timd999

Hi Fargo, I will take the Swatcom ear defenders please. If you PM me payment details we can take from there. Many thanks.

I will take if still available. Please PM me to discuss postage and we’ll take from there. Cheers.

Apologies Minky, I didn’t mean to hijack your interest and genuinely thought it must’ve been the wrong size for you.

Hi, I will take if still available. If you PM me your details and postage costs we can take from there. Many thanks.

2nd dibs please

Hi, would be interested in the Waidmannsheil, depending on distance. Where do you live?

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Second dibs please if T & T changes his mind. Many thanks

I'd love the spaniel training book, if still available. PM me your details and I'll PayPal payment and my address. Kindest regards

I don't know anything about the blank firer you mention, however the usual starter pistols are perfectly legal and are now brightly coloured to resemble a toy. There is also the added advantage of having a 6 shot capacity, meaning you don't need to faff around reloading after a single use. Quest Gundogs do an Olympic starter pistol for £35, virtually half the price of what you're looking at.

As grrclark said, you need to go to 'Settings', then 'General', then 'Reset', then 'Reset all Settings'

Would you say it's a regular or long length?

I'm far from being an expert but In my my view, Colc08 is spot on with his advice about hunting for tennis balls. Getting a spaniel to work at close quarters, especially when there's scent around, is very often the most difficult thing to achieve. I was always told to teach a dog to work his ground at no more than 5 paces away because invariably they will pull ahead when there's game around. Some basic rules I was always taught: 1. Teach the dog to turn on the whistle (2 short 'peep peeps' is usual) 2. Once the dog understands the 'turn' command, ensure it obeys IMMEDIATELY. Do not keep whistling in the hope that it will eventually listen - you will simply be training it to ignore you (if it does ignore you, get out straight away and administer appropriate correction); 3. Don't work your dog in straight lines. Keep changing direction regularly. It should ALWAYS be watching you out the corner of its eye 4. Keep the exercise short. 5 mins (or less) can be ample for a young dog before it loses interest/concentration 5. Don't take your dog for long walks off the lead. It will only learn that pulling ahead and taking a line is actually great fun! If you haven't already, I would strongly advise having some lessons. Preferably with a trainer that works spaniels. You can read all the books, watch all the videos but there really is no replacement for having someone show you the ropes first hand. They will probably also point out lots of things you're doing wrong that you weren't even aware of! 14 months is still young and a good trainer will help take you and your dog to the next level. Best of luck!

I had the very same problem with a clever springer. Whatever I tried just didn't work, which as you know is so exasperating! And just like you I'd tried all the conventional stuff - confined spaces, walking away, lying down, treats etc. Eventually I tried out a clicker. I stopped all other forms of training, reduced his rations a wee bit and did the exercise before feeding time, so he was more focused on trying to please. And with time and patience it worked, first by getting the dog to realise that it'd be rewarded ONLY after it released the dummy to my hand. Don't forget to 'load' the clicker before using it for the first time. I've never needed to use a clicker before or since but it worked for me. Search YouTube "Clicker Training a Bird Dog Retrieve". I did something very similar. Good luck!

Not sure about the effectiveness of raisins holding pheasants, but it's said they can be fatal to dogs - even if eaten in relatively small numbers. Apparently it causes acute renal failure. I'd be careful about scattering them around in areas they could be picked up by a canine friend.

Lyvale Express Supreme Game come in 28g loads with a 65mm case length. They're an excellent cartridge. They also do Special Light Game in 26g loads which have low recoil.

Lintran are good boxes, but so too are TransK9. There are a couple of double boxes on EBay and one on Preloved - but sadly they do hold their value, so you won't pick one up cheap. Good luck.

]Hey Tim Have you tried Barnet "misserableowner" Gunshop? He stocks Rottweil, not sure about 20g though. Hey Cos, Not tried him, good idea (accurate description too) Cheers Tim

I'm having real difficulty sourcing some 20g Rottweil cartridges, and am nearing the end of my current batch. I live near Bedford. Does anyone know of a supplier in the area? Cheers

It sounds like he's lost a bit of confidence - maybe he failed on blind retrieve in the field - but it's something that's usually easily corrected. If the dog will go back confidently up to 40yds, carefully place a dummy in open view standing straight up on a path/lane at around 50-60yds (obviously it's a blind so don't let the dog see you do this). Send the dog back in the usual way. At the point he normally starts to question your sanity for sending him out, he'll spot the dummy standing end-up just ahead and complete the retrieve. If successful, you can slowly build up the distance over ensuing weeks. If he fails, shorten the retrieve. Never let the dog fail and keep your cool, for confidence is everything - even if that means you have to practically have to walk up and show him the dummy! Good luck.

Donation made. What a wonderful boy and marvellous parents, too. Here's hoping Mason can have his dream holiday soon.

Gun nervousness can sometimes be cured and it looks as if you've been on the right track with your previous efforts. He needs to associate the sound of a gun with something positive. Some trainers advocate having a friend walk a hundred yards or so from the dog while you remain with it on a lead. Have the friend fire a starting pistol (held inside a gun bag to muffle the noise) and immediately praise the dog and reward it with a treat. If no reaction, repeat the process a couple of times and then stop. Try do this exercise on open ground where there are no trees etc to heighten the noise or create an echo. Do the same thing the next day, only this time get your friend to stand a tiny bit closer. Carry on this process over several weeks unit the gun can be fired at close quarters to the dog. But DONT RUSH things and only adjust things according to the dog's progress - it can take a long time to overlay old behaviours with new ones. As the old saying goes, "Three years to make, three minutes to mar" He looks a cracking little dog and I wish you the very best of luck.

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