The versatile gundog

[m greeny]

5 minutes ago, JDog said:

Good for you, although you have now drawn attention to your own activities which may not have been your intention.

In the meantime I will continue to show my appreciation of those posting of their exploits.

How have I drawn attention to my own fowling activities?  I just like to get out there and do my thing if I'm in the wrong spot then there's always tomorrow we are always learning I. will also show my appreciation of others exploits where credits due. 

[WalkedUp]

No worries M Greeny. There was stick for not posting anything and also a few barbed comments regarding dogs so it prompted me to post a bit more.

I appreciate it may be boring to some but it’s an aide memoire for me and perhaps showcases the versatility of a little used gundog breed? 

As regards to JDog’s post, due to the lockdown I couldn’t get to any of my permissions or shoots in Wales and had to take up wildfowling properly (fortunately I’d joined the waiting list for a club on a nearby marsh a few years ago) which is within walking distance of my house. Since mid-Oct I’ve been out 8 times and only blanked once. For me starting out on the marsh I’d personally count that as a success.

[WalkedUp]

[WalkedUp]

Cold morning 

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by WalkedUp

[WalkedUp]

Found these photos of my old boy from 11 years ago, goes in an instant. 

We always used to take them at 7 weeks. 

[Downforce]

On 02/01/2020 at 23:49, WalkedUp said:

As I say, they can be beautiful but they can be beasts. They live indoors during the night and are kennelled outdoors during the day. I take them everywhere with me and they will sit like statues in the office, the park, beach or pub.. consequently they get lots of attention but I have to tell their admirers that working breeds do not make good pets.

We had a gorgeous Weimararner as a pet but he needed two good long walks a day in the woods, my wife got asked to assess several where people were struggling on behalf of WCGB and it normally turned out they were not getting any exercise. Like you said, ours came to the office and was good as gold. Miss the gorgeous fella.

[Downforce]

On 08/01/2020 at 15:21, m greeny said:

Christ them pheasants must double hard as there's only one dead

Our Weimararner could catch anything (Owl, Rabbit, Cat) and bring it back alive without a mark on it.

When he found an injured cat he just stood there stock-still and "pointed" at it, amazing insticts for a dog with no training whatsovere (except "sit")!

[WalkedUp]

On 10/04/2021 at 13:04, Downforce said:

Our Weimararner could catch anything (Owl, Rabbit, Cat) and bring it back alive without a mark on it.

When he found an injured cat he just stood there stock-still and "pointed" at it, amazing insticts for a dog with no training whatsovere (except "sit")!

Yes 👍, my old bitch (long dead sadly) was great. On a walk with my German friends and their children a fledgling literally flew into her. Then mid air Ommfff completely in her mouth disappeared. The children shrieked, I laid out my hand and gave the command “drop”, the fledgling hopped out into my palm, looked around and flew away untouched. Cue very happy children and a couple of amazed Germans (they see Weimaraners similar to Dobermans). 

This morning in the garden. 

[Walker570]

Whoever said money can't buy happiness forgot little puppes ..Gene Hill

I have shot over a number of what the FT Ch crowd would not consider gun dogs.  My first team where a bunch of corgi cattle dogs. I have seen a rough haired Jack Russel find and retrieve some large cock pheasants, it learned to pick them up by the base of the wing, brilliant little dog.  Your dog is a credit to you.  I love all the pointing breeds as they raely tell you a lie.

[WalkedUp]

Treated the old boy to a day in the office for some R&R. We go in, they get a cuddle, then are sent to their corner for 8 hours and don’t make a peep as all and sundry come in for meetings / deliveries etc. 

[Walker570]

Brilliant.  We have a gentleman living locally with a same breed old dog and my wife walks down for the paper almost every morning and when it sees here it bays but then looks up at his owner for permisiion to come and meet her for a cuddle.

We're ex viz' owners which are very similar in temperament.

[Lloyd90]

20 hours ago, WalkedUp said:

Treated the old boy to a day in the office for some R&R. We go in, they get a cuddle, then are sent to their corner for 8 hours and don’t make a peep as all and sundry come in for meetings / deliveries etc. 

 

What a joy to see a fit dog  

[Downforce]

On 24/01/2020 at 07:41, WalkedUp said:

Because they want to work, they need mental stimulation.

They are dogs with high energy levels we had to walk ours twice a day and normally off the lead in the woods to get a really good runaround

I only ever saw him tired out once where we took him in a huge field in wales and about six of us called hime between us for about 20-30 minutes as part of a 10 mile hike

As WalkedUp said if you dont stimulate they can eat the house and become aggressive etc. We used to see dogs on behalf of WCGB that were not getting stimulation (not getting walked even) and being "naughty" needing to be rehomed

[Walker570]

29 minutes ago, Downforce said:

They are dogs with high energy levels we had to walk ours twice a day and normally off the lead in the woods to get a really good runaround

I only ever saw him tired out once where we took him in a huge field in wales and about six of us called hime between us for about 20-30 minutes as part of a 10 mile hike

As WalkedUp said if you dont stimulate they can eat the house and become aggressive etc. We used to see dogs on behalf of WCGB that were not getting stimulation (not getting walked even) and being "naughty" needing to be rehomed

100%   Our advise to anyone thinking of an HPR was just that. If you cannot work them, entertain them, stimulate them then they are not for you...go by a mini poodle.  We where/are very lucky in having the ground to do just that and miss them dearly.

[WalkedUp]

5 minutes ago, Walker570 said:

100%   Our advise to anyone thinking of an HPR was just that. If you cannot work them, entertain them, stimulate them then they are not for you...go by a mini poodle.  We where/are very lucky in having the ground to do just that and miss them dearly.

Lovely picture and correct advice. 

[simcgunner]

https://fb.watch/5GaMZQTINq/

 

 

The sister Hank never wanted.

[WalkedUp]

We all had a little sleep in the garden this afternoon, the rabbits don’t seem to care what danger they are in going nose to nose with the dogs frequently. Fortunately the dogs know not to retrieve them. 

This picture is from in the season on a walked up day:

Edited May 30, 2021 by WalkedUp

[WalkedUp]

The old boy is completely deaf, mostly blind and a bit confused but can still just about work. This will be his last season as he’s being kept alive on medication. Today was pest control not wildfowling but the dogs loved it, some challenging retrieves of large birds from thick cover. The geese were flighted not decoyed after a few days observation. I shot a triple which I was pleased with and had a nice purple patch without missing 10 birds, however my first 6 shots were awful misses! 

Greylag and pigeons eaten, Canadas are being processed for dog food as the old boy has lost 5kg in less than a year. 

[WalkedUp]

[Jim Neal]

❤️

It's so important to keep the oldies in the loop, even though it might hamper your day somewhat, after all they give us absolutely everything they've got during their lifetimes.  Good on you for giving him the time in the field

And I bet he appreciates the goose dinner too!!

I've got a plucked & dressed greylag in the freezer from last December, should have used it by now but with recent news it might just be kept for Christmas!?

 

[WalkedUp]

Very much so! 15kg of meat and only half done. Long day, 0530 until 2230 none stop. The rest will have to wait until the morning!

6 minutes ago, Jim Neal said:

I've got a plucked & dressed greylag in the freezer from last December

That’s the hardest part! Get it cooked 👍

(But probably not for Christmas! 🤣)

[WalkedUp]

Pleased with my bitch today. My pal dropped a nice cock crosser, which I thought was dead but he had not picked up with his cocker. I walked over with my two and saw the bird heading to the boundary of the shoot running hard. Sent the bitch and she picked it’s scent to follow the trail, then when she had the awareness to look up and see the cock running ahead you could see the afterburners switch on. It was pure acceleration as she swallowed up the ground. The cock had less than 5 yards to freedom and she had the best of 100 but it was no contest, she looked like a matt grey tigress as she bowled him over against the stock wire and hedge with no thought to her own stopping. He came back neatly head up and she looked pleased as punch. This bitch not had any attention from me due to the boys and so I feel bad on her not having the opportunities or training my other dogs have been afforded, but I was proud she showed her worth again. 

Edited October 9, 2021 by WalkedUp

[worrall26]

Cracking site to see from top of bank. 

[WalkedUp]

I believe these pictures are almost exactly 10 years apart. The image on the left was this dog’s first HPR, I remember the shot and the day as if it was yesterday...

We were quartering across an exposed gorsey hillside above a field of stubble turnip in Angelsey. The dog was chomping at the bit and eager to please. Stopped on the whistle and redirected a few times to cover missed clumps. The wind was into us and less than 5 minutes into the day the dog went on point, I sent him into the gorse and a hen pheasant lifted away from us climbing into the wind. It gained height then turned back arcing over us, the wind whipped it over as I took it left barrel with my AYA. The he. fell into thick gorse, blind for us. The dog was sent to retrieve and brought it back happily to hand. 18 months of training instantly rewarded for the first bird over him. I went on to shoot 5 for 5 over him that day, four pheasant and one mallard.

Fast forward a decade to this weekend and the dog, who has put in many a shift, is now almost blind, stone deaf, in a constant state of confusion and pretty much on death’s door. The first drive went well and we put many birds over our fellow guns. I took 3, two that were escaping out of the drive and a beauty I couldn’t resist poaching off my pal. At the end of the drive two of us guns walked through a mixed woodland on the steep bank of a river. The old dog pottered off nose down and I initially ignored him as I worked the bitch on, happy to let him stretch his legs whilst we quartered. I looked over and he was on rock steady point 5 yards from a windfall of brushwood and nettles. I walked to his side and sent him in. A lovely cock exploded vertically, climbing out of the canopy. Once it set its wings I took him with the first barrel of my Beretta. The dog was sent to retrieve his reward. It was a lovely highlight to a great shot day, if it turns out to be his last HPR it was a cracker and is etched in my mind. 

[WalkedUp]

The old boy is very much on his last legs but still had the strength to retrieve this cock from the rapids. He’s a passenger most of the time but nothing fazes him. 

My young bitch is doing the lion’s share of work now. 

This hen was shot by my friend’s grandson. He wiped my eye on it and pulled off the best shot I’ve ever seen him take. The bird landed hundreds of yards down into thick woodland on a steep bank and she was the only dog on the drive. Sent her on and it didn’t take her long to track it down having run a hundred yards or so back behind the line through brambles and holly.