Springer x lab

[dodger 2,754]

Cracking pup iv seen a few handy springboks.. 

[welsh_hunter12 119]

She’s nearly 11 months the pics of her I uploaded was when she was 9 months old.she’s on the lead for most of the day I only let her off when it’s not a drive to a flushing point.I’ve been going off the advice of the keeper who’s been on the place for years he’s past retirement age and proper old school. I appreciate advice all the same.as I’ve said it’s my first gun dog having been a lurcher and terrier man for years.so far I reckon she’ll do me proud 

[Lloyd90 509]

Some of the worst dog's I've ever seen on shoots belonged to the keepers  

 

 

[Lloyd90 509]

19 hours ago, Wideboy said:

Great bit of advice. My sprocker bitch is going to be 2 this month and she’s been out twice. What a difference in her, compared to letting them at it a year sooner. Just worked on the training last season instead of letting her going shooting. I have her mother so it was no big deal holding her back, maybe different if you don’t have another gun dog. 
All she wants to do is please me now, purely hunting for me and not herself. 

I see loads of people bringing young dogs on shoots. 
 

They say it’s nonsense to wait and how the dog is brilliant, or they bring it along and just keep it on a lead etc …
 

I go back a year or two later, the dogs pretty much always have major faults and they either don’t bring the dog anymore cos it’s totally wild, or even worse they still bring the dog and they think it’s brilliant, when in reality it’s out of control and totally shit.

[welsh_hunter12 119]

I get what you both mean. The advice I’ve got off the lads on this shoot is she won’t learn being at home.so far shes doing well.nothing to testing and yeah she’s mainly on the lead and I’ve had good comments off people on the shoot  about she’s doing.she’s from really good breeding especially the dams side who I’ve seen work loads of times.as I’ve said it’s my first gun dog and so far I’m chuffed to bits 

[welsh_hunter12 119]

Tied up at 11 though the sausage rolls were too tempting for her 

[jok 3,211]

Just picked up on this. The great Joe Irvine who’s book, anyone with a spaniel should read, says that whilst on a lead the spaniel can do what it wants but when not on a lead must be under total control. I must admit to have trained a number of dogs, Labs, Springers and indeed 2 Spanadors. Between us we did rather well so I reckon Joe was on the money. Jok.

[Born Hunter 17,751]

On 08/11/2022 at 02:21, Lloyd90 said:

I see loads of people bringing young dogs on shoots. 
 

They say it’s nonsense to wait and how the dog is brilliant, or they bring it along and just keep it on a lead etc …
 

I go back a year or two later, the dogs pretty much always have major faults and they either don’t bring the dog anymore cos it’s totally wild, or even worse they still bring the dog and they think it’s brilliant, when in reality it’s out of control and totally shit.

I know what you mean, and have seen it a ton. However I do think with a bit of experience you can 'enter' pups and progress them under a watchful eye and with a lot of thought on how they are handling it and what they are ready for.

Biggest mistake imo with young dogs is retrieving too soon or too often with them. If the control is only 90% then retrieving will be the beginning of a downward spiral to despair imo. So many people with only so-so understanding of what's going on in their dogs head would do so much better to just never allow their dog to touch a bird. But for some reason the one thing most handlers dream about is their pup retrieving. For me it's seeing steadiness in the face of hellish numbers of game on a critical part of a drive, knowing the bitch has the mental capacity to keep a cool head and do just enough when you ask for it.