Giles Farmer

Radio 2 ....and I am all for microlites and hand grenades!!

Good man, nice to know which side of the water those loyalties lie!

Sorry to say but the peeing thing is definately a Springer trait! They are a bit renowned for having weak bladder control. It's never a mess on purpose, just a little mishap...a bit like that elderly relative you only see at christmas! My 8yo bitch will happily pee whenever she is greeted by someone with a high pitched voice and talking to her as though she is a baby.......that I could cope with as thankfully not too many people like that in her life! What is a bit of a pain is the peeing when she is being told off for doing something wrong...like putting muddy footprints in the lounge......always find that it goes down well with Mrs Farmer when the muddy dog prints on her best carpet are accompanied by a little puddle of pee!! Enjoy your puppy am sure it will be the first of many as can't understand why you would want to have any other breed......unless you have expensive carpets! As for the stone thing, I am sure he will grow out of it but for heavens sake make sure he is insured. Also check with the insurance company that he will be covered on the shooting field. Try N.F.U. they tell me my dog is covered....although never had to put that to the test thankfully. Good luck with it all and if you stick to the training principle of little and often I am sure you will both enjoy it.

Buy a gun............ find some Pigeons!! Welcome to the world of PW, apparently it's written in the rules that us Essex boys have to give the Suffolkonians a little grief on the odd occasion so I hope ur on board with that one.....although Lawford is a little border line isn't it??

Welcome

Welcome on board,

I presume you mean following a days shooting at the end of a season as I can't see why you be asked to tip otherwise? Have always understood that at the end of the season there is a 'keepers day' when the shoot captain or the esate owner will let the keeper have a day to invite his guests to come and shoot. The keepers then usually gives the hard working, underpaid, loyal members of the beating team the opportunity to shoot by way of a 'thank you'. What appears to have developed over the years is that the beaters now feel it is their right to shoot at the end of the season and don't feel they should have to tip the keeper. You really would not believe the ammount of beaters that get the ache if the keeper actually invites a guest to shoot and that person finds themselves in the 'hot spots' throughout the day!! Some people seem to loose sight of the fact that it's not about bagging as many as you can but about being out there with a gun over your arm and a dog at your heel. So in my opinion, and I know I am 'old school', if you are a beater and you are given that opportunity to shoot you should offer to tip. Don't faff around with the 'money in a hat' thing because there are a lot of tight fisted **** out there who don't feel they should, (or even worse will throw coins in!) and my friend you will all get tarnished with the same brush. A crisp £10 note in a hand shake is sufficient to say a small thank you for your days invitation and trust me it will speak volumes when it comes to sorting out who gets to go where roost shooting and who gets the first phone call when the pigeons are playing havock with the drill...etc. :yp: In a mjority of cases the tip will not get accepted because it is probably not expected but even if it is what's a tenner for a days sport!...... It's just a little harder to say thanks for a day when you got soaking wet, only had one shot at a 200 yard rook, put a hole in your wellies and some idiots dog decided it wanted to ride your bitch all day!!

Well done fella! Sounds like a testing shot well taken......keep up the good work.

I might be way off the mark with this one but.... Had a little problem with my springer a couple of years back whereby she would not release her retrieve. She would clamp her jaw and go as far as growling when you tried to remove it from her mouth. A little research pointed me in the direction of her testing her authority/pack position and the advice I followed was to look at influencing factors. After not letting her sit on the furniture (stop frowning...not my fault blame the ex-wife!!) then making her sit and wait before allowing her to eat her food etc... basically stamping my authority on her and and letting her know I am in control, she came good. I read that Springers do challenge the authority at different stages of their maturity but must say since the new regime she has not tried it again. As for labs? can't say I have heard of it but maybe she is at the age where she is testing her pack position? Like I said, I may be way off the mark but it doesn't hurt to look at the other areas of her handling, not just the retrieving. Good luck with it all

I have an older kawasaki that when not in use has sat in my garden for up to 12 months with a tarpaulin thrown over it. Every time I find a use for it, the thing starts! I put aside a weekend to overhaul it and get it going but within 15 minutes it will be raring to go. It has taken some serious abuse over the years but apart from a cracked fender...(not adviseable to roll the things!) its as good as gold. Don't be afraid to find yourself an older one as they do last well. As for the fun factor...it will still leave my friends new tin-pot chinese import thing standing!....and it will tow him home after his has broken down! Good luck with the search..

Mindless slaughter - they shouldn't shoot what they can't eat I'm not sure they don't eat the stuff......always seem to be chewin on a piece when i've found them this side of the river!

Another new member signing in and trying to work out how on earth I actually send something! Does not help when you have to stop the one fingered typing to keep cranking the computer up. Anyway, if anyone can actually see this... Good evenin from me here in Colchester. & if there is a yellow thing with eyes above this line I think I've sussed it!!