Some good news

[JeffD]

I have been a bit worried that Teal has had no access to any game at all and I really like pups to get involved as soon as possible to make them a bit keen before the formal training starts, well good news today one of the lectures here at the college has invited us to attend his shoot next week. Teal will finally get to see what its all about, We are going to partner one of the pickers up and his dog for one drive and walk with the beaters on another drive.

Its been 20 years since I was at a pheasant shoot and I am really looking forward to it, and hopefully Teal will then know what the smells are she picks up when we are on our walks.

[Lovely]

Once smelt, never forgotten- get those running shoes on!

[JeffD]

Me thinks there will be a lot of lead work going on, not sure I could keep up with a young cocker on full pelt anymore

[Nicola]

I tend to be the opposite with my dogs, I like to have them used to focussing on me before I introduce anything too much more interesting, the keenness tends to already be there! Caoimhe didn't really see any game until she was about 8 or 9 months old. From 6-7 months I would take her to areas where there had been game to work on her hunting but I would take Rodaidh in to clear it out beforehand, and she was doing cold game retrieves at about 8-9 months. I was quite cautious about it with her as I knew that the drive was there, waiting a while didn't do her any harm anyway

[Mel B]

I tend to be the opposite with my dogs, I like to have them used to focussing on me before I introduce anything too much more interesting, the keenness tends to already be there! Caoimhe didn't really see any game until she was about 8 or 9 months old. From 6-7 months I would take her to areas where there had been game to work on her hunting but I would take Rodaidh in to clear it out beforehand, and she was doing cold game retrieves at about 8-9 months. I was quite cautious about it with her as I knew that the drive was there, waiting a while didn't do her any harm anyway

I'm following similar principal to you Nicola with pup Florence.  She is already very confident and challenging so I want to get basic obedience rock solid before I introduce her to game.  I have taken her to a shoot that I beat on and just walked her on the farm track well away from the guns/game a couple of times just to gradually introduce her to gun shot.  My aim is to try and work towards a couple of days out towards the end of next season if all goes well.  I'm hoping to book in on one of Simon's (Hawcroft) game training days before then though but still a long way off that stage.

Slightly off topic but had a text off Flo's breeder the other day.  He has now won two out of three trials with one of his novice cockers and has qualified for the championship at Sandringham in January - really pleased for him  

Enjoy your time out with Teal Jeff and let us know how you get on.

[JeffD]

I have always let me pups see the rabbit when they are young I like them to get a bit wound up before the boring stuff starts,
I know some trainers want the dog rock steady first and others are like me and want the pup to start bashing the brambles asap different strokes for different folks.
The ground I will be training Teal on is a desert  as far as game birds go with the very occasional rabbit and I find it hard to get the pup interested in leaving my side at the moment.
Teal is OK with guns now she has been to a few clay shoots so no problems there and trust me she will not be off lead much or retrieving just there to get the smells from some fresh shot game and meet some of the other dogs between drives.

[JeffD]

Well Saturday went really well, it was great to be out with working dogs again. Teal was a little angel, I let her off lead towards the end of a couple of drives and she started to put her nose down and eventually flushed her first pheasant, I was congratulated by a couple of the beaters how steady she was to flush LOL I had to tell them she was just in shock and she didn't really know what she had done.

We stood behind the guns on a couple of drives, Teal sat very still and quiet and we  had a few phessies fall near us and I took Teal out and hand picked a couple letting her have a good smell of them.
Teal had a great time mixing with the dogs between drives and had her first humping from a amorous little black cocker ( little tart did nothing to discourage him).

Biggest shock of the day for me was the amount of cockers at the shoot, 25 years ago I would be the only cocker owner amongst the labs and springer's on Saturday we had a couple of springer's and 8 cockers at the shoot.

Teal and I reluctantly packed up at lunch time with invites to go back for another half day in the new year and the promice of a full beating place next season.

[8 Hairy Feet]

Good girl Teal
steffxxx

[Bibby]

Clever Teal!! Glad it went well for you, a promising start for her!

[JeffD]

Clever Teal!! Glad it went well for you, a promising start for her!

yes the breeding showed, I just have to do my bit with the training over the spring and summer.

[Smokey 1]

Brilliant Jeff, glad little Teal took it all in her stride. You will start to see her take the Micky a bit now

Smokey

[Dan]

I disagree i think the younger they are the worse it is for them and once your dog is scared of the gun then your knackered but that's my opinion I prefer to get my dogs under control were they don't run after other dogs etc before I start taking them on gun days

[JeffD]

Dan I never would have taken Teal to a shoot if she was not already happy with sound of gun shot, I started introducing Teal to gun fire at 8 weeks we live in west London and November is like the battle of the Somme with fire works. I was very apprehensive that all the fireworks could have made her gun nervous hence my early start with her. Party poppers at distance then up close and a early introduction at clay shoots. My OH kept Teal at over 300 yards away and she was slowly brought down to me over a couple of hours, she was happy to sit near me when I shot the last stand since then she has attended a couple of clay shoots,  the only problem being she Try's to charm the other shooters out of their bacon rolls.