Posted: Sun Oct 14, 2007 9:47 am Post subject: Shot over day
Topaz and I were invited to a 'shot over day' in Dorset yesterday. Run much along the lines of an FT but with feedback from the 'judge' - who was A panel.
The morning started with coffee and a chat a 'what dog did you bring' type of thing. Was not sure how our day would go when after I said Brittany there was that moments hesitation in the reply You know the sort of thing where however positive the reply there would always be that doubt in your mind.
There were five dogs , two Weims, a GWP, a Munstie and us. The ground was mainly small pockets of mixed deciduous wood, hedges both fenced and double fenced (two lines of stock wire with a metre wide gap between.)
Each dog was run on each type of ground with a view to getting a point, flush and a retrieve. There were a good number of birds about but not always getting up well enough to be shot safely.
Each dog got about three runs.
Run one.
Tight packed copse with heavy impenetrable (to me) piles of brambles in the middle and a dry pond on the right then chest high nettle beyond. Before hunting the dog we were asked to explain what we would do and why. My thinking was that T was basically fresh out of the box after a two hour drive and may well in his exuberance bore ahead. So I would send him right along the pond bed as this was the downwind side of the copse whilst i worked up left - so as to be able to 'cut him off' if he worked ahead. The judge followed the dog, who went on point whilst i of course got stuck in bramble. Called back by the judge I came round to see T on point, but on hearing my approach he took his nose off the bird and it flushed. (missed) i hunted him on and into the nettles - one could see his progress by the movement of the plants. He however got to the edge and out running back obviously having lost me. Recalled and picked up.
Run two.
Our second run was immediately after negotiating a fence, not just any fence but one with a large circular water trough set across it. Whilst other dogs were handled over around or through I sat T and climbed over. On calling him I expected him to go through the gap we had created -but no - he jumped in swam across and jumped out! Now T when fresh out of water seems to always step up a speed so I anticipated out finest hour would not be displayed. How wrong I was. He hunted down a hedge nose up and of his own volition worked well into the corner before I sat him to allow us all to catch up and find out where next. We were asked to carry on around the corner and along the new fence line - one of those double fences. Birds could now be seen running up the fence line about 300 metres away. T worked the wind but once on the foot scent he started to draw away. Steve the judge told me to call him back and then suggested I cast him off into the field with a view to working him up the hedge but away from it. T set off on an arrow straight line to a point i thought he had something else on his mind but after about 80 yds he arched around into the wind - a big banana run and ended up on the hedge almost at the top of the field. Whistled to a stop and then called back he steamed back until he spun onto point. when we were all in position and he was encouraged in - nothing so over the other fence and work the other field a bit in case a bird had run back. No luck. Called up. In the brief post mortem all agreed that was a super bit of dog work - chuffed! if i learned nothing else that day it was the power of that banana line and that given the space i really should start to trust my dog.
Run Three
A piece of woodland - open on the left and heavy rhododendron on the right. I chose to work left as I had spotted a bit of low cover and also a running cock, also i had no wish to loose him in the bushes. The first cover he went to - straight on point but blind as once sent in nothing - must have been the seat of the cock. Worked him on into the corner (i like corners) and then back, he started working up a scent cone just at the edge of the bushes; then bang on point. Sent in and a shot rang out and the bird down. The shot disturbed about half a dozen more who started up noisily; but i could not see my dog (he had gone out of sight at t flush) so some anxious stop blasts were blown until Steve said 'what are you doing that for' - my reply being 'i cannot see my dog and I am concerned he may run in'. 'He is over there and hasn't moved a muscle despite all around him' Phew my luck is holding. Sent for the retrieve, guaranteed folded bird (ie stone dead before it hit the floor) This is a blind so send him in on a line and whistle the 'hunt there' at the fall area. He hunts about a bit (can see nettles moving but no dog from where we are) and then nothing - as this is not an FT went forward to find him on point again, (hmm live bird i think) send him in and with great difficulty he extricates the bird from the nettles and brings it back. A bit scrunched but this was his first fresh pheasant ever and it had not been dead.
Run four.
a piece of bank with a hedge on top. he hunted with style purpose and drive. I think he had realised what the day was about now and had learned the difference between a vacant and occupied seat, so several flash points before going solid. Flushed a hen on command; was worked on in case he had held two. Sent for the retrieve, again a blind up a bank and through a hedge (but visible from a human stance - eyes are higher off ground). Straight out, winded / sighted the bird not sure which as it was only about 10 yards out in the field picked it and brought it back - but spat it out before he should have done. Perfect bird!
For us a very good day. Very nice comments about him, usually 'her' but being a 'pretty' boy i am used to that. _________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
Sounds as though the pair of you had a really good day. Also know what you mean about the "pretty " boy thing, Josh was always mistaken for a girlie Keep up the good work and show those sceptics just what a Brittany can do _________________ Lin, owned by Rudi and Copper the Brittanys & Zac the Springer.
Annie,
I would have to stay over to get to the start on time with a dog who was not 'travel weary' and cannot really justify two days off work that particular week.
Now if I had an entry and knew I had a late first run - say midday I might just have to think about it again as I could manage up and back in a day. But then again £100 on fuel is a lot of money to run a travel jaded dog. _________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
Heavy dog related weekend. Saturday another shot over day this time hosted by the SEGWP Soc'y at Westerham. An estate that puts down 13,000 pheasants - but we were only on the boundaries mainly hedge bashing. 2 Vizlas, Two Weims (well four but two were only spectating) and a GWP. Beautiful frosty sunny morning but not great scenting conditions. We all had good length runs - about 20 mins with continuous feed back from the trainer/judge. Mine mainly revolved around giving te dog more of a chance to go right before I whistled for going wrong - if you see what I mean. He did work his ground really quite well once I shut up :-)
He also worked really heavy brambles - anyone would think he still had spaniel in his name. But no game. Our second runing a wood was much more fruitful producing several points and flushes with a blind retrieve. Interesting in that the retrieve was from out in a recently harvested field so T had to break fence to get to it. He still had his hunting head on and really wanted to stay in the wood. However handled out into the field and once he caught th scent brought in nicely to hand. A 25 bar cock, really heavy.
His second retrieve on a cock from a grass field (blind) was not so pretty; as he spat it out when returning past the other dogs. However blessing in disguise as the bird was again thrown out for him and I was asked to stop him midway on his runout - which he not only did but he sat and turned fully around on the spot for further instruction. If nothing else happened that day that was a great plus.
One final session in thick cover flushed a good half dozen birds that one of the Weims was scenting but unable to get at.
A good day, a lot learned by both of us. _________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
Sunday is retriever training day. this ended up as a one to one as no one else turned up. A brace of pheasant from yesterday provided the material for a series of exercises.
First bird planted about 10 yards from the start and the second directly downwind but the other side of a hedge and stockwire fence. Task to get dog to hole in fence, through, onto the bird which was downwind and back without being sidetracked by the decoy. (birds placed whilst T was in the back of the car)
He went slightly wrong, no my hand signals were a bit iffy so he worked te hedge on my side - but got a touch of scent so was very easy to handle through the gap and back. Nice retrieve to hand. Then the decoy bird.
The whole repeated but with both the decoy and retrieve in the scent shadow (if such a term exists) of a hen house. Through the fence again and this time upwind about 80 yards and back. Drops the bird on the way back - not good and then worse puts his paw on it and starts to pullout the feathers! Hmm. i run away and recall at the same time which puts a stop to that little game.
Decoy bird again, this time it was deep under the branches of a fallen beech tree. T worked it out well.
Final retrieve was a seen on a thrown furry dummy. Raced out and back with a reasonable present. Pleased he would still do dummies after so many hot and cold fresh birds.
Must sharpen up the 'stop', have to blow it several paces from where I wish him to sit at the moment - was made to send him to an arbitrarily placed garden can with a 'see how close you can get him to sit near that cane' request.
I did say it was a 'retriever' training class. But if a retriever can do it why can't we have a good go??
_________________ Guy, Ellie, Topaz, Catja and in memory Barley
Beauty from Structure
www.epagneulbreton.org.uk
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You know the sort of thing where however positive the reply there would always be that doubt in your mind.
Keep up the good work and show those sceptics just what a Brittany can do 