Dill in the field

[skycat 6,174]

Well I made a point of taking just Dill and the camera out this afternoon so I could get some pics of her using her nose, which is about all I can ask of her at the moment. Very hot today so probably not a lot of scent but she found and put up 3 pheasant and a pair of partridge from this cattle field.

 

Before anyone slags me off for letting my dog put stuff up out of season: no one shoots this land and the nests as well as some birds have already been trashed and killed by the foxes who have a litter on the far bank: Feathers etc lying about where they've been nailed: my OH regularly sees the pair of foxes working the field when he walks his dogs around the edge every evening.

 

Of course I didn't manage to get any pics of the birds exploding from cover as I'm a slow old fart when it comes to that: I'd make a really bad shooter as well which is probably why I don't shoot LOL

 

To give Dill something to retrieve I hid the battered old rabbit skin dummy in a thistle patch for her and again at the edge of the hedge on the way home.

 

I'd say that her working style is similar to an HPR, and now she's learning to stay in closer to me. I don't let her go more than 40 yards out so that when we do eventually go out shooting next season she'll be of some use. She points, freezes then flushed birds just like a Pointer, though I haven't yet got the flush under my complete control.

 

She worked the entire field which is about 40 acres, continually checking to see which direction I was headed in, and responded really well to the odd whistle and hand signals, which I've only just started working on. She loves working like this, and its when I am on my own with her and not out with the lurchers and terriers as well that I can really see just how steady and thoughtful she is when using her nose.

 

We did a bit of down staying as well, but to be honest she has been as easy to train as a Collie in her desire to please: just hard to control in her intensity whilst hunting, but each day she matures a bit more now.

 

If I was a rough shooter I'd love a dog like this, with the added bonus of the dog being able to flush and retrieve fox as well: though I've heard of plenty of GWPs and GSPs which like foxes so there's maybe not a lot of difference between the breeds.

 

Dill's pointing and flushing is totally inborn, not something I've taught her to do, though I don't think you can put that in a dog: its either there or its not. My lurchers all do it as well, though of course they're fast enough to catch the rabbit they put out!

 

Anyway: here's some pics.

[skycat 6,174]

More pics: I don't know how to put captions betwen them on this site and they're all out of order but they're on that's all I can do.

[skycat 6,174]

And the last couple: I think!

[Mars 42]

She`s looking good, bet she pushes through cover well,

how does she work with the lurchers, and are the lurchers learning to trust her nose...??

 

Mars...

[craig lurcher man 2]

She`s looking good, bet she pushes through cover well,

how does she work with the lurchers, and are the lurchers learning to trust her nose...??

 

Mars...

i have never seen a one of theys terriers work what sort off terrier would u say they r like with there nose?and is it true they r the biggest terrier in the world?and what size do they go to?thanks

[Tiny 7 1,694]

Lovely Pic's,

Like the last one, hope to read alot more as she mature's

T 7

[Catcher 1 639]

Nice dog mate. Catcher 1

[Neal 1,874]

Apart from some physical features and elements of their temperament, I always think of Airedales as being terriers in name only. I tend to consider them more as an old fashioned waterdog.

[adeyhawk1970 0]

Thanks for the pictures i never tire of seeing pics of Dill.She looks like a fantastic all round dog i dont think there is much she couldnt do

[skycat 6,174]

Thanks for the pictures i never tire of seeing pics of Dill.She looks like a fantastic all round dog i dont think there is much she couldnt do

 

 

..............apart from actually catching stuff on the run LOL Just not fast enough, though she is only 22" and weighs 25kilos. Some of her litter are a lot longer in the leg and I think her sire is 25" Apparently there is a line of Airedales in the States that go up to 28"!!! To be honest, whilst I'd never swap her for the world, I would have liked a longer legged version, but she'll do me. Roll on next season!

 

Yes, I believe they have the attributes to make an all round working dog, but the terrier fire is in there should they meet with something that aggresses them in any way.

 

I have to be careful if we meet stroppy dogs out on exercise as Dill's reaction to aggression is one of aggression too, though she's very friendly to other friendly dogs. The one live fox she's seen a few months back left me in no doubt at all as to her capabilities and the terrier ancestory, the main difference between her and a totally psycho type dog being that she immediately went for the throat: end of story. Again, pure instinct and not something I have shown her how to do.

[thomps125 49]

great pictures nice story aswell we need more of these

[skycat 6,174]

Thanks for your comments people.

[surrey lass 12]

she definately is one nice looking dog, not like the poncy show type, i hope she excells in all that you want her to do, good luck with her