Sit, heel and recall: these are the touchstones of working well in the field. And if your dog can’t oblige, then it’s time to go back to basics says trainer
Over the summer, a great deal of my time has been spent either organising, running, competing in or helping at retriever working tests. I have competed three different dogs, all at different levels (puppy, novice and open). My puppy is not ready to start working in the shooting field yet, but he heels on and off the lead immaculately, is steady and recalls consistently. These are the basics: heel, sit and recall.
I have tested these skills around various distractions such as my other dogs working around him; other people working their dogs in static and walked-up situations; with thrown dummies and, more recently, with pheasant poults. He has also competed in four puppy working tests and was placed in three of them. It would have been pointless entering him in a puppy working test if he was missing any single one of these skills as it would be quickly obvious to the judge, who would most likely disqualify us or dock us a considerable number of marks.I am under no illusions that as his training progresses there will be occasions where one of the aforementioned skills will be less than perfect, but as new situations arise I will continue to hone the basics before moving on to the more technical skills. I am not alone in making these foundations key to training success. So why is it that they are so often forgotten out in the field?
Keeping them sharp
As the shooting season progresses we all get busier. Seasoned gundogs usually take little time to remember their job and, if they are anything like mine, they will have had dedicated training over the summer months to keep them sharp. But what about the novice dogs?
Denne historien er fra October 18,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 18,2017-utgaven av Shooting Times & Country.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
United we stand
Following United Utilities' decision to end grouse shooting on its land, Lindsay Waddell asks what will happen if we ignore our vital moors
Serious matters
An old gamebook prompts a contemplation on punt-gunning
They're not always as easy as they seem
While coneys of the furry variety don't pose a problem for Blue Zulu, he's left frustrated once again by bolting bunnies of the clay sort
Debutant gundogs
There's lots to think about when it comes to making the decision about when to introduce your dog to shooting
When the going gets rough
Al Gabriel returns to the West London Shooting School to brush up on his rough shooting technique
The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition
In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make
A step too far?
Simon Garnham wonders whether a new dog, a new gun and two different fields in need of protection might have been asking too much for one afternoon's work
Two bucks before breakfast
A journey from old South London to rural Hertfordshire to stalk muntjac suggests that the two aren't as far detached as they might seem
Stalking Diary
Stalkers can be a sentimental bunch, and they often carry a huge attachment to their hill
Gamekeeper
Alan Edwards believes unique, private experiences can help keepers become more competent and passionate custodians of the countryside