[langhaar]

Thought it would be interesting to know what the most thrilling moment was for you all this season, not necessarily  competition results but what gave you the most satisfaction?

For me it was running in a mock trial with a group of HPR enthusiasts to test a ground for future trials. The keeper knew nothing about our breeds but was thrilled and excited by what he saw.Needless to say CGS will include it in their schedual next year, highly recommended for those who like their dogs to hunt! Even more pleased because most of the running dogs were winners in the showring and had field trial awards too.

[guy]

Most satisfying competition win was our first CoM.

Most outstanding bit of dog work we did was a blind retrieve across an eight foot deep ditch and water and then out of sight over the brow of a hillock.

[lagopuslagopus]

Retrievewise ours has to be that day I already wrote about where Inca and Ekko both went across the Dee blind.  Inca came back with the dead bird and Ekko went on and brought the runner back.  HPR - one of Incas hprs on a woodcock (I think).

[sako75]

Most satisfying for me was the successfull release of pheasants on my ground. All the hard work throughout the year paid off and I have fond memories of training on live game and watching the progress throughout the season. None of this would really be possible without the released birds.

My most treasured memory from this season was my young weimaraners first full HPR - very satisfying. Also her first day out picking up on a 250 bird driven partridge day , she exceeded all expectations .


Barry.

[Bareve]

[Bareve]

My highlight was Freddy's 2nd in the Munsterlander Open.  It was one of those days where everything fell into place and the dog worked his socks off to the succesful outcome.

Closely followed by his successful water retrieve at the GSPA AA over the very fast flowing River Derwent.  I was scared witless and I was standing on the dry bank!!!

[weima]

The main one for me must be Pagan gaining a COM then becoming a full champion - very satisfying  
Then on a shotover day Pagan retrieving her 1st woodcock - this really pleased me as she has also only just started pointing them.

Lots to do out of the season & looking forward to the next already  

[windem bang]

I would like to have been able to say my most satisfying moment came while watching Buck hunt but that was not the case. A blind retrieve over a deep and very steep ditch and up a hill to the football pitch sized wood on top for a very strong runner was my favourite moment. I couldn't help Buck in any way stuck on the other side of the ditch but he came back with the bird which was still very much alive.
I have a bee in my bonnet about hard- mouth and Buck has been completely soft mouthed on the several runners he's had. This more than anything else has been very pleasing to me.

Bill T.

[cressy]

Mine is really sad!!! The most fulfilling thing is that for the first time I have HAD A SEASON and it is all down to Mugi.

Mugi is such a special little dog and considering his 10 yrs as a city pet and the fact that 12 months ago he had no idea about retrieving he has taught me so much.

All I hope now is that my grand old man will be fit and well enough to enjoy the 2008/2009 season. For any sceptics that think an old dog can't learn new tricks you only have to see him out. I have had a few raised eyebrows when people hear he is 11.5 and in his first season but judging by these two photos taken yesterday I know where he would rather be!!!

[Greyghost]

You and Muji have given me inspiration Sue.  I too have a rescue who could not/would not retrieve.  My proudest moment was on a WCGB training day when she did a perfect seen retrieve with a beautiful sit and present on a frozen bird earlier this year.

She will now retrieve a fur covered dummy (at the age of 7) and last week she did her first ever blind retrieve.  She actually came back and then followed the scent of my footsteps.  

Aint life grand  

[Marjolein]

My youngest dog made me very proud this season. To start with he gained 2 ft qualifications. I'd only entered him in two trials and on one of these trials he was handled by a friend of mine. He won both days.

The second thing was a hunting day. A hare was shot but wasn't dead. The dogs really worked hard to find it, but it just didn't work. Then the lad put his nose on the ground, worked this track and was on point. On command he retrieved and brought back to hand.
He did great!!!

[Helen S]

My most memorable moment (of the period - the season starts in May here) was I suppose Liesel's successful day at the Versatile Hunting Dog tests.  

I had gone there to test our training so far, hoping not to disgrace ourselves and it all came together.  My girl rose to the occasion and did just enough to gain the best score and a P11 grade.  

I have still to experience a proper warm game retrieve or an HPR but am hoping we won't have to wait too long.

Helen S

[sashalgwps]

I have a few as this is the first season Gucci and I have seriously done any working towards trials and our first shot over days  

Gucci's first duck retrieve on our first shot over day

Gucci gaining her SGWC with her retrieve on woodcock

and Gucci's find and point on our first trial on Wednesday - ok she ran in on the shot but her work and point gave me goosebumps.

Plus I have met so many nice people and so many people willing to give us training opportunities and advice.

Can't wait till next year  

Alex

[BritAnnie]

My special moment was Allez diving into an 8ft deep pond to retrieve the duck Stuart had just shot - his first water retrieve and I had the presence of mind to get the phone out to snap him doing it - very special on two counts.

[countrygirl]

For me it was Friday as a whole(reported on elseware under beaters day)
Rumour worked like a dream and has improved so much this year I can see her grand father in her more each day I work her.

And not to be left out I took Maverick out when Rumour was in season and he was balanced on a steep bank(longways) on the other side of a water filled ditch on point not quite sure what was keeping up and I dident have the camra which was a shame he also did two lovely retrives that day.

Caz

ps and of course I got married but thats nothing to do with shooting lol

[Helen]

Sounds like everyone has had a good season

I have got 3.  First when Teal retrieved her first partridge, after a LOT of labs and spaniels had been through and they had given up on it.  Second when Teal found and flushed a pricked pheasant after a lab man (who trials), was looking for it.  Third, taking her on a shoot and showing people that gwp's CAN work and they CAN work WELL.

Helen

[lou]

Cressy - your Muji is an inspiration to me as well if you think your achievements are sad heres mine............

I am soooooooooo chuffed that I have got Connie retrieving dummies for a while there I thought we were destined to only retrieve a small, yellow, fluffy, squeaky sheep toy Connie is quite into retrieving and today after a couple of errors of my judgement did some good seen retrieves and a simple marked retrieve in a really distracting bit of woodland yay!

Louise

[Mike]

May sound slightly pathetic but we finally seem to have cracked the swimming, have had a number of ocassions where he has entered water without any hesitation or hint of hesitation and in a number of different locations.  

Here is a post from May 2006:

http://workinghprs.myfastforum.or...tml&highlight=swimming+harley

It has been a long road but I truly hope the end is in sight!

[kiwi]

here in nz our bird season is spread out with a few paradise duck and goose weekends in feb/march and the main season is may-august.
bigggame hunting is all year round so i guess 2007 had many highlights for me, starting off the year recovering from a broken leg gave me time to enjoy annies litter in jan, i did a day on the paradise ducks with sika at 12 mths getting her first tastes of retrieving which was good, she had a few hunts after red stags in the roar, and got her first pheasant and well over her share of ducks/swan and geese for the season, looking at the diary her bird count on roosters was 18, not bad for wild birds and plenty of walking, the duck tally was low @231 but we had a crap year on ducks and we had to work hard to break the 200 mark, sika's highlight was while getting ready to for a goose shoot on public land and meeting another hunter with a lab who hackled up and stood over my girl growling.
i watched her staring at this lab with one eye on her and the other on me.
i could read her mind and she could read mine,no words where spoken as she had to sit there while this yellow thing done everything it could to spark a fight from sika, she held firm as we had worked on the fighting issue with other dogs, sika is a big girl and has the grit to find and hold pigs i have put alot of time avoiding her thrashing other dogs and it was at this time i saw in her she was holding back for me  i was proud of my girl and after the hunter and mongrel lab had moved off i rubbed her ears and said good girl, she then trotted up the road from where the lab had come from and locked up on solid point, not ten meters from where the lab had walked a pheasant was sitting tight......the look on sika's face after we flushed it was priceless as she looked back to the lab who was still visable in there boat.
sweep/scruff have only just gone a year but have had a few deer and a couple of days hunting pheasant with sika so they will step up to the mark this year, like sika they has already been introduced to pighunting so they have the skills and natural ability for that type of hunting.
putting sika and scruff through a few nzvhda tests is my aim this year, i don't train enough to go to any gundog trials as i just enjoy hunting my dogs, sweep did get roped into having ago at the tests on the day and done pretty well considering we done no training at all and it was his first time i'd ever had him on a lead his p11 should have been a highlight but i was more rapt with him finding a partridge like sika did the day before

[chiendog]

The entire 07 season was most satisfying for me. Too many highlights to list really.

My wife however, would definitely say that the highlight for her was.......

http://chiendog.blogspot.com/2008/02/awesome-buck.html

[münstermanager]

That's some shot. Bravo, Lisa.

My most memorable moment, probably sounds pathetic given Beecham was nearly 3, was watching him do a beautiful retrieve on his first ever cold game, a partridge.  Many thanks to Mr Munstyman for that one.

Sue

[mcelkek]

Most memorable moment for me was Rosie my Brittany pointing a woodcock, then flushing it. I winged it as it flew over a large sloe bush. I sent the dog who went round the left side of the bushes. I then witnessed the woodcock make his way through the bush back towards me. It popped out about 15 feet in front of me and hid behind a rock. My buddy was shouting from the far side “She’s on it!". I then watched my dog slowly but methodically work its way through the bush till it froze on point inches from the woodcock. The Woodcock fanned its tail in surprise or anger and the dog picked it up. It then raced over to me and popped it into my hand. Priceless!  

Keith.

[tashap]

mine was probably watching both dogs go into water after shot duck past a rotten dead one that the lab on the shoot had point blank refused to go and retrieve and then the lad going back for the stinking one despite not wanting to retrieve it with a little encouragement he did and for that I am very proud of them both.  

The funniest thing was the Graf doing a lovely retrieve on partridge dumping it at the feet of the gun that had shot it (said gun was very surprised) and then half way back to me remembering who he's supposed to be giving the birds so went back took it off the gun and brought it to me.... needless to say a few red faces alot of laughing but I'm still very proud!!  

[JR VIZ]

My best is when my hawks have a kill on the ground and the dogs are sitting next
to the hawk and not ran in to make the retrieve but the next day they could be
picking up