wildfowler.250

It’s a fair point. I don’t think I did in as much as I’ve always limited it to 2 per day. Maybe did this most days of the week. Few months ago he was fab. Retrieving with dummy launcher and straight back. Then he got bored of it after about a week and started being a tool in the field instead. Brought it right back in for a couple of months and he’s been a lot better. But what I can’t get my head around is this thing of him knowing he has something of high value - in this case the pigeon - and wanting to run around me and back and forth near me but not give it over. He knows he’s being bad. And his recall is really good unless he gets over stimulated. He’ll be great in a field. Then one day just a slight raised voice at the wrong time and he’ll have a fit of laps where he knows he’s been bad but short term it’s worth it. Then you’ll have 5 days of butter wouldn’t melt but I just can’t seem to turn the real life situations in my favour. I can’t decide if I should have done today on a long line or should I have waited until 2. But some dogs will retrieve well at a year. He loves to cause a wind up and I don’t know why. All I’ve learned is to not to get myself wound up because it’s feeding into the game.

Well gents . I thought I’d put this up for a debate on here. I appreciate with dogs, everyone has a different opinion and people never see eye to eye so I’m expecting a fair range of replies. I’m getting fairly downbeat with my lab who is 1 year 7 months, male neutered. Since day 1, his default has been to grab things and run off. Slippers, tissues - whatever. Now this has gotten significantly better in house and it’s more or less resolved,(unless he’s worked up at the folks when we’re visiting). He’s never been chased to encourage this apart from occasionally being put away to bed. Retrieving has been so difficult. Has been much better in the past month. Sitting him out, dropping the dummy between us and then getting him to fetch towards us. Sometimes with a throw and fetch from feet, he would get to the dummy, then veer off at right angles rather than coming back. Yesterday he was 10/10 on both retrieves. And he had been fairly reliable. Tried him out shooting today in an ‘easy’ setting. Pigeon out of tree, folded it. 20 yards. Sent dog. Dog goes out to bird, hesitates picking it,(despite picking cold game in garden). Then starts mouthing/chewing away at it. If he gets the slightest notion you’re going to come take it off him, it’s laps and laps with the bird on mouth and a huge game. No interest in taking it to you. I’ve never had a dog that doesn’t want to bring things to you and work with you? Did the usual, walked away and gave up encouraging him in eventually - it wasn’t going to happen after 10 mins. He eventually got bored of the bird and traded it for cow muck. He only came back in because he thought there might be something better in the game bag -> then back on lead. Even in the house, he wants to mouth,(despite never been played with) and chew firewood blocks constantly. He’s well walked but if he can gnaw on sticks or grass he will. I get it was obviously too much too soon today. And a case of back to the drawing board. But I can’t believe how long this dog is taking to mature. He’ll sit for ages, even when you’re out of site, normally recall to whistle even in the field, will walk at heel. But my god he makes fetching difficult. Do I just hold off for another 6 months and stick to the basics in the hope that he’ll mentally settle down? He still wants to do everything at 100mph once he’s told to stop sitting. The partner isn’t for sending him away with a trainer for boarding. This is selfishly to also give me a break from him. 1 on 1 classes are an option. But I’ve varied a ton of different things and he just wants to cause trouble rather than work with you when there is an exciting situation. The 6 previous dogs we’ve had were a relative breeze by comparison and he’s had the most time put into him. Suggestions welcome from a mentally exhausted owner. I think patience might be key. However my folks have held onto my other two dogs and they’re a good 3 hours away so it really is limiting the shooting as well as being a huge stress. The days in the field seem further away than ever.

Lordy you’d get more information driving along the road on a Saturday morning and just noting where every 4x4 is parked 😂

Looking for some advice folks if that’s okay? Is anyone on here in Tay Valley wildfowlers? Or is most of the Tay accessed through right to roam? I was wondering whether it was a case of parking up on a verge / lay-by or whether there is actual car parks through the above club? It’s a big area on both sides so always worried about “no go” spots etc. Happy to discuss it over PM if preferred. I shot near Monogran farm with someone around 15 years ago. My main concern really is not causing any upset as much as anything. Cheers!

Thanks bud, appreciate it! And yep, young and daft I think hauling that out for a likely quiet flight 😂

Thanks gents, appreciate all the replies. Sounds like A1 is the only way to go!

Not an area of this site I frequent too often. I’ve borrowed the old man’s pigeon magnet for 15-20 years,(it’s ancient) and badly needing an upgrade. The car batteries for it weigh a ton and even then, you can carry it across a field and the connections can be faulty. So grudgingly it’s time to part with some cash. Which company do we feel makes the best magnets on here? Assume they’re all on lithium batteries now? Cheers!

I think this definitely touches on one problem where walks and training are all in one go. Both my partner and I are in full time 8.30-6pm, (no biggy there) and we’re lucky in that we can kennel him at work and get him out for half an hour at lunch. Evening sessions just with the way life is involve a walk and a couple of throws at the end. He probably needs to burn off some steam and then ideally keep throwing a separate event. I do give a ‘play’ command but I have to say it’s probably 80% work / heel and 20% charging around once back at the house. He maybe needs to burn off more steam before fetching starts. I’m probably guilty of being too strict in case you give an inch and they take a mile but appreciate now this can maybe cause it’s own problems Yep he’s still got about 10 months to go until he’s 2. I’ve been trying not to put pressure on it but I’ve been desperate to get him out this season,(not going to happen now). The old girl is 11 and the other lab is 8 but she’s a shared gundog with the folks so it’s a bit of a juggle and a limitation at the moment. Certainly the more folk I talk to say out at 2 years onwards. Some field trial guys have been saying they don’t start any serious training until 18 months. Funnily enough, I was warned off a GWP because they are slow to mature,(but the time scales are starting to look similar). Going to have to be a slow go. He’s keen but still a cheeky pup at times!

Cheers gents! Plenty to take on here. Probably is the case that it’s a bit dull for him. Figured simple track and you can’t go wrong but there’s not much variation in it. Have been avoiding more open spaces in case he does laps with the dummy but I think I might have to shake it up a bit. Thanks! ps: I’ve totally forgotten how long it takes for them to mature. My other two are 8 and 11. In my head a year and a wee bit they’d be out working but clearly I’ve hazy memory..

Different venue might work. He does get bored fairly easily that’s for sure. I have used the walking/running back idea a couple of times and it does help to be fair I agree with the long lines comment. Again I’m no expert but I’d have thought as soon as he was off it he’d realise he’d the extra freedom again. Cheers for taking the time to reply!

Opinions folks, I’ve never personally used them. I’ve a 14 month old lab. Will generally walk to heel really well. Occasional fit of zoomies sometimes at the start but we had that with his auntie and it settled with age no problems. My current bugbear is: he will retrieve great to hand in garden, it’s a little boring . On the farm track he is pretty good but will occasionally drop the dummy for 1) better scents or 2) to eat cow sht. I do two retrieves max at any given time. Despite treats, I’d say the cow muck and scents are usually higher reward. He’s 60:40 in my favour for retrieving when there’s a lot of scent about,(there’s a lot of hares and it’s well walked with dogs). But cow muck is clearly better than any treat and he’d gladly run away with some. I feel like on a long line he would be fine so I’m not sure it’s going to make any odds. And it’s off lead that he’ll still occasionally play up. I’m all for stacking odds in his favour and maybe choosing a different location is the way to go? But at the same time, the farm track on back door is very handy. Just a shame the cows pass through it so much.. Thoughts? Persistence and it’ll come with age? Any behavioral tricks around this? He’s improving all the time just a bit slower than I expect

I assume by scans she’s had a CT? May well be worth looking into an orthopedic referral. And as above, ibuprofen will stuff the kidneys and cause gastric ulcers so definitely a no go.

Cheers gents, a lot of interesting replies on here. As with all dog info, lots of variety. To be fair I can’t knock my partner. She treats him as I do in the house, only walks him on lead and does no gun dog stuff, so any shortfalls on the gun dog side are on me. “My take on this is that you probably do need to step back and set your expectations for training at this stage a lot lower. All dogs are different and you can’t compare them. I hope you will feel able to get on with this dog over time. They all reduce me to tears from time to time but I eventually get their with patience.” Funnily enough this almost word for word what my partner said last night. Essentially I need to go at his speed and not set deadlines like for next season. And also not to compare them with my other two which are on a pedestal. I’m just amazed how puppy ish they still are at 12 months. I was speaking to a chap that does field trials and he says he only really starts ‘serious’ stuff with them at 18 months. When do they start to ‘settle’ then? 2 or 3-4? He has had a few signs of a teenage phase recently as well. Probably just re-testing boundaries. I’ll get there through perseverance but so far it’s been hard going. Cheers for the feedback folks

That’s always the way 😅

So I’ve a 1 year old, male entire lab who is the focus of this ramble. I’ve owned 3 other dogs previously but all bitches,(2 labs, 1 cocker). One of these labs is currently 8 years old and an auntie to the young male lab I currently have. She was tricky to train initially but since then has been excellent and there’s nothing I could really fault her on. I’m finding the young male lab exhausting and not in any way getting any pleasure to train him. In the house, he’s grand. He’ll sit and wait while you open door, lies in his bed whilst you watch TV. Won’t touch your food. Basically arrived house trained day 1. But as a gun dog I can’t get any enjoyment out of him. Fetching has required treats as an incentive and even then, it’s hit or miss. He’s very much into himself and even within the limits of the back garden, is more interested in chewing sticks, plant pots and so on than looking to see if you’re going to throw him a dummy. Even then, 1 throw is about his limit for attention. Ball games in the house are more of a, ‘bring it back to within a meter of you’ then jump back and want chased for it,(obviously I don’t indulge this but again, just frustrating). I’ve tried making things fun. Lead work is okay, he doesn’t pull but is always half a dog further forward than I want. “Sit” is decent to the whistle and recall is good unless it’s last thing at night when he knows he’s going to bed for the evening.. My partner is besotted with him and I’m not the type to re-home the dog,(I’ll just have to persevere). But I have to say, I’ve put significantly more time and effort into this dog than any previously with very little reward. Is it a case that I’m going to have to wait until 18 months / 2 years before there’s any sort of adult dog and reward back from him? I know of several folk who are already out with their 1 year old dogs on shoot days and although,(in their own words) they need fine tuning, they’re doing fine. Having any sort of a gun dog seems a long way away. I thought September was going to be doable initially..

Thanks gents, appreciated!

Can anyone recommend a good brand or website for stocking up on gun dog stuff? I’ve a few canvas dummies but could really do with forking out for a starting pistol and a dummy launcher. Is there any particular brands or outlets folk can recommend? I assume some are better than others Thanks!

Right gents, I need some advice because I fancy a pcp but I’ve never committed. Currently I’ve got a HW77K which I barely use,(I think if I can get a pellet on pellet accuracy of a pcp, I’d be a lot more confident head shooting woodies and filling a bag). I’ve also got a .22lr which I need to factor into the equation as far as will the pcp airgun be worthwhile . 1) Point one really is filling up the airgun. Our work gets oxygen cylinders delivered,(assume they’re medical oxygen but probably the same thing!). I presume I could buy a cylinder and refill as needed? Or are most gun shops able to refill nowadays? I’m based in central Scotland so can get to most places within an hour. 2) Do I want FAC? The biggest pain I find with the .22lr is guaranteed if you take it out, you’ll see something in a tree you can’t shoot. And if I take the airgun, it’ll be just that bit too far and I’ll want the rifle. How far can you realistically shoot with the FAC? They seem to drastically change your shot capacity. Also, I don’t shoot rats any more but would this write off any indoor use for ferals etc? Probably? Finally costs and gun? I like weihrauch and think they’ve got good build quality. Air arms also seem to be popular. What am I looking to spend to get a proper set up. It doesn’t need to be daystate but if I cut corners I know I won’t use it. Appreciate the help! I’ve found it hard to justify up until now as the springer has bailed me out on the few occasions and then the .22lr has been the rabbit gun but it would be a handy tool to have! Cheers!

Surely if I sent it to GMK they’ll have a gunsmith as well? I know one gunsmith locally that’s very good. It’s more that if the gun has been out of production for a number of years, sending it to GMK or whoever does the beretta services are more likely to have any spare parts of required. Yeah hopefully that should be an easy fix on the maxus. Happy to strip and clean them but the gunsmiths can faff with the springs! The xtrema2 has a few things besides a clean that I could do with them having a look at. I’ll probably put it into my local dealer and they can always forward it on if it’s complicated.

Cheers! Yeah I don’t mind doing the odd servicing and you can get a lot on YouTube. Just surprised not more folk don’t send the guns away for a service now and again.

That’s what I was thinking to be honest! Probably just put the balance off as well

I’ve come to the conclusion that you’ll generally lose money on guns. At one point I thought that if you buy second hand and sell down the line, you’ll break even. Now I still think you’ll end up taking a bit of a loss just to move things on at a reasonable rate. Guns are 1) hard to sell online 2) the paperwork can be a faff and 3) everyone generally wants a new gun. Added to this that people seem to be going semi auto, or o/u 3” or bigger and older guns just don’t seem to shift. This is coming from someone who’s just bought a sbs boxlock non-ejector but really gun sales are a no win most of the time.

Hi guys, looking for some advice if possible please? Is there anyone at GMK or similar that services browning/beretta autos? Hold my hands up and say that I,(nearly) always use a demo video to strip the guns. Did the xtrema 2 in a rush and jammed it,(know where I went wrong now..). I’ve also got a browning maxus that could use a new trigger spring. About 1 in 30-40 it doesn’t hit the primer hard enough. I could put them both into the gun smith at the end of the season. But is there someone that you can RFD to back at source that will do a full strip and clean? I’d be more inclined to send it back to square 1 if possible so that if there are any parts that could use a freshen up they might have them in stock. Currently I’ve got the maxus to keep me going and the season is essentially done so happy to post away if there’s anywhere recommend? Cheers!

Cheers guys, emailed tbt a few days ago but not heard anything back yet,(purely because it was the first name that came up). If not I’ll try the names suggested above. It was made in 2000 so could probably do with a wee freshen up. Any opinion as to whether silencers on these underleavers are a waste of time or beneficial?

Cheers guys! Haven’t heard of a tbt kit. Will need to look it/him up. What does it do exactly? Are these rifles easy enough to strip and maintain? I’m happy to send it away for a service if there’s anyone decent recommended? Clip on silencers are a new one as well so that’s helpful. I’ve spent too much time on rifles and shotguns so the airgun works has been fairly neglected to be honest! Thanks again!