scutt Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 I try and keep at least two working dogs in my kennel. At the moment i have 2 year old maisey and 5 year old polly both ess. that i shoot over. in the past i allways take both dogs on a shoot day.This season i decided to split them up working polly on walk/stand days and maisey on rough days but still use both for beating.So it was pollys day out on the walk and stand yesterday she did well sat still while i walked a few cows and calfs of the field then she picked a runner before it got into the wood got straight back to me but spate it out at my feet instead of delivering it to hand (mental note or excuse? as the drive was still going on and shots been fired i think the dog was expecting to get out and do some more retreiving/chaseing as soon as she dropped the bird she had).when blanking in some rough ground she flushed a nice hare with no attempt to chase just made her step up a gear the next hare that got up was pushed out by my mates young black lab who also had no intention to chase the hare was in such a hurry that it bumped into polly on its way off the moor again polly did'nt chase :thumbs: Now to beatout a wood with windfall and very heavy cover you know the kind that the keeper tells the beaters to JUST LET YOUR DOGS GO LADS :devil: anyway got into the wood with polly and started to push thru came to a small sunlit clearing with half-a-dozen cock birds enjoying the sun and without a care in the world untill i tell polly to break the party up inn sho goes and and out go the birds aah well now dogs lost my fault but then she's back with me and working well nose down and away flushing birds and even plonking her bum down when she flushes a bunny .the drives over and i end up with a little happy spanial culoured green.Things to work on 1 retrieving to hand 2 try and stop myself from blowing the recall whistle or shouting to much when the dog is working very heavy cover in other words have a little more faith in the dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted October 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 polly work in progress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightbarrel Posted October 23, 2011 Report Share Posted October 23, 2011 Snow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted October 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 just a pic of the little dog i am on about not taken on the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted October 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 Don't do a lot of beating now but had an invite to push a few birds about on a shoot that has a few new drives to try so took both spaniels out( one at a time that is) .cover crops of maize to push out as niether dog has worked any game crops. so to keep an eye on what they where up to i walked at the edge of the crop so when the dog popped out to get her bearings i was in site polly sat and waited when she was asked to by me even with birds trying to come past her they both did ok for there first work in game crops but polly got a little hot on the third drive near the end lots of birds in all direction very tempting for her she had a little half hearted run at one or two of the birds that just skimmed over the crop . the next from last drive of the day was a corner of a field that looked as if it had been a quary at one time but now it was all gorse bushes and very thick. As i had not been on this shoot before i did'nt know the lay of the land so when asked to hunt the dog i hunted her onn and thought that there would be a path for me to follow her and to try and have some sort of control over her WRONG no path so of maisey went and had a bloody good time flushing out the pheasants nowt i could do but to get over to the other side and call her in when she got throu the gorse the keeper was of course over the moon that the spaniels had done as he said a good job getting the birds out .LAST drive along a ditch with brambles for cover and water in the bottom the ditch runs alongside a game crop so lots of birds to be flushed decided to use maisey again as this time i could keep an eye on her .signal from the stop who was now in place to start the drive off we go maisey straight into the brambles working well and getting some good flushes called her out and out she came tail going fifty to the dozen and nose scratched and bloody. As the dog could get down into the bottom of the ditch and had a clear view along it to spot any birds running on i kept bringing her back and re entering her into the brambles keeping her mind of the birds she could see by getting her to work on the ones sitting tight so got to the end of the day with no disasters .Will have to get polly to return a bit more after a flush and also stop givig her runners to retrieve in the hope she stop thinking she can catch any low birds . plus should have known better than leting maisey hunt heavy cover without me close by. I must aske about pathways before i hunt the dog on .Please note no birds where shot as this was only a day out to stir them up and to see how they would fly as on a proper day i would'nt be there to try and train the dogs but to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WGD Posted October 28, 2011 Report Share Posted October 28, 2011 great write up buddy, sounds like you've got a couple of good 'uns there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted October 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2011 (edited) took maisey up to the shoot plan was to take her rough shooting after topping up feeders and dropping some barly into the burns and ponds. Only two of us turned up for the day so we decided to try a few areas that we do'nt visit that often my aim for the day was to see if maisey has the stamina to hunt a few hours without loosing drive .moved over to our boundry this consists of stubble /white grasses and a ditch with a few clumps of gorse the dog flushed a few bunnys but could'nt get a shot we also lifted a lot of our neighbours birds these we left to fly back home accross the boundry so plenty of busy goings on for maisey yet no retrieves until we moved over the moor and started to hunt a small plantation as it was very windy and only two of us we took a fence line each and hunted the dogs on the edge the lad i was with shot a pheasant on his side but with the wind as strong as it was it dropped in front of maisey and me about thirty yards out i went to pick it up making maisey sit as i went but i was just about to get it when it got up and started to run for it by the time i closed the gun to shoot and stop the bird it was another thirty or so yards away this ment it was a good sixty yard retriev for maisey so i got back to her then sent her out to pick it it was one of those run and scoop up without stopping kindof retrieves time for some scran me i had'nt fired a shot except to dipatch that runner but my pal had three pheasants and a mallard, this circuit took 2hrs food downed and off again in 1/4 hour .hunting out some wet and reedy ground now set the dog away **** cock bird up like a rocket i drop it first barrell do'nt know who was more surprised(in the shooting) me or maisey she did'nt sit but she had stopped in her tracks and marked the fall so off she goes and after what seemed like ages i start to think she had lost the bird but no i turned around and she was there offering her prize to me .of we go again and the dogs going hard pushing out a hen bird i pillow case this but it does give the dog a nice retriev over a little burn.realy notice that she is flagging and not entering cover so we end the day.AS it took us about three and a half hours to work this rough shoot before maisey started to slow up and avoid heavy cover i know that i can work her hard for 1/2 of a full day and then change dogs and use polly for the other half don't know if it makes sense to others but i dont want to work the dog to a standstill or have her miss game and not be always eager to enter cover.ps this pic not taken on the day did'nt think about camera untill to late Edited October 30, 2011 by scutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted November 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 (edited) Did'nt have a lot of time to work the dogs after we had topped the feeders up but after a short hunt maisey flushed a cock bird and i managed to drop it with first barrel maisey marked it down and was all for getting out to it as it fell but i stopped her and made her sit while i got the camera out and slowly counted to one hundred befor i let her pick the bird she did mark it well and was a bit reluctent to give it up but she did and when checked there was no damage done to the bird by the dog . polly had a couple of bunnys off the end of her nose and was as good as gold .I had to use her to help find a runner my pal hit luckely when she found it it was just tucked up and the did'nt have to chase it just pinned it down and retrieved it found a bit of damage to the bird from the dog bot not to much Edited November 28, 2011 by scutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted November 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 (edited) http://youtu.be/l-7eGP1mPjA Edited November 28, 2011 by scutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightbarrel Posted November 28, 2011 Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 http://youtu.be/l-7eGP1mPjA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 polly is in season so as i had promised to take along a dog to beat at a shoot with lots of heavy cover i took maisey not to sure how she would behave with the other dogs as she has been shying away from other dogs mainly black ones got there and she settled down fine. canny morning in game crops then heavy cover result good work out of the dog but she picked up an injury that could keep her out for the rest of the season POLLY out on sat as the only other dog on the rough shoot was a bitch so no problems .she worked well in our first snow and i shot like a t&t finaly got a duck as it flew off over a small burn good blind retrieve by the dog.Could be dogless next weekend on our walk/stand day if polly is still in season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dastardlyandmuttly Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 are you mating with her and if you are were are you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightbarrel Posted December 12, 2011 Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 she picked up an injury that could keep her out for the rest of the season What happened mate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 are you mating with her and if you are were are you i was but decided not to untill she has her next season cos i need her to work this shooting season as she will have to do maisey's work aswell.MORPETH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 What happened mate? Had to get her stitched up under her front leg and chest an awkward place to heal. Bloody cover has,nt died back and old barbwire fence was hidden under the brambles all this on a very steep valley so hard for the dog to put the brakes on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2011 (edited) What happened mate? double up on post Edited December 12, 2011 by scutt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightbarrel Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) That is hard luck. Easy done though. Today,quartered mine down a steep embankment in front of me over a small hardly used back road and straight into an angled steel barrier that was mostly hidden, saw a small part of it at the last second but it was too late to pip him to stop. Heart in the mouth but we got away with it by sheer luck only. What is the breeding like on the bitch polly in season? Fingers crossed all go's well with your dog healing up. Edited December 13, 2011 by straightbarrel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 14, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2011 pic dos'nt show all of maisey injury but it starting to look ok after 6 days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
straightbarrel Posted December 15, 2011 Report Share Posted December 15, 2011 On the mend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2011 bad fettle. took polly on our walk/stand couldn't keep her hunting close so ended up shouting and bawling at her she did settle down and i let her hunt out a shelter belt wood without me going into it the gun on the otherside of the wood dropped a bird flushed by polly his dog did'nt pick it so polly decided to find it after a while she came thruogh the fence with a lively cock bird as i had'nt sent her for the bird i was'nt best pleased.anyway a gun who had a bird down and needed help to find it, so i cast polly off to find it she kept trying to flush out a small clump of reed grass with the spring/pouncing action you see foxes do on wild life films but as i was'int in the best of moods and wanted to move on aswell as been told by another gun that the bird had run off over the fence and the dog was no were near the fall but as i was about to move her away from the area she pushed her nose hard into the clump and came out with the cock bird .moved on now to walk out some small plantation and white grasses had some good flushes and more birds for the bag.the things to take on board stop shouting and take control by putting the dog on the lead .don't let the dog hunt out a wood without me keeping an eye on her .if the dog thinks an area is worth checking out then let her.oh and why i was in a bad mood eh hem well could'nt hit i thing all day so maybe not the dog missbehaving but my fettle winding her up plus she is still in season.that my excuse anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 boxing day a bit of driven and some walked up worked polly on the drives and gave maisey a short hunt in light cover to check if her wound/scar would be ok .polly has been running in after low birds in the hope she could catch one i think so in training i have introduced a LEEEV it comand by throwing cold game and sending her out to fetch it but every now and again i have used the stop whistle and verbel comand to stop her from retrieving the game and even thrown a dog biscuit a few times and stopped her from eating them whith whistle/leeev(i would'nt do this if she was sticky in the retrieving department )anyway got the chance to test out the training she flushed a bird and started to make for it blew the whistle and shouted the leeev it and she did later on at the end of a drive she was about to run out of the wood to collect someone elses bird when again i was able to stop her with whistle and voice .why i use both well as nearly all the lads use the same whistle tone and comands i thought that if i add another noise then she might take notice of it next dog i get i will use two whistles for the comands one for the stop and the other for everything else just to add i normaly use the leev it if she pegs owt so its not realy new to her just a bit of a tweek to it.maisey hunted up some white grass and an open wood into a little plantation she went at it at a hundred mph as she has had nowt to do for a few weeks had to use the turn whistle at first but she hunted tighter as we went along she had a few nice flushes pushing the birds out with her nose up there bums they must'nt have heard or seen her coming at the rate of knots she was going my heart was in my mouth and me hand on me money in case she opened up her injury thanfully she was and is ok so got jan to look forward to with both dogs working :thumbs: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gadge-it Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Thats a nice retrive,good looking dog,did you get the dog from local Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spanj Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 are you mating with her and if you are were are you That would be illegal and just plain wrong ................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam Posted December 30, 2011 Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Hi Dave, just noticed this post - sorry to hear about your dog & hope she is healing well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted December 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2011 That would be illegal and just plain wrong ................. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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