woodcock1 Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 After losing my best hunting dog a few weeks ago to leptospirosis I've been concentrating all my spare time to finishing off training 18mth old springer bitch Molly. We set off this morning in search of a woodcock. After an couple of hours and only a single bird flushed we mad the change to walking a nearby section of the heavily flooded river Bann. After a short distance we flushed a flock of mallard maybe 10 in number from a drain running into the main river. 3 shots resulted in a drake and hen on the deck. One in the field and one in the drain. Both staight forward retrieves and well done for Molly. A couple of hundred yards upstream two teal erupted from the bank side vegetation One of which broke left offering a long crossing shot about the 40yrd mark. Another eley olympic saw the drake crashing into the torrent of the main river. On command Molly took the plunge and off she went battling the flow. By the time she reached her trophy we were all well downstream nearly to where the mallard had flushed. Another fifty yards or so saw her back to the bank after her best retrieve yet. Proud moment, when you see the hours of training paying off. Now bring on the woodcock so she can really shine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorsey Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Nice to see a working and springer, and as you say, the hard work is paying off. Hopefully she'll be just as good as your old dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Picture quality poor but you get a sense of the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scutt Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 good days to remember Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tis1979 Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Good write up enjoyed it, well done Molly, the lab I'm training had his best retrieve so far a couple of weeks ago very nice to see. And makes all the time and effort worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turbo33 Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Beautifully marked springer Its always such a thrill watching them retrieving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wildfowler12 Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 I had better not post any pics tomorrow evening showing any game Haha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisherman Mike Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 Great pictures and a lovely dog..however willing she is though dont over do it in a days shooting especially in a big expanse of water with a strong flow on it. Dont need to tell you how much it takes out of the dog. I know of several wildfowlers who have lost good dogs because of just one too many....They never admit to it though. Looks like she is going to make up into a wonderful companion and Springers above all other dogs only want to please. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallard123 Posted November 19, 2011 Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 nice retrieve and a challenging test for such a young dog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 19, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2011 (edited) Great pictures and a lovely dog..however willing she is though dont over do it in a days shooting especially in a big expanse of water with a strong flow on it. Dont need to tell you how much it takes out of the dog. I know of several wildfowlers who have lost good dogs because of just one too many....They never admit to it though. Looks like she is going to make up into a wonderful companion and Springers above all other dogs only want to please. I remember when i was only starting out shooting taking my springer woodcock shooting all day. We were both knackerd but i decided to have a go at a duck pond that eve. The water was low and very mud like. She went to retrieve a bird that night and It was all to near to ending in disaster. Ill never forget that. Edited November 19, 2011 by woodcock1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tignme Posted November 20, 2011 Report Share Posted November 20, 2011 Woodcock the river area in your photos remind me of the area around the big agivey river,ive fond memories of that area 40 yrs ago. careful with the dog on the bann. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texas Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Looks as though the hard work has payed off. You have a good dog there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Brill, lovely pup and good shootin' U. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vetgarry2004 Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Sorry to hear your previous dog died of leptospirosis (also known as Weils disease or rat jaundice). It is very important to vaccinate your dogs annualy against this disease and I recommend doing it about 3 weeks before the season starts.This vaccine lasts only about 9-12 months and if you have not vaccinated for more than one season be sure to vaccinate twice 2-3weeks apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 Sorry to hear your previous dog died of leptospirosis (also known as Weils disease or rat jaundice). It is very important to vaccinate your dogs annualy against this disease and I recommend doing it about 3 weeks before the season starts.This vaccine lasts only about 9-12 months and if you have not vaccinated for more than one season be sure to vaccinate twice 2-3weeks apart. Up until this happened to my dog I was unaware that the vaccine only lasted 12months. She had been done 3 yaears ago. Ive since had my other dogs done,they got the second part of it on saturday past. Fingers crossed Im in the clear now as I was told it was highly contagious to both dogs and humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 nasty, and pretty rare. Did the vet confirm what it was? If he did you should have been referred to the Doc and on a put on a Prophylaxis antibiotic. Although you are probably passed the danger point now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 nasty, and pretty rare. Did the vet confirm what it was? If he did you should have been referred to the Doc and on a put on a Prophylaxis antibiotic. Although you are probably passed the danger point now. He confirmed within 10 seconds of seeing her. Said she woundnt make another day. He was right. 3 days from first sign of anything wrong. i have a 1 year old son who I was most concerned about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkeyboots Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 good retrive just watch the rivers i almost lost my dog last year he swam to the far side of the river for a dummy whilst doing a few water retrives in deep water which was flooded he got to the far side when he got tangled in a long strip of plastic which was floating just below the water the dog swam round in circles with the plastic then wrapping round him and he was stuck and cudnt get free id a field to run back to the car then a mad dash to drive the few hundred yards down the road over the bridge and then run down 3 fields to just get him in time before he started to go under :o a mate years ago lost a lab well he had to shoot the dog in the water he had shot a duck and the lab took a run a leap into the river only to impale itself on a spike from a old iron gate that was just in below the water the spike was sticking right up threw the dog :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 That's terrible. I couldn't imagine having to put my own dog down, even in those circumstances Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted November 21, 2011 Report Share Posted November 21, 2011 That's terrible. I couldn't imagine having to put my own dog down, even in those circumstances the incubation period can be 2 weeks, although in rare cases up to 4 weeks. Because the dog was showing symptoms doesn't mean it had the disease, the vet really should have confirmed with a test. It is a notifiable disease if contracted by humans. Do you know if the vet said the dog was suffering from kidney and/or liver failure? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 the incubation period can be 2 weeks, although in rare cases up to 4 weeks. Because the dog was showing symptoms doesn't mean it had the disease, the vet really should have confirmed with a test. It is a notifiable disease if contracted by humans. Do you know if the vet said the dog was suffering from kidney and/or liver failure? Yes shes had liver failure/Jaundice vet noticed by yellowing of the eyes. This was one day after she had stopped eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr D Posted November 22, 2011 Report Share Posted November 22, 2011 Yes shes had liver failure/Jaundice vet noticed by yellowing of the eyes. This was one day after she had stopped eating. the only reason I ask is because if these where the only symptoms and there was no test, then poisoning is just a likely a candidate. Acute liver failure is classic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie mac Posted November 23, 2011 Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Cracking retrieves for your wee dog woodcock,was that the lower bann the dog was retrieving from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodcock1 Posted November 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2011 Cracking retrieves for your wee dog woodcock,was that the lower bann the dog was retrieving from? Yeah just opposite where I live between portglenone and kilrea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davie mac Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 Thats a lovey stretch of river,i used to fish in behind the forest most weekends, but haven't been up in 5 or 6 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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