back in the game......

[omegathelast 160]

As promised here is a little update on Celts progress. I spent a large part of the last year trying to make sure he had a good standard of basic training, particularly with him being a dog as I have only ever kept bitches previously and I did contemplate him being a bit more headstrong and less compliant. Overall, however, he has trained up very well; his recall is superb, he obeys various commands to clicks and hand signals and his retrieving of inanimate objects was spot on. Alongside this we indulged the inevitable mooching which he started alongside my old girl Twig - RIP - who taught him what scent was. These type of days are, as we all know, immensely enjoyable and do help with the bond between you and your dog. I do, however, think the temptation to mouch can, at times, undermine training and I noticed how he was at one point becoming less interested in his training and just wanted to crack on with the mouching! Not disimilar to how I was at school I guess.

 

Putting the mouching to one side I have tried to be patient and start him slowly, albeit with hindsight a bit early. I had a few walks around our permission once he was 12months old, making sure nothing got out of hand and keeping him under control as much as possible to try and underpin the training I had been doing, despite the kaleidoscope of sensory experiences he was having out in the field which was, of course, temping him to do precisely what he thought was best. Following a few false starts which risked getting him frustrated, this finally resulted in him hunting up and catching his first rabbit in a small woodland plateau and, well, what an anti climax! After hours and hours of training to retrieve he.. err..didn't! All the usual commands and encouragment failed with me eventually having to go and get it off him. I was genuinely a bit dissapointed, but also probably expecting far too much as he was beside himself with excitement and is still a pup even now. The dissapointment at the time had clouded how well he had actually done following the scent like a beagle and actually catching a healthy fully grown rabbit.

 

Since then things have got a whole lot better and today both he and my untried ferret, which I have rescued from an unwanted home and therefore clearly an uncertain fate, both did me proud. In addition to the land mentioned earlier in this thread we had also managed to get back on another one of our old haunts with a promise from the landowner that there were "quite a few on". I took a day off work and decided to go up alone with Celt and the ferret just to have a reconnaissance mission, whilst hopefully making a bit of progress with them both and indeed with my rusty self! So my clueless and inexperienced entourage arrived on the small farm mid morning to be greated by the farmer who was pleased to see us and pointed out where he thought we should try first. He was certainly right as the corner of the field he had directed us to contained a very active looking warren and I saw a couple of rabbits disappear in that direction, but it looked a tough place under a large, very wide stone wall. Instead I opted to net two smaller warrens in the open. Celt showed little interest in either but I put it down to his inexperience as they certainly looked fairly well used to me. Nothing bolted so I then reminded myself that the ferret has probably never worked either and lifted the last of the purse nets wondering if my team was up to scratch. As I finished putting the nets in the bag Celt wandered over to the warren in the corner of the field and started to go from hole to hole letting out the odd whimper. Typical I thought, the farmer and the dog want us to have a go at this one. I reluctantly entered the ferret and within minutes deep bumping confirmed Celts marking, which also confirmed that maybe it was actually me that was the weak link in the team given that Celt had marked and Charlie was clearly working his quarry! Unfortunately though, I was right to worry that this was a tough place as nothing bolted despite the bumps and bangs and Charlie the ferret had obviously backed a bunny or bunnies into an impregnable stop end. I had a scratch around with spade but it might as well have been solid concrete under the stone wall. Luckily the farmer wandered over for a chat and kept my spirits up as I waited well over half an hour until Charlie just popped his head out enough for me to grab him. A bad start I thought but on the positive side it dawned on me that I now knew Celt can mark a bit and also probably more importantly, doesn't false mark, plus I also now had a ferret that appeared to work a bit.

 

After the bad experience and lost time with the stone wall I headed further up the hill to where I knew there was some easier places to try. On the way up celt had a few impossible runs and the place was alive as the farmer had said but the warrens on this part also are tough and for another day when my friend would be with me. We got to the top and he ran and missed another by millimetres as it escaped into a warren which he was now marking. I was a bit worried as I thought it could end up a dig given that he had pressed it hard to ground but decided to net it up anyway. We gave it a few minutes of quiet to settle down before entering the ferret. Within minutes I could hear tell tale bumping and the silence was broken as a rabbit hit the net and was stopped and held by a lightening Celt. I took that one out of the net and reset it, only for another to bolt from an unseen bolt hole with Celt in hot pursuit; he turned it and caught it cleanly just as it attempted to get through the boundary sheep fence. Right, I thought, what is gonna happen here? I calmed myself, knelt and commited to the usual commands and encouragement we had used all through his training and whilst he was beside himself with excitement again I could see that this time he was also looking up to see where I was, and to my delight he wrestled it up and brought it to me. Hurrah!! What a buzz.

 

It was only meant to be a quick walk around the land and as the weather was turning I set off back but through a different field where I thought he might get another one up, and he did. On this one he did so well as it had a fair head start but he turned it two, possibly three times before scooping it up and again he brought it to me! Not perfect, but good enough and a foundation to get better. Little star. We only walked off with three plump bunnies but given what had happened and the inexperience of the sqaud I thought it was a great day.

 

All in all, and on reflection, I now realise I have a 14month old pup that is 100% steady with stock, can mark, is broke to and works with ferrets, is obedient to useful commands, jumps ok, has proven his potential as a very athletic catch dog and HE RETRIEVES! I also have a (now healthy) ferret that also did well considering I had no idea what I had rescued.

 

With our increasing permission and progress of the new little team it is looking good. We wont be breaking any records but we will have some good days/nights out, hopefully keeping the landowners content who are genuinely happy for the rabbits to be controlled in an environmentally friendly and humane way.

Edited October 30, 2012 by omegathelast

[Lampalurcher 47]

Sounds a good a start as any hope its the first off many

[darbo 4,774]

good honest write up. sounds like the young dog did well. good luck for the future with him. atb.

[Stabs 3]

Wish there were more posts like this on here. Well done!

[fitchet 788]

Sounds like all that hard work has paid off ATB with celt for the future

[chartpolski 23,146]

What is/was the name of the Racing Grew Sire ?

 

Cheers.

[border lad 1,047]

A good post, its a great feeling when your young dog starts to put it to gether, and your ferret, I am sure you are going to have a good season, and more,

[Rogue and running dog 26]

Really enjoyed reading this report keep up the gd work!

[Sirius 1,391]

Great post, good luck to you and Celt

The hunting genes a strong thing, it may fade a bit now and again but only to come back brighter than ever

Edited October 30, 2012 by Sirius

[jasher 55]

great write up thanks for posting

[omegathelast 160]

What is/was the name of the Racing Grew Sire ?

 

Cheers.

 

I think he is called 'Acid' I dont know the dog.

 

And thanks to everyone for their positive comments, I am glad you enjoyed the little report on my team

Edited October 30, 2012 by omegathelast

[Tom Pickering 28]

Great write up Mark - Very pleased he is doing well

 

This is Celt after the above trip..

[omegathelast 160]

Cheers for posting the pic Tom

[mwncidur 0]

Great reading mark.

Celt looks a belter. His sister Sika had her first night out on the lamp last night, I am over the moon with her.