I assume that I am not the only one getting excited about the forthcoming shooting season. I was lucky enough to get a bit of shooting and beating in last year but, like everyone else, nowhere near as much as I would normally do, and I am champing at the bit. Last month I wrote about Ted’s new fitness regime.
In fact, we had a few weeks suspension due to him having kennel cough and, because of this, we decided that we would restart his programme. The real benefit of the water treadmill is compounded through regular sessions, so it will be another few weeks before we can measure how things are progressing.
Heatwave
I also mentioned that I was preparing Percy for the Game Fair Working Test challenge, which we had qualified for a few months earlier. I had set out a training program running up to the event and then the week before the test a heatwave hit. We had temperatures pushing 30°C and even at 6 am trying to do some hunting exercises soon left the little dog with his tongue hanging out, so I needed to revise things, and quickly.
On the Monday leading up to the test, I headed back over to Percy’s breeders, Jon and Dana Rees, as they have some fantastic training facilities, including three large rabbit pens, one of which runs alongside a lake. It was a boiling hot day and not ideal for hunting the dogs, but we did some water work first and then ran them in the pen and then put them back in the lake to cool off.
I wanted to make sure Percy’s pattern was up to scratch as in previous weeks I had really been working hard in getting him to hunt grass cover.
Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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Denne historien er fra October 2021-utgaven av Sporting Gun.
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
Thermal spectrum
Paul Austin explores both ends of the thermal market with latest high-end release from Zeiss alongside a surprising entry-level offering from Xinfrared
Roe, rucks and new ground
Jon Snowdon and his team have much to keep them busy and a new tool to help them
Tales from a lifetime of foxing
Join Mike Powell as he explores the evolving world of fox shooting, drawing from a career that spans seven decades
Fox rot about Charlie
Patrick Hook responds to claims that fox numbers are dangerously on the wane
The sniff of success
Join Ryan Kay as he navigates the fascinating dynamic between a handler and their canine companion
Adventures of Nick & Ted
A new chapter in the histories of Sporting Gun and Sporting Shooter has Nick Ridley reflecting on the dogs he has trained over the years he has been associated with the magazines
The problem: Inflammation in the nervous system
Vet's advice
Gundogs Q&A
No problem goes unsolved as Sporting Gun puts your questions to the gundog experts
Stop-start!
Fran Ardley continues her training tips on disciplining your dog to the stop whistle and the exercises you need to do
Gundogs at the Game Fair
Organising the Game Fair's prestigious gundog competitions: behind-the-scenes with Francesca Prentice