deeksofdoom Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Does a dog that has been used in the beating line make a good roughshooting dog? The reason I am asking is that my Springer Spaniel which I have been beating with all season has given up on going rough shooting. She doesn't want to come in the first place and when she gets out she'll hunt away for a while then give up. She'll sit down and just go on strike. When she's out beating she works fine, I think its because she's meeting loads of birds and getting the odd retrieve. However rough shooting in the wild we mightn't meet anything for an hour or so at which point she has completely lost interest. Any ideas opinions on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piebob Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I personally don't know but I was speaking to a work colleague a while back who used to go trialling and has some cracking cockers. He said he would never take his dogs beating because "it would ruin them". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David BASC Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 Based on my experience of a Springer (4 ½ years old) we go beating about 20 times in a season and he works like mad – when we go rough shooting- same thing, works well sits well when told, retrieves So from my experience beating has no negative effect. As for not taking a dog beating etc if they are a trial dog- I dont know about that, maybe that is just personal chioce - but surely if you are the man for the dog then it will not matter too much where you are? However, I am wondering, did you take your dog beating before rough shooting – why I as is as follows- dogs being pack animals love working in packs, like a beating line. So if you take him out on his own does he ‘miss’ the pack’? Second point – does the dog recognize you as the leader of the pack? If not then this could explain why when you are n your own he gives up after a bit as. well etc. Remember to the dog being in the pack with lots of activity etc is excelent fun! So the job now is to make rough shooting fun for the dog as well. Now we are at the end of the season you have plenty of time to work with the dog- build him up in stages when you are rough shooting, 15 mins, 20 min, 30min, and so on over a few weeks. As it looks like he is loosing interest then take a dummy and chuck it about - take a few shots and chuck the dummy etc David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntinlass Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I think you are right, she has got so use to flushing bird regularly on a day beating, that when it comes to rough shooting, there isn't the volume of scents for her so she is not motivated. You will probably find that after the shooting season has finished she may become more interested in hunting while rough shooting as she will get out of the mode of beating for the next few months. As piebob said people don't like using trialing dogs in the beating line, but there is no reason why a dog already in the beating line should not be used for rough shooting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted January 18, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 However, I am wondering, did you take your dog beating before rough shooting – why I as is as follows- dogs being pack animals love working in packs, like a beating line. So if you take him out on his own does he ‘miss’ the pack’? I started taking her out beating before we ever done any roughshooting. When we are out shooting if she's not with on of my other dogs she is with my friends dogs so she's never on her own roughshooting. Maybe when were beating she has 100% of my attention stopping her, calling her back giving her directional commands etc. and she doesn't have that same amount of contact with me out shooting. Second point – does the dog recognize you as the leader of the pack? If not then this could explain why when you are n your own he gives up after a bit as. well etc. I don't think there is any question of whose the leader she does what's she's told and hunts for me and delivers retrieves to me always. Remember to the dog being in the pack with lots of activity etc is excelent fun! So the job now is to make rough shooting fun for the dog as well. Now we are at the end of the season you have plenty of time to work with the dog- build him up in stages when you are rough shooting, 15 mins, 20 min, 30min, and so on over a few weeks. As it looks like he is loosing interest then take a dummy and chuck it about - take a few shots and chuck the dummy et I think you are right, she has got so use to flushing bird regularly on a day beating, that when it comes to rough shooting, there isn't the volume of scents for her so she is not motivated. You will probably find that after the shooting season has finished she may become more interested in hunting while rough shooting as she will get out of the mode of beating for the next few months. As piebob said people don't like using trialing dogs in the beating line, but there is no reason why a dog already in the beating line should not be used for rough shooting. She's motivated alright its just she's probably had a little bit to much fun when beating. What would be the pros and cons of the following off season activities, Pigeon shooting, rabbit shooting, dogging in........? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntinlass Posted January 18, 2009 Report Share Posted January 18, 2009 I have done all of them with my springer through the spring/summertime. The postive is your dog is kept in a fit and healthly state both mentally and physically. Often when a dog is just use for the beating season alone, the beginning of each season is a task as the dog has to pick up what it was doing 7 months ago. It becomes over excited, therefore harder to control around game. By giving the dog regular hunting, work, retrieving throughtout the spring summer, keeps the dog focused on what it should do and by the time the shooting season starts again the dog will hunt as it has been doing all year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie 1 Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 (edited) i use two labs in the picking up line and had the same problems you did just a couple of years ago. the younger one wasn't seeing enough action and got bored so he started to followed me around. so he then came with me everytime i went pigeon shooting (alot) and he was picking up birds and alot of them all day. he was probs picking about 40+ birds a day and the best bit was i knew where the birds had dropped so i could also pick which terrain i wanted him to hunt in. since then he has hunted like a trooper and is a fantastic lad. so the summer activities are in my opinion the best for bringing on a dog. also dogging in when the keeper releases his birds and they wander im sure he won't turn down help for dogging in. this way your dog is flushing lots of birds and on his own. good luck m8. Edited January 19, 2009 by charlie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 this sounds peculiar, most working dogs want to hunt whether there is a presence of game or not. My GWP works on any walk you take her on always looking for something and most springers I've seen are the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallarben Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 1st your dog could be that it only wants to hunt on scent so if ur rough shooting ground is rarther bare of scent the bitch may dry up from not finding game a good way round this is to take her rabbiting if you have somewere were there is cover so the dog has to hunt for them 2ndly people dont like taken trial dogs beating as you need a trial dog o hunt even if there is no game were as if your beating on a big shoot a dog can see birds running forward and may even squeek as you need to keep trial dogs hot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 You sure your dog isn't ill or something? I'm serious who ever herad of a spaniel that refused to work or gave up? It just doesn't happen without a good reason and loss of interest isn't something spaniels are reknowned for. Maybe get hher/him checked out by the vet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted January 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 There is nothing wrong with her health wise I’m thinking that it might be one of the following, 1. She’s so used to having birds in front and there are so many scents that she is now hunting by sight or she gets bored when there is no scent as Fallarben says. or 2. She’s tired as I bring her beating on a Saturday and normally go out rough shooting for a few hrs on Sunday morning. Most of the guys I beat with do this anyway and they don’t seem to have any problems. The dog seems healthy enough, could she be just losing interest and hunting by sight or having too many scents? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted January 19, 2009 Report Share Posted January 19, 2009 I'd go on tiredness, would account for why she starts to work then obviously gets tired faster and slows up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundowner Posted January 27, 2009 Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi Deeksy, just came across your post. Sounds to me as if she had a little too much around her or she needed a "break" for reasons only known to her!!!! When I read your post first my intitial thought was ..... back to basics, but I know you don;t need to do that! Ah, and don't forget ......................... she is female hehehehehehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deeksofdoom Posted January 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 27, 2009 Hi Deeksy,just came across your post. Sounds to me as if she had a little too much around her or she needed a "break" for reasons only known to her!!!! When I read your post first my intitial thought was ..... back to basics, but I know you don;t need to do that! Ah, and don't forget ......................... she is female hehehehehehehe :o :o CHRIST YOUR ALIVE!! :o :o :o I'm not going to use her in the beating line for the rest of the season, even though she's great at it, I want her for roughshooting aswell. I have a lot of work to do with her to get her back on track but I'm sure she'll be the finest. She has great drive, its just to channel it in the right direction now and not to over do things. Hope you behaving yourself over in Spain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CharlieT Posted January 28, 2009 Report Share Posted January 28, 2009 Never heard of a spaniel that does not want to hunt. I am sure its nothing to do with beating etc. Seems like a health issue to me. Is she coming into season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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