Spaniel logic

[UKPoacher]

I've been taking Ruby shooting for a couple of years. The first 18 months of her life before we took her on she was a physical and psychological basket case, and it was only into her fifth year that she became less fearful of air guns and latterly over the last year she has settled into a beating and shooting routine. Prior to that she would shake uncontrollably if I as much took a gun out of the cabinet.

 

Today we were pigeon shooting over barley stubble. I'd shot a few and she had retrieved them. She had also demolished the hide twice and tipped some of the deeks over in her enthusiasm to retrieve. So I made her wait until I'd lifted the hide and sent her under it rather then expect her to run around the side logically like she does when she brings them back.

 

Then I shot a couple, the first was a crosser and landed about 50 yds to my left. The second was going away and landed about 70 - 80 yds in front. I sent Roobs and she naturally went for the second bird as that was freshest in her mind. Off she went and as she approached pigeon 2 decided to fly off. Closely followed by a spaniel it flew to my left about 60 yds about a foot from the ground before she managed to catch it. It was a reluctant passenger. On her way back her path took her right over pigeon 1, a dead bird. What did she do? Yep! Roobs dropped the live bird, picked up the dead one and brought it back. Then, instead of retrieving to hand as she normally does, she threw pigeon 1 at me and raced off for pigeon 2 who was ambling up the field all nonchelant like.

 

Spaniels! Who'd have one?

[kent]

Training issue can be overcome with dummies if you have a mind to

[fortune82]

I know issues like this can be trained out, but to be honest I like the stupid things my cocker does.

 

E.G. he cannot sit whilst holding something in his mouth! I have tried all sorts to cure it and in the end have just accepted it.

 

He also like to catch the ejected cartridges from my gun in his mouth and then spit them out!

 

He also hates cats which I quite like as well although I have stopped him chasing them, now he just yelps and shakes!!!

[ziplex]

I've been taking Ruby shooting for a couple of years. The first 18 months of her life before we took her on she was a physical and psychological basket case, and it was only into her fifth year that she became less fearful of air guns and latterly over the last year she has settled into a beating and shooting routine. Prior to that she would shake uncontrollably if I as much took a gun out of the cabinet.

 

Today we were pigeon shooting over barley stubble. I'd shot a few and she had retrieved them. She had also demolished the hide twice and tipped some of the deeks over in her enthusiasm to retrieve. So I made her wait until I'd lifted the hide and sent her under it rather then expect her to run around the side logically like she does when she brings them back.

 

Then I shot a couple, the first was a crosser and landed about 50 yds to my left. The second was going away and landed about 70 - 80 yds in front. I sent Roobs and she naturally went for the second bird as that was freshest in her mind. Off she went and as she approached pigeon 2 decided to fly off. Closely followed by a spaniel it flew to my left about 60 yds about a foot from the ground before she managed to catch it. It was a reluctant passenger. On her way back her path took her right over pigeon 1, a dead bird. What did she do? Yep! Roobs dropped the live bird, picked up the dead one and brought it back. Then, instead of retrieving to hand as she normally does, she threw pigeon 1 at me and raced off for pigeon 2 who was ambling up the field all nonchelant like.

 

Spaniels! Who'd have one?

 

 

Great story , i'm taking my little spaniel pigeon shooting tomorrow, funnily enough she shares the same name with yours. She's very steady on flighting birds, (under a flight line), and always looks for me to send her/retrieves it to hand but she hasn't had a go in the hide yet. I'm hoping she'll do well I may take a dummy and set up first to see if she gets the jist of running around and not through :o

[UKPoacher]

I appreciate that I could train her to do more. I'm not that bothered to be honest. It's a bonus that she has go this far. If you had seen her when we got her you would understand. She'll work to hand signals and stop or recall to whistle, work a beating line under control (how many spaniels can you say that about?) and she'll retrieve dead and wounded pigeons, rabbits and pheasants, and mark squirrels that have gone to ground. The main thing is that she enjoys it. We also go fishing and she will lay at my side or wade with me. When she's not with me Roobs goes to work with her Mum and is happy to spend the day under her desk or on the settee at home.

 

I've had all sorts of dogs including working labs, border collies that worked a beating line and retrieved, a GSD trained to the gun, and two working police dogs. I used to recruit and train gift dogs offered to the police, but I've never met a more complex character than our Ruby. I love her to bits.

[UKPoacher]

Great story , i'm taking my little spaniel pigeon shooting tomorrow, funnily enough she shares the same name with yours. She's very steady on flighting birds, (under a flight line), and always looks for me to send her/retrieves it to hand but she hasn't had a go in the hide yet. I'm hoping she'll do well :o I may take a dummy and set up first to see if she gets the jist of running around and not through

 

If she shies in the hide I found that placing a pigeon in there made all the difference. Even now I'll leave the first one near to where she lays and put the rest either in my bag or on the floaters. The other thing is that if she can see through the hide she will mark the birds. That is good. What is bad is that she might try to run through it. Fold the bottom of the screen up so as to make an obvious marker. Then she should wriggle under it.

[soreshoulder]

I appreciate that I could train her to do more. I'm not that bothered to be honest. It's a bonus that she has go this far. If you had seen her when we got her you would understand. She'll work to hand signals and stop or recall to whistle, work a beating line under control (how many spaniels can you say that about?) and she'll retrieve dead and wounded pigeons, rabbits and pheasants, and mark squirrels that have gone to ground. The main thing is that she enjoys it. We also go fishing and she will lay at my side or wade with me. When she's not with me Roobs goes to work with her Mum and is happy to spend the day under her desk or on the settee at home.

 

I've had all sorts of dogs including working labs, border collies that worked a beating line and retrieved, a GSD trained to the gun, and two working police dogs. I used to recruit and train gift dogs offered to the police, but I've never met a more complex character than our Ruby. I love her to bits.

 

 

same wouldnt it be boring if you had a dog who did exactly what they were told all the time with absolutely no character whatsoever.

[ziplex]

If she shies in the hide I found that placing a pigeon in there made all the difference. Even now I'll leave the first one near to where she lays and put the rest either in my bag or on the floaters. The other thing is that if she can see through the hide she will mark the birds. That is good. What is bad is that she might try to run through it. Fold the bottom of the screen up so as to make an obvious marker. Then she should wriggle under it.

 

Appreciate that, i'll certainly bear it in mind tomorrow...... I was hoping she'd go around but nothing's certain I know. I have been using a gate down one of the fields when training her, she can't get under/through to retrieve but realised quickly to 'go around' via the side of the gate post where there's a gap. Hopefully she'll remember this but who knows? Either way i,m looking forward to it.

[UKPoacher]

We trained police dogs to clear 7 feet high scales but they would run straight through a 2 feet high rabbit fence. It's either too much enthusiasm or an eyesight problem in that they focus on the target and don't see the mesh.

[ziplex]

We trained police dogs to clear 7 feet high scales but they would run straight through a 2 feet high rabbit fence. It's either too much enthusiasm or an eyesight problem in that they focus on the target and don't see the mesh.

 

Roobs done quite well really, no problems going out as I guided her around the sides to start with but a few times she tried to go through on the way back in One problem I did encountrer was occasionally she was very reluctant to get back in the hide, (scruff of the neck time)......it was very hot, we were in full sun as I couldn't get to a shaded area as two other guys were already shooting and had picked better spots, so I put it down to her feeling the heat a bit? Had to walk back to the car to get a dish and water for her after 45 minutes of setting up. As it cooled down she appeared less reluctant to get back in so fingers crossed. I managed to shoot 23 of which she picked up all but two with a little guidance so not bad for a first timer, learned right off the bat to dismiss the decoys and a freshly shot pigeon on a floater too, was quite proud of the little mite but with hindsight I should of taken her for a few short sessions first perhaps.

[UKPoacher]

Glad to hear of your joint success

 

My Roobs ignores floaters and angels, but would pick a dead decoy set on the ground so I don't use them now. She was reluctant to go in the hide at first until I let her keep the first pigeon I killed. From then on I could set others on floaters or pop them in the bag as long as she had 'hers'. Now she has overcome that and is more than willing to sit looking out through the mesh irrespective of whether I have one there or not.

 

Mentioning training. Don't miss the oppertunity to do some directional training with picking shot birds. It is far more productive than set up training if done right.

[ziplex]

Glad to hear of your joint success

 

My Roobs ignores floaters and angels, but would pick a dead decoy set on the ground so I don't use them now. She was reluctant to go in the hide at first until I let her keep the first pigeon I killed. From then on I could set others on floaters or pop them in the bag as long as she had 'hers'. Now she has overcome that and is more than willing to sit looking out through the mesh irrespective of whether I have one there or not.

 

Mentioning training. Don't miss the oppertunity to do some directional training with picking shot birds. It is far more productive than set up training if done right.

 

I'll have to remember about letting her keep a bird, must admit I put them on the opposite side of where she was sat so will try that. I found she wasn't looking out through the hide much at all, she was more inclined to sit and watch me instead!? I guess she'll get it in time