made a mess of this flight line.

[ditchman]

i think that dog is and the way it has been handled is a credit to you both ................it has always in many cases too easy to rush.......................i used to do alsorts of what appeared to be pointless exersises with my 2 now sadly ex sprockers......like making them sit up and stay whilst i walked in 25yd circles around them ...and throwing birds out in front of me and picking them up........................

 

.............i think you have done a cracking job on Jasper................all you need now is to complete his training picking up birds in Norfolk ....im sure Mrs JDog would warm to the idea ......

Edited September 22, 2015 by ditchman

[kitchrat]

As you know, I'm always moaning about the lack of shootable pigeons on my patch, Essex/Herts. Well a certain celebrity, not 15 miles away near Chelmsford, is shooting 100's, and a friend of mine (who also knows we have few in our area) shot 100's about 50 miles away in Herts. He says the difference is that these areas are under the control of the shooter, fields are ploughed or left to stubble to order, so birds can build up, they are not over shot by the World and His Wife etc etc.

So it's not county to county, but farming/shooting practices that make the biggest difference.

[kitchrat]

Managed to download a picture of most of the bag and Jasper.

 

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For those interested in how I am managing a young dog with so many birds to retrieve this is how it went. Jasper sat in the hide all afternoon. As soon as I took off the safety catch he peered under the hide netting. We had to leave the hide every so often to tidy up the pattern and I sat him outside the hide so that he could see me picking birds up. He was only called upon to retrieve six dead birds all afternoon which he did well.

 

At the end of the session when all the kit was back in the car we went hunting the hedgerows. He had my full attention and between him and the other young spaniel out with us we picked another ten birds. I believe that he is now a very steady dog. He watched the other dog pick birds close to him and he never moved. This sort of training removes the jealousy which some dogs develop.

 

I am no expert in these matters but this sort of gentle introduction appears to be working well.

Sounds like you are an expert. And, as you have managed to get a Border Terrier to retrieve in your time, you must be a Dog-Training-GOD!!