Helen
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Yesterday - TealHad a fab day yesterday with Teal. I decided to take her as it was the last day of that shoot and not too many pheasants around, and Pippa, my springer, had run amock the week before 
Plan was to keep her on lead through the drives which weren't suitable for her and let her hunt on the ones that were, and then help pick up at the end. Well, first time in ages, nearly all the guns had dogs so not much picking up but she did manage to retrieve a pheasant and a partridge - need to work on her delivery though.
She really worked like a trooper and really showed them how a good gwp can work. She obviously needs more experience but from what I saw, I was more than happy with her. I have to say, I have been a bit lax about her training what with one thing and another but I must have been doing something right, judging on yesterday's perfermance. I know what I do need to work on though so will do that once we get down to Lancs, when I have more time.
One of the drives, I was actually picking up and a cock had been lightly pricked so I went to look for it. Now, Teal hasn't a great deal of experience but she hunted along a rough bit well and then went to an area where some branches had fallen down. I had assumed it had gone into there so after the drive, went to one of the guns, who had a lab, and explained the situation. He went back to look for it and I followed him. There was a stubble field just beyond so I thought I would see if it had gone a little bit down there. I worked her down, and then looped back. She was really working the wind well and was hunting the rough bit at the edge. She then went on point, flushed and the bird got up. It flew VERY well and unfortunately, she didn't stop but she did have Rob's springer chasing it so I just let her go as I couldn't chase her and didn't want her to totally ignore a command. The bird was eventually picked up quite away from there, down a rabbit hole.
On the walk back to the car, I thought I may as well hunt her and WOW, what a hunter. She really impressed the gun that was walking with us. Really ranging out far and working the wind well again.
Her best drive was the last one as she was able to work. It is through this thick wood, which opens up to brambles, with a wall on one side and thick trees on another. I was in the open bit with a head wind. She was working that patch fantastically, just keeping to the open area. She went on point in some brambles, and I told the walking gun behind me to get ready. She held the point for a little while and I sent her in, she then flushed a cock pheasant. Unfortunately, the gun missed it! I blew the stop whistle as soon as she flushed and she did go a couple of paces, but I ran to her and put her back. After that, when she went on point and flushed, she was listening to me.
What made me realise, again, that these dogs are not good for a beating line, was when I was working her down a strip of cover crop, with a back wind. Although she worked it REALLY well, it wasn't suitable for a beating line.
Plan for this year is to go back to basics a bit, get her retrieving well, and hopefully shoot some rabbits over her. I would be more than happy to shoot over her now and she would certainly be up for it but she is a little rough around the edges but we will get there with her. She is also going to have a tough time with the grouse counts as Rob is doing them from mid February, to beginning of April as he's having to do them up here, as well as where we are moving to. An interesting year for her, I think!
She worked like a little trooper, which was the best birthday present, I could have hoped for!
Sorry for the ramble, I'm just sooo proud of her!
Helen
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Greyghost
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Ramble on....... nice story. I've never been out on a proper shoot or hunting so the more detail the better as far as I am concerned. I would love to turn my lapdog into an HPR dog, going to be a long old haul though.
Where abouts in Northumberland are you Helen? My husband is from up that way?
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Helen
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We're not far from Otterburn but we're moving down to Lancashire on Friday. We've been up here for 5 years and LOVE it but needs must etc etc, so we're on the move.
Helen
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Greyghost
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Not far from where Alister's mother is in Ponteland then. I lived in Newcastle for 8 years, found it too cold in the winter for my liking (Southern whimp  )
Hope the moves goes well on Friday  .
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Claire
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That sounds great Helen And knowing Teal, she probably did even better than she sounds because she really is a great dog. I've seen her on the grouse moors and she is a pleasure to watch and such a biddable lass.
On the way to our shoot yesterday we stopped in Pathhead at the local bakery and on my way out there was a 4x4 with 3 heads poking out the back, 2 labs and a gwp! No idea who the gwp was and I didn't have time to hang around and see who the owner was as I was tempted to ask who they were and where were they going 
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Bareve
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| Claire wrote: | | On the way to our shoot yesterday we stopped in Pathhead at the local bakery and on my way out there was a 4x4 with 3 heads poking out the back, 2 labs and a gwp! No idea who the gwp was and I didn't have time to hang around and see who the owner was as I was tempted to ask who they were and where were they going |
Oh Claire - how could you just drive on without asking and finding out about the wirehair
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Bareve
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That was lovely to read Helen and it sounds like Teal is coming along really well. Shame the gun missed the bird - perhaps he was so taken by the fact that she did produce a bird that he hadn't got himself prepared properly
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Rhimad
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Way to go Teal, she is a star in the making.
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Rhimad
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Claire, I would have had to go and ask and say hello to the dog. I drive John mad when we are anywhere and we see a wire, because I have to go and talk to them and ask them lots of nosy questions
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Claire
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Well, the full story is...... Gary wasn't in the best of moods because he had left the tailgate open overnight on the jeep, ever so slightly, and had gone out on Saturday morning to find the battery was flat  So he had to drive to the local garage, buy the jump leads he had been meaning to buy for ages, and then get the jeep started. So we were already running late all down to him and I had no intention of giving him any ammunition by saying I had contributed to our lateness 
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Rhimad
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Totally understand, under those circumstances I wouldnt have said a word.
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windem bang
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Been there, done that, got the T-shirt 
Bill T.
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Helen
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Well, she was a star again today. It was the shoot where there are a few wayward gwp's and I got a lot of comments like "it's nice to see that they can actually work". No retrieves for her but the bag was quite small but she worked really well. As it was beaters day, and I wasn't carrying a gun, I was able to say where I wanted to work her. We had some fantastic areas where she really could do her stuff. Bit of excitement on one drive. We were walking across a rough bit and suddenly a fox, followed very closely by a flatcoat shot past us. I blew the stop whistle and Teal sat and watched them. The fox ran into a small wood, with the flatcoat flying over the fence, when a cocker decided to join the chase  All dogs came out of the wood with no sign of the fox.
I always go across and ask about people's gwp's lol! I've even got Rob trained! lol
Helen
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Rhimad
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Helen I bet your are bouncing of the walls after a weekend like that, you two are a great team, I cant wait to get Saker out on the grouse this spring, she is really starting to come into her own.
Moms pup is coming on really well, she took him to puppy training classes and the guy was waffling on about not taking your puppies of the lead because the chances are you wont get them back, and to keep practicing calling their names and patting your legs to get them to come back. Mom told him that she has been using a whistle adn he will come back to a recall and stop to a stop whistle, the trainer said show us....and she did, she sent brogan off and then put a stop whistle on him and he sat and looked back at her, she then recalled him and he came straight back.
The trainer said.....Well I am speechless. Mom did think this guy was pretty crap and wont be going back.
She also said that Brogan is very birdey, he is pointing and when a bird gets up in front of him he watches it go and then carries on hunting.
She phones me up everyday with update on what he has pointed, he is very keen on the ducks, and points them, then charges into the duck pond chasing them, she said should she stop him. I told her to let him gain confidence in going forawrd, he is si biddable and good on a stop whistle that we can do that later.
I think we kept the wrong one.....I just have a canine dustbin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just kidding.
Helen it looks like this litter is going to be as natural and keen as the teal and sakers litter.
What breeding are they again
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Helen
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| Quote: | | Helen I bet your are bouncing of the walls after a weekend like that, you two are a great team, |
You bet I am. In some respects, I wish I had got her out more this season but she's got the grouse counts to do and we'll get a bit of rabbit shooting over her - once I've really got the basics into her. The only time she put a foot wrong, Rob was working her. Do I let him count with her? lol.
Well done your mum! Trainers shouldn't be telling pup owners not to let their dogs off lead! I'm sure your mum can train him herself. I always think it's good socialisation for them though.
That canine dustbin will turn into a good'un lol.
Helen
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Rhimad
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I would be very careful about letting Rob get his hands on her John isnt allowed to do anything with Saker, he is on about shooting at Stonehaven on Friday and wanting to take Saker.......Not a chance not without me there
Mom is doing really well, he is so biddable and just wants to do anything to please her. She phones me up and asks me if he is allowed to do this or can she do that, I cant wait to see him at Easter.
Harris will turn into a good one, I was looking in his mouth last night retrieving a pencil that he had found from somewhere and his gums are red raw, he is getting one of his canines coming through so I think that is why he is chewing everything (I hope). I rubbed some kiddies teething stuff on them.......John wasnt impressed. He said I am going to turn him into a girly wuss.
He was lying on his back on my lap at the time (Harris not John)
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