The Apprentice ........ Your Hired

[marsh man]

This has been a strange sort of season with most of the marshes I shoot on staying dry until a few weeks ago and having two dogs at home that are either to old or to young , having retired the old boy to a life of gentle walks and resting near a radiator it was time to make his apprentice earn his keep.

 

The summer was spent pigeon shooting and a bit of training during the normal work with dummies and water work and if I am honest the puppy was to excitable for any serious training until he was around a year old , from then onwards most of the time was spent during practical training with the pup coming with me in the hide and during the odd retrieve with pigeons that had dropped well out from the decoy paten , this went on until I packed decoying when our game shooting started and by this time I could see a big improvement with his hide manners and knowing what pigeons to pick up and the ones to leave well alone.

 

Then came early November he had his first taste of duck , not that he ate one , in fact he is one of the gentlest dogs I have had with him coming back at top speed with hardly a feather out of place when he deliver to hand , they are the good bits , the bad bits are he still thinks its all a game and water is a play ground and dykes are where if you hunt enough you find a wounded duck or a Swan to play with , but that is all part of the learning process and I can put up with that.

 

He have now picked up around 20 odd duck with our best flight last Friday when we were lucky enough to get five Mallard and a Widgeon so hopefully over the next week or two he will get a chance to pick up his first goose and become a fully fledged wildfowlers dog .

 

p.

 

 

[moongeese]

Nice story , I am going through the same with a young lab. Your dog has a Drakeshead look about it ?.

 

 

 

Bill

[Penelope]

Looking good MM.

[Old farrier]

Hi

Nice to here it's all going well and pup is doing ok

 

Thanks again for the good news

 

All the best

Of

[anser2]

Good to see all your hard work paying off marshman. He is a good looking dog.

 

My lab is 21 months old and still acts as though she is 6 months old. Apart from basic training she is still immature in her mind for anything else other than sit, heel and stay training as yet and i have spent a lot of time on that this summer. Going to start the serious stuff in the New Year. What a difference to my last two dogs. Both were working and had retrieved a lot of geese and ducks by 18 months and both were mature enough to let them get on with the job without much guidance from me. While its not the way to start a dog off my first lab back in the early 60s when I was a teenager was picked up untrained from a pet shop at 7 months old, came with me for a flight on a lead the next night. I shot a teal that my mates dog could find and he sugested I let my lab have a go. Sent her out onto the flooded stubble and within a few minuets she came back with the cock teal and never looked back. Shooting was always serious stuff to her and even at such a young age she was 100% in hunting mode when we were wildfowling. So unlike my present youngster, Pip.

Edited November 28, 2016 by anser2

[marsh man]

Nice story , I am going through the same with a young lab. Your dog has a Drakeshead look about it ?.

 

 

 

Bill

Hi bill ......... Hope your training is going well , my old dog have got half his pedigree in Drakeshead lines , big broad head and a good looking dog but sadly developed joint problems at a early age ( 8 1/2 ) , my young one haven't got any Drakeshead in his pedigree.

 

Looking good MM.

 

Thanks Paul , I saw your post with Tilly last week and what a lovely dog she is turning out to be. If she want a boy friend from the out backs , well that can be arranged but with him not being street wise she will have to treat him gently , you know the reputation of Essex girls

 

Hi

Nice to here it's all going well and pup is doing ok

 

Thanks again for the good news

 

All the best

Of

 

Hi Old farrier , Good to hear from you and I hope your keeping well ........ I saw your post with your new addition to your gun collection , what a work of art , English gun making at its best , Good luck

 

Good to see all your hard work paying off marshman. He is a good looking dog.

 

My lab is 21 months old and still acts as though she is 6 months old. Apart from basic training she is still immature in her mind for anything else other than sit, heel and stay training as yet and i have spent a lot of time on that this summer. Going to start the serious stuff in the New Year. What a difference to my last two dogs. Both were working and had retrieved a lot of geese and ducks by 18 months and both were mature enough to let them get on with the job without much guidance from me. While its not the way to start a dog off my first lab back in the early 60s when I was a teenager was picked up untrained from a pet shop at 7 months old, came with me for a flight on a lead the next night. I shot a teal that my mates dog could find and he sugested I let my lab have a go. Sent her out onto the flooded stubble and within a few minuets she came back with the cock teal and never looked back. Shooting was always serious stuff to her and even at such a young age she was 100% in hunting mode when we were wildfowling. So unlike my present youngster, Pip.

Afternoon Robert ..... Now you have more time on your hands I am sure Pip will come good in the end , I am now on my sixth Labrador and like children every one have been different , what training was hard work on one of them the next one found it easy and so on ,

My young one now might well be my last one as all my previous dogs have gone into double figures and if my one now do the same I will be into my eighties and sitting in the arm chair reading your book beside the log fire might be more tempting than sitting down the marsh on a winters night trying to lift my gun as high as my shoulder , although I might change my mind when and if the time come

[JDog]

I like your posts Marsh Man.

 

That dog could not have a better master I am sure.

[Big Mat]

Sounds like he is coming along quite nicely marsh man.

 

My young un Frank is 2 1/4 now, this season he's had his first day stood on a peg ( very rare for me to be on a peg as well! ). He then retrieved his first pheasants and duck, fetching back several during the day. He's retrieved geese ( he fetched his first pink aged 18 months ) and had his first go at some long water retrieves. He needed a little help on the first but once he had the idea he was away. I think we a few more retrieves under his belt he'll make a good shooting dog.

[marsh man]

I like your posts Marsh Man.

 

That dog could not have a better master I am sure.

Thanks Mr JDog ..... One thing for certain , he wont put to much weight on with the amount of exercise he get , and now after watching Buster the Boxer he now want a trampoline for Christmas .

 

Sounds like he is coming along quite nicely marsh man.

 

My young un Frank is 2 1/4 now, this season he's had his first day stood on a peg ( very rare for me to be on a peg as well! ). He then retrieved his first pheasants and duck, fetching back several during the day. He's retrieved geese ( he fetched his first pink aged 18 months ) and had his first go at some long water retrieves. He needed a little help on the first but once he had the idea he was away. I think we a few more retrieves under his belt he'll make a good shooting dog.

Hi Big Mat........ How time flies , I am glad he is coming on well and getting plenty of retrieves , I can remember the photo of Frank where the wind was blowing his lugs up , or they were drying out , as for standing on a peg , there must be good money planting Daf bulbs or there paying you far to much ,

 

I do sometimes stand on a peg , not with gun mind you , I am only there to make sure the person with a gun is safe and don't shoot anyone

[Big Mat]

Thanks Mr JDog ..... One thing for certain , he wont put to much weight on with the amount of exercise he get , and now after watching Buster the Boxer he now want a trampoline for Christmas .

 

Hi Big Mat........ How time flies , I am glad he is coming on well and getting plenty of retrieves , I can remember the photo of Frank where the wind was blowing his lugs up , or they were drying out , as for standing on a peg , there must be good money planting Daf bulbs or there paying you far to much ,

 

I do sometimes stand on a peg , not with gun mind you , I am only there to make sure the person with a gun is safe and don't shoot anyone

 

It was a farmers syndicate, boss has a gun on it and i look after his game cover for him and get to have the peg occasionally.

 

 

[Old farrier]

Hi MM

 

Thanks again for your kind words my new pup is coming on young yet but he should make it

This one is a bit harder work than some but getting there

 

Enjoy your posts

All the best

Of

[aga man]

Very happy, healthy looking dogs. A real credit to you marsh man.

[marsh man]

Very happy, healthy looking dogs. A real credit to you marsh man.

Thanks aga man , very kind of you ....... I was very impressed with your young one when you first shared a photo with us , a strong broad chested little fellow with a nice thick coat , good luck with the training and I am sure he will be a pleasure to work with .

[aga man]

Thanks aga man , very kind of you ....... I was very impressed with your young one when you first shared a photo with us , a strong broad chested little fellow with a nice thick coat , good luck with the training and I am sure he will be a pleasure to work with .

Yes his training is coming on well. He is just over a year old now and very keen to impress. He lives in the house though and has been a nightmare chewing furniture etc.

Almost cost me my marriage at times

]

[Wilksy II]

a strong broad chested little fellow with a nice thick coat ,

 

You've met Agaman then!?

[SuperGoose75]

Nice read Marshman and again lovely looking Dogs.Glad he is coming on well for you. I used to love the black Lab's and my first own real fowling Dog was a black Lab cross who I had for 18yrs. I have a few colletor plates still hanging on my Mothers walls of black labs' one of which is a large Roast size type plate with the picture being very similar to your photo. The old Pro and the apprentice.

 

I then upgraded to a Chessie 'lol' Which like your old boy spends most of his time against the radiator' although when he see's me reaching for his lead or putting a coat or wellies on he leaps goes nuts and still leaps into the Van with no hesitation.

 

Best of luck with him and hope you both have many happy flights together in the future.

[marsh man]

Nice read Marshman and again lovely looking Dogs.Glad he is coming on well for you. I used to love the black Lab's and my first own real fowling Dog was a black Lab cross who I had for 18yrs. I have a few colletor plates still hanging on my Mothers walls of black labs' one of which is a large Roast size type plate with the picture being very similar to your photo. The old Pro and the apprentice.

 

I then upgraded to a Chessie 'lol' Which like your old boy spends most of his time against the radiator' although when he see's me reaching for his lead or putting a coat or wellies on he leaps goes nuts and still leaps into the Van with no hesitation.

 

Best of luck with him and hope you both have many happy flights together in the future.

Thanks SuperGoose .... Hope you and your family are all keeping well and your knee is not keeping you house bound now the season is in full swing.

 

You done well to have a working Lab reach the grand old age of 18 , my oldest one was just over 14 when his time was up .

 

I now feel a bit guilty when I take my young un night times and leave the old boy resting on his bed , tonight he wasn't to bothered when I went out of the door as it was getting dark , but when I came home with three Widgeon his ole eyes light up and his nose started to work overtime and I swear the young un communicated in doggie language to tell George how well he done crossing a muddy dyke to pick one of em up and how he cleaned himself up by running over the flooded splash to pick the other two up.

 

As they say , practice makes perfect , I would say he is a long way off being perfect but at least he is getting plenty of practice.

 

Good luck

[lakeside1000]

Hey Marsh man,good to hear young one is doing so well, chasing those pheasants and ducks will sharpen him up, and a nice haul of ducks ,Very nice photos as well,

I thought I was doing well with 6 ducks 2 geese and a pheasant so far , but I have gone back on the pigeons for a while as the rape is getting well hammered ,

I have not had a single pink near enough to take a pot at yet, I must be looking in the wrong places,

Hope to meet up again soon, have a happy Christmas

[SuperGoose75]

Thanks SuperGoose .... Hope you and your family are all keeping well and your knee is not keeping you house bound now the season is in full swing.

 

You done well to have a working Lab reach the grand old age of 18 , my oldest one was just over 14 when his time was up .

 

I now feel a bit guilty when I take my young un night times and leave the old boy resting on his bed , tonight he wasn't to bothered when I went out of the door as it was getting dark , but when I came home with three Widgeon his ole eyes light up and his nose started to work overtime and I swear the young un communicated in doggie language to tell George how well he done crossing a muddy dyke to pick one of em up and how he cleaned himself up by running over the flooded splash to pick the other two up.

 

As they say , practice makes perfect , I would say he is a long way off being perfect but at least he is getting plenty of practice.

 

Good luck

He was a Mongrel Marshman' which is probably the reason for his longevity. I will try and dig out a photo and reply fully to your post in the near future

[motty]

Nice to hear the young dogs are getting out and doing the jobs they were born to do.

I am very pleased with my young dogs' progress so far. It is his first season, and he is learning the ropes fairly quickly. He has already retrieved a few dozen ducks and several geese. He still has a way to go, though.