cressy
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We start on MondayWell, we have the key to the estate and on monday our training schedule starts.
I have a mapped out plan of campaign based on the progression of training we were given at the last BCGB weekend although I am going to get Chase hunting in addition to the exercises. Apparently the biggest pheasant pen still has some birds in that haven't been caught up and I am allowed to take him in so he won't be able to get too far away from me and I can ensure I am working with him albeit in an enclosed space. This training aspect will be done with just him and me in the pen and the spaniels well away (and Mugi well away too  ).
The rest of the training will be basic control and trying to get our retrieve working better. We plan on using Mugi and the oldest cocker as steadiness dogs for the pups but work the youngsters on a one to one basis with one person as a dummy thrower and the other as a spectator to watch and suggest anything we are doing wrong  .
As for experience we have one who has been training her cockers a few years, me as someone who has trained although not for gundog work and a novice to dog handling. We do however have the offer from the senior gamekeeper and a very experienced gundog man who works on most of the local shoots to come and help us should we want it. We will take them up on this but want a week or so to get the youngsters concentrating on the lessons then we will ask for help once we start to up the difficulty.
Come the end of March we are having another social event for the shoot (pigeon supper last night which was lovely) and I will be asking if I can invite the BCGB's FT sec to come train on the venue too - just want to prove we will respect the ground first .
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Bareve
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How exciting for you. Can't wait to hear how you get on 
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Helen
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Ooh, exciting times ahead Sue! Looks like you've landed on your feet.
Good luck with the training.
Helen
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johnhod
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Looking forward to hearing about your progress. You've done a great job with Mugi and I'm sure you'll be as successful, if not more so, with Chase.
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cressy
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Well we had a great time, out for 3.5 hours and we started with a coffee and a discussion of what we all wanted from the session. We decided that for the first time we would work all the dogs separately for a short time and see how things unfolded.
Mugi was ecstatic to be on the estate again although his ears are still very raw so he wasn't allowed into cover so no hunting. His split retrieve was terrible as he wanted to do it his own way, his memory was very good and his first BACK went ish ok, he looped the line a bit too much but he was steady and got his dummy ok. That was all he did apart from a bimble and sniff.
Chase came out then and did fairly well considering. His heelwork was very distracted (on lead) as there was so much scent. His focus exercises were good and his stays were solid. I had dropped the time and distance criteria so we only had a 2 min stay at 5m but he managed despite his nose twitching furiously . We then did some sit to whistle as his stop has gone a bit awry.
Then lunch of a swift sandwich and coffee, Chase was tethered to another picnic table and ended up lazing on top of it  . Brice and Freddy had a good romp while all the working dogs were safely away.
After helping throw dummies etc I decided Chase had done enough for him to be allowed to hunt. BTW his retrieve was terrible, I did a memory retrieve of about 15m and he ran out beautifully but when he had dummy in gob he ran straight to show the dogs in the cars. I just walked away and started chatting and ultimately he came in close so I took the dummy and paid him no further attention. After about 10 mins of being ignored I started him hunting.
We were working up the hill in the area Mugi is working downhill in this pic.
The cover as you get further up the hill becomes denser, the wind was pretty much blowing downhill although slightly swirly.
Chase set off running fast and covering the ground from boundary to boundary . He showed some interest in a clump of bramble and a mxy bunny jumped straight onto his shoulder  , this was too much temptation and bunny was caught and mercifully died without being played with. Chase had dropped the bunny as it feebly struggled but as I walked up closer to him he picked it up and walked TOWARDS ME , he gave up the bunny as we met and I praised him gently while we both had hold of the rabbit, he was happy to surrender his prize and I popped it in the cleft of a tree (not to self to remember not to let dead bunny bladder empty down arm again ). I set him off hunting again and he continued to run well, he was keen to get into bramble cover and he was quite thorough checking the bramble clumps. He pointed one pheasant rather clumsily and as it was in deep cover he could not get it to flush. He was becoming rather frustrated so I popped him on his lead, moved him on and set him up to run again.
As we finished our hunting session I blew his Stop, he was not too far from me but I was gratified that he Sat immediately and so I walked up to him, gave him a handful of chopped sausage and called it a day.
His face was a picture when he was hunting, so intent but at the same time he was keeping a check on where I was walking and he was happy to follow my lead, I guess I have a slight advantage at the moment as I know how the pheasants have been driven so where they are likely to bed themselves in.
At the moment we will only be getting to the estate once a week but I think Chase is going to really do well having this opportunity, we hope to increase the time we get up there as the nights become lighter. I am glad I decided to 'brave' running him on open ground as opposed to the pen, I always have that to fall back on if he starts taking the pee but it was good to see his range and speed without me having to overhandle him.
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