but overall put in the best performance on the day. The organisers did a great job, with over 50 dogs running it is no small task for everything to run very efficiently, a great day was had by all those in attendance. Many thanks to Roger & Shiela Wade for hosting the event and Judges for giving up their time when they could be running their own dogs and to the helpers who did a fantastic job.

Graded Group Gun Dog Training Leicestershire May 2014

We are pleased to announce our Grade 1 & 2 Group Gun Dog Training courses will commence on the Saturday 17th May 2014 in Leicestershire, we have limited places on the Grade 2 Course, so early booking is essential. Booking for Grade 2 via this link . Grade 1 use this link

Gundog Water Training Weekend 22nd & 23rd February Stapleford Park

Group Gundog Water Training Weekend

February 22nd/23rd 2014

Stapleford Park, Melton Mowbray,

Leicestershire, LE14 2EF

 

Beginners Course ~ Dogs that have not entered water before, or that will enter water but are not steady to other dogs with a training aid thrown into water. Dogs that will not take direction direction or recall when in water, will be suitable for this course.

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Novice Course ~ Dogs that are steady to other dogs in water, dogs that will go over water for a retrieve and return, dogs with poor delivery, dogs that have poor directional control and need improving with water distraction work will be suitable for this course.

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Intermediate Course ~ Dogs that will enter water confidently handle a distraction and retrieve a simple blind over water will be suitable for this course. These dogs will be asked to swim greater distances and learn to work whilst other dogs are working.

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Advance Course ~ Dogs that will swim greater distances for marks & blinds and handle heavy distractions at difficult angles with obstacles and fast flowing water
 

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We are very fortunate to have access to this wonderful estate, to simulate a number of gundog tasks, which would occur during the shooting season. Tea, Coffee & Soup will be provided for those who book multiple sessions and want to train different dogs. Please note young dogs soon get tired after being trained on water so it would be advisable to book a training session on alternate days or with a 2 hour break during the day. Accommodation can be organised. See Booking Form for details. Each Course will last approx 2 hrs, which enables you to swap dogs or give your dog a rest in between different courses. 

Times, Grades and Costs are covered on the booking form.

3 Years of Working Gundogs most popular Facebook memories in 60 seconds

Thought I would share my Facebook video "LOOKING BACK" covering the last 3 years, with some of the most popular moments and memories

PRESS THE HD BUTTON FOR BEST QUALITY!

Post by Working Gundogs.

Kelmarsh Gundog Events, Very popular!

Kelmarsh Country Fair proved to be a popular event over the bank holiday weekend, the weather was overcast, hail storms on the Sunday made the ground soft under foot and the rain stayed away on the Monday, some traders appeared disapointed with the sales, their were lots of people not willing to spend a great deal, I managed to get a large discount on everything purchased, which was quickly spent by the children and friends, the food halls were great a place for a sandwich, the bison and wild boar was really nice.

After a browse, I decided to have a go, on the gundog events something I have been telling students to avoid for years "never race your gundog against the clock and never send it past game to pick game", but the lure of a brand new car was too much to avoid for many hundreds of gundog enthusiast and me!

The organisers of the gundog events had created a competition between the traditional scurry events and a proper working gundog event. Despite my own poor performance, I felt the working gundog event could have been more challenging without it being against the clock!

Both me and my friend entered our dogs in both events and decided to try and pick two dummies on an event called "Partridge Pens" 2 dummies were thrown into 2 separate pens surrounded by brashings of laylandii. My friend Bill went first and much to his surprise Monty refused to enter the pen! The retrieve appeared to very simple! thats the first mistake of the day! Bill eventually walked the dog out and asked it to jump the fence, which, the penny eventually dropped?

I also had the same problem with Poppy, I eventually got her in the pen, but not before picking a dummy lying on the ground near the thrower which disqualified me! To be fair I was in shock that such a simple retrieve had caught me out! I think this is something to be played out in the training field " I had never asked my dog to jump into a box on a grass field?

Well after a disastrous start, we decided to go onto the working gundog event, I had been warned that a fellow competitors field trial champion had failed this event the day before?

This test required your gundog to pick a blind after seeing a distraction thrown into a pen, the blind was an acute angle past the mark and there was a hidden bunker of a dip which you could lose your dog!

Well let's just say, all my gundogs weakness were exposed in this one event, and I failed miserably, she did not listen to the stop whistle, she was head strong, she did not follow commands on directions, she pulled to cover on open ground and this was after winning a novice event 10 days earlier!

It just goes to show the training is never complete and you never rest on your laurels in the gundog world if you want to work your gundog.

Not wishing to walk away a total failure, I did eventually get the dog to the area to pick the blind.

Having bought 2 tickets for this event, I had a second attempt, well lets say I should not have bothered, its definitetly back to the drawing board before her next working test.

Like most gundog enthusiasts we always carry on in the hope something will get better, and it did on the long mark retrieve Poppy managed it in 15 seconds, which was brilliant! Albeit not good enough to win but a very respectable time, I think the winner was around 13 seconds. I think my time would have only improved if I was lucky enough to have had a strong head wind, as some retrieves were a lot shorter than others.

I then went and had go on the up and over, which was a series of straw bails, I think 5 in all with 2 simultaneous marks at the end of a closed corridor, well this just spooked Poppy out, she actually froze in a closed space, drop the first dummy and ran back. I think the occasion of the day had just been too much for such a young dog, I eventually walked forward and encourage her to jump the bails, her confidence recovered very quickly.

Finally we arrived at the Pot Black event, this is where you pick a mark earning a red, then proceed to pick a blind yellow, then a mark red and then a blind green etc...

Well Poppy excelled at this until I needed to pick the pink, which was behind the black and her nose was to good for the job!! she ignored the whistle and picked the wrong color. Much to my surprise the steward asked me to stop her and get her to drop the dummy, then go back and picked the pink and I would have remained in the competition. Sadly I declined to teach my dog to drop retrieves, I have been working too hard to produce a proper gundog not an circus machine!

Its worth mentioning that spectators found these events very entertaining, the tradition field trialing world would be having a rye smile and avoiding some of these events like the plague.

But that said having a gundog for most owners is about having a companion to enjoy, whatever its faults, I am sure these events go a long way to achieving this..

Enjoy....