Holland
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Everything posted by Holland
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Hello all, Not looking for a fight this time, but I thorght you'd all like to know that after talking to a local gamekeeper I have been introduced to a couple of chaps who have kindly invited me out for a days digging this weekend. You all said don't knock it 'till you've tried it. I'll let you know how it goes! H Ps I think i'll wear my old tweeds!!!!
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While picking up on a new shoot this weekend with one of my black labradors, I was asked by a lady picker up "what breed my dog was." Lookind down around her feet I observed her two dogs. These creatures were at least twice the width of my dog 4 inches shorter, 3 times the depth with a head the size of a bull dog's! I answered that my dog was a Labrador retriever, to which she laughed and explained that her dogs were kennel club breed standard Labradors. She went on to tell me that she was involved in a retriever club which organises working tests and field trials!! After d
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Hi Ollie, The Springer Spaniel is very capable of both flushing and retrieving hovever, if you wanting him as a beating dog you will find it much easier if you don't let him retrieve game. The reason for this is that once you give your dog the feel and taste of game it will be more likley to want to catch, rather than flush in the beating line. Before you all start telling me about your super dog who hunts, flushes, retrieves and probaby even shoots! I would like to point out that there are many Spaniels, my own included that beat and retrieve, yet for a novice trainer, try and kee
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Terrible advice Lampinglurcher. No owner or trainer of gundogs should even own a check-chain, let alone drop it on, or any where near your best friend. Well done ESS, our relationship with our working dogs is based on trust not fear.
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I would always be cautious when sending a dog to pick up these birds. A wounded crow or magpie still has a powerful beak and will go for eyes if given a chance! I know many dogs which will give a crow a bite before retrieving it but be warned, this could make a young dog hard mouthed on game birds. Also corvids, by their very nature carry some pretty nasty bugs. Just thorght i'd drop that into the mix!!
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Anyone shoot a side by side any more???
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Depth of water is just under 1ft so no problem there. I'm using a Cabela feeder, this was the cheapest I could find so I got 2, one as a spare.
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Thanks for all your suggestions. The field the pond is in does sometimes have sheep in it, but the feeder will be in the middle of a shallow area of water. Will sheep be able to reach the grain under water??
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Hi smarty, For your first dog, I would recomend a Labrador. These dogs are eager to please and so are easier to train. They are good at flushing and retrieving so make a good all round gun dog. Spaniels of all types can be tricky, and are better suited to an experienced trainer. The better the working pedigree, the easier the dog will be to train to the gun. This said, you don't need a string of FTCH's in the family tree, just make sure it's parents are of good working stock. Lots of game keepers breed good dogs with no papers which are super, no frills working dogs and wi
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Thanks TT That's what I thorght, but it's good to here it from someone else. Will let you know how it goes!
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Looks intresting! Let us know when they arrive.
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I notice that no one in this section seems to know anything about flight pond decoys, but I wonder if someone can help me with this question? On my small flight pond I have shallow water at each end, both areas sutible for locating my recently purchased auto feeder. One end is very open with sloping grassy banks, however the other end has dense undergrowth (brambles, willow and hawthorne) all around it and submerged branches in the water. Which end should I put my feeder? I'm afraid that if I put it on the open side it might be seen and stolen, but would putting it in the overgrown
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Is it a working dog you're looking for or just a pet? Fox red happenens to be my favourite colour of "yellow" labrador but for a gundog I would always seek out a good working pedigree first, colour being irrelevant.
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Got my current ESS as a 3yr old rescue dog, no training at all! It took the best part of 2yrs, but I now have him stopping on the whistle, working to hand signals and retreiving perfectly. It takes time but you'll get there. Don't give up!
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Good advice all round. It's all too easy to rush ahead with training when your dog seems to be doing well. Establish the basics. Just because you know your dog can retreive doesn't mean you should then over look heel work or basic recall.
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If you want her solely as a retrieving dog then I wouldn't let her chase any thing. The dog should not go until she is sent. That means she should watch where the dummy lands but not go to it until the word is given by you. I would stay away from sticks as they don't resemble game in shape, weight or texture. Get yourself a couple of training dummies from a gun shop or on line and use those. I find (to the horror of some other gun dog trainers) that a tennis ball can be useful as it is easily carried by a young dog and tests a dogs steadiness as she watches it roll and bounce away
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You're so right, don't repeat a task so often that your dog tires of it, keep training sessions short, and try and end each session on a good note. If she retrieves well on the third go, leave it there for that day.
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A russel!! I'd stick with the lurcher! There's no reason why this wont work, but you should make sure she good on dummies and cold game before taking her on to the shooting field. You wouldn't even let a Labrador retreive in the field until this has happened. Good luck
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You like a challange!! Neither the Staff or the Whippet are retrieving dogs, the staff was bred for fighting and baiting other animals and the whippet for running down game and dispatching it. This is why you are seeing your dog ripping things up rather than bringing them back. Why do you want a retrieving dog? Instead or fighting your dog's natural instinct, use it. You have potentially a very good little lurcher, why not train it as one? I am not experienced in the training of sight-hounds, but i'm sure many others here are. This said, I think any dog can be tr
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Keep us informed
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Sounds good, You sound like you have experience of these type of breeds. There are a lot of people who buy these dogs for there good looks and graceful gate, not knowing just how much harder they are to train and control than your average retriever. Good luck in your search, and your shooting.
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Hi there, What made you decide to go for a pointer?
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Not really the point. Electric shock treatment is not new techonolgy, rather more dated torture. The fact that the Americans are so keen on this method illustrates this point beautifuly!
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E collars have no place in the training and correction of gun dogs. The relationship we have with our dog should be a strong one based on trust which takes time and patients to develop, there are no short cuts. I have trained many dogs to the gun, both my own, and for other people and I’m not from the wishy-washy new age camp, but I do believe these collars to be unnecessary and cruel. The only time an e collar might ever be used is when a behavioural problem is so severe that the only other option is the destruction of the dog. This is rarely the case. The ESS is a head
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I have a small pond which I will use for flighting next season. All the advice I have read here has been most useful. A friend has suggested permently floating a pair of decoys on the water so that ducks attracted to them will drop in and find food. Has anyone else tried this and does it work, or should you only use decoys on shooting days? Thanks H