Mochastorm

There are a number of good DVDs available which deal with all stages of training from 10 weeks old to the finished article. I've seen a few and found that the Adrian Slater and David Lisset DVDs were the easiest to follow. No amount of reading or watching DVDs can however be as good as spending time with a good gundog trainer. They can assess your dog, but more importantly how you are with it. They will provide all the advice that is relevant to you, and hopefully answer all of the above questions.

Don't know if this would work but always worth a try. You state that you cover the eyes, throw dummy and he won't go out. Sit the dog allow it to face where you are going to throw the dummy, hand over the face, but not obscuring the eyes so the dog can still see. Throw the dummy and send for the retrieve. I know that it is not a blind but it will then associate the face covering with a retrieve. Repeat a few times, dummy to the same place until on the final occasion you cover the eyes and see how you go on. I know that would then become a memory, but then work from there. Maybe the face covering could be the issue. The dog should trust you more if it gets a retrieve each time. Remember if it was easy they wouldn't be so much fun.

Have you considered using cold game instead of dummies. It may rev him him up a gear, and the retrieve reward becomes more desirable.

Well that's teachers sorted, who's next?

You don't make it clear if she has been seen and examined by two vets. Blood tests and vaginal swabs may determine hormonal and gynaecological problems. There could be an infection causing a vaginitis, easily picked up if she has other dogs licking at her rear end. Pups also change and can go through that 'awkward stage' , appearing to forget all that they've been taught before they settle back to it. I'm sure she will okay.

I've always found the technical support at Apple quite good. A bit of a wait on the phone to get to speak to them, and your call could end up anywhere in the world, but they have always resolved my problems.

A hob ferret comes into season and the only thing on his mind is to mate. Cage security is very important because they are intent on escape and finding a mate. Escapees then start to wander, however the same goes for dog polecats who also go in search of a mate. I would love to see the evidence that ferret owners collectively decide that they've had enough of their ferrets and dump them in rabbit warrens. I accept that a ferreter may loose a ferret while hunting, but wholesale dumping is a myth.

If you had seen a big cat on a kill in the U.K. then surely it should have been reported to the Police. There is a threat to public safety. The kill (dead sika) would have been treated like a crime scene, and likely the offending animal could have been identified. The idea that a sighting would be suppressed by the Police or any other authority is absolute nonsense.

Why are they always large black cats, suggesting that they are melanistic leopards or jaguars. There never seem to be sightings of the more common golden versions of these animals. Just my own observation. I remain unconvinced.

Well done, nice bag. We've finished for the season because of lengthy lay ups and even lengthier digs to nests. Just shooting them now, but I wish we were still ferreting, the season seems to get shorter as I get older.

I recall a documentary a few years ago where an American hunter/tracker visited the U.K. regarding the sightings of big cats. He spent some time with Britain's expert. Our expert had no scientific background but was a milk delivery man. He presented all of his evidence gathered from around the country, most of which was grainy photographs of dark shapes in the distance and more detailed pictures of dead sheep and cattle, allegedly killed by a big cat. There may have been casts of paw prints. The majority of the evidence showed that it was not big cats but dogs. When a big cat kills, as part of feeding it licks the carcass. A swab of the 'kill' would provide a DNA sample that that would give all the detail required including type of animal and the sex. I'm not convinced there are big cats roaming the countryside. In the dark your eyes have to make sense of objects you see. Size, distance and shape can seem different, and I believe this is how we have so many plausible sightings from ordinary people.

Hasn't this been done before, and on the previous occasion someone posted that he is a Financial Advisor.

It is likely that he was sentenced within the sentencing guidelines for a young person. As I understand it the mandatory 5 years only applies to offenders over 21. However a pumped up teenager with a gun is a very dangerous creature.

In response to the original question, yes.

10 over the weekend with the ferrets. Total 139

Four more to ferrets and dog yesterday morning. Total. 91

A couple of outings with the ferrets earlier this week for a total of 20. Total............85

You have two children with her, she is pregnant, and you are pushing for something which she really doesn't want. I would contact your F.E.O. and say that you would like to suspend your application. Due to your growing family you are unable at the present to commit to owning a firearm. Your partner and children should be far more important to you than owning a gun. It's going to be the long game for you with plenty of gentle persuasion and begging, but pick your time. During pregnancy is the wrong time.

Never reward the fear. It is human nature to comfort the dog and stroke it when it is cowering. This rewards the negative and can perpetuate the problem. As WGD outlined, show confidence and allow the dog to take the positive energy. A good dog trainer may also be able to observe and steer you in the right direction. Remember though it is still only a baby and don't worry too much.

I had a similar problem with a pup. Went down the bland diet and kaolin based pastes route which made the situation slightly better, but didn't stop the scouring. Eventually given a course of antibiotics which cleared up the problem. Had it not worked the next step was to have been stool samples. Six months later at a gundog training class I met someone who had bought the litter sister. He had had the same issues but he opted for the stool samples. His bitch was diagnosed with Campylobacter, the same antibiotics had cured it. Vets can be expensive but be guided by them.

I can only see the situation becoming worse as further cuts are made to the Police across the country. On the list of priorities as they face having to make staff redundant, close or reduce the size of certain departments which are essential, the plight of us gun owners is right down at the bottom. A complete national restructuring is, in my opinion, the only viable option in the coming years.

As I recall from an information booklet provided by the Ministry of Agriculture that I had over forty years ago, it was a disease found in South American rabbits, which differ from European rabbits. The vector in South America was the mosquito, but the disease was not necessarily fatal to them. A French scientist who was allegedly suffering a plague of rabbits on his land introduced the disease which had the effect of killing all the rabbits. The European vector is the rabbit flea. Seeing the effectiveness other landowners used diseased animals to rid their land of the pesky lagomorphs. I suppose a similar parallel could be drawn with red and grey squirrels concerning squirrel pox, injurious to greys and fatal to reds. So strictly speaking it's not an engineered disease but an introduced disease. Still a sickener to see it appear on land where you have permission.

Rather simplistic and incorrect the last reply. An item on your property does not automatically become yours. You can still commit the offences of theft and criminal damage. Keep this in perspective, it's about barking dogs. Don't pursue a course of action that you may regret in the future especially if you are an FAC or SGC holder.

The issue is the incessant barking of your dogs. If you had come on the forum complaining how your dogs had been injured or physically abused I would have some sympathy for you, my sympathy is however with your neighbour. If my dogs barked constantly, which they don't because I would remedy that, and somebody had gone to the expense of buying an electronic device to stop them, I would be quite pleased. Surely barking dogs annoy you. The main issue you have is keeping a harmonious relationship with your neighbour, you have to live there. It's never worth falling out with neighbours over kids or pets.

Among the mixed bag from yesterday, one to the .410 and lamp. Total 753