FHRP

Thanks tollersowned. The Toller was "Max" FIONAVAR HAWKER HUNTER CDX AD JD and came second in Novice He has super enthusiasm and great potential. The owner has worked hard to stop a breaking problem and the dog would do well in Novice Retrieving trials with minimal more work IMO.

That's a Brittany. She's a combination of the American and French style of Brittany's which are quite different to each other in appearance. The colour is unacceptable in the show ring in the USA, but allowed here

The ACT Gundog Society held the first RATG for the ACT today. One very keen DOLer came down from Sydney to compete in Novice. Their qualifying score made their third, for their NRA title, the first in Oz!! Well done to gspx3 and Shimmer The test attracted a ncie entry with 13 in Novice for 4 qualifiers and 4 in Open for 4 qualifiers. It was lovely to see some new faces, and a great variety of breeds - Cocker Spaniel, Brittany, Working Springer, GSP, Golden Retriever, Vizsla, Irish Red & White Setter, Labrador (one of each colour!), Nova Scotia Duck Toller & LH Weimaraner. There was lots of talent in the test, hopefully we will see some of them pregress onto Retrieving trials!! A few pics of Novice dogs from the day. Shimmer gspmadhouse's Mouse

I just bought some rubber boots and a "DeadFowl Trainer" for retrieving training from Cabela's in the USA Must.... resist... any more ...purchases....

Always good to hear of another way of doing things! I think I prefer the chance to run my dog more often, but accept that as a result I rarely ever see an All Age stake. Often I will steward for my own stake, and nearly always for the other lower stake if the same judge is used for both. I don't think we'd finish before dark if at least some stakes weren't run simultaneously.

It's hard to fit it all in isn't it! Especially if you have multiple dogs. Unfortunately unless you do make Retrieving a high priority it can be hard to get very far. Hence why Polo isn't in All Age yet!! Agility was my priority last year while chasing my Vizslas AgCh, but now I'm ditching Agility trials for field work :p

Not if it coincides with the retrieving weekend I like your priorities!

Thanks!! You'd probably do a better job than me by the sounds of how you have handled LL's dogs!!! And then we have our first field trial the following weekend :D I'm going to be a nervous wreck for weeks!!! Vic isn't holding Easter Retrieving trials this year. I never made it to the famous Benalla Easter trials

Yes, Mr O. I have been very lucky to train at his place quite a few times, first with my Vizsla and then with Polo. I agree, very generous and very encouraging. I have always loved Charlie (that's why I got a pup from him ) and he worked brilliantly for me this weekend at training. I was the one letting the team down See you at vetting, I'm already getting nervous!!

Taken from a recent post on the Australian Working Retriever Central forum:

Wow, congratulations on all the weekend's successes!! Ruby looked great RubStar, congrats on the pass. Well done on the ADM title Leopuppy, definitely worth a bottle of bubbles at our club

Sound fantastic fetchindawgs I find it interesting that WA doesn't offer all stakes at your trials though, in Eastern states it seems the norm to offer every stake on each day of a trial. Do you think it works better not to offer so much? Easier to contract judges and not over use them? Do people from the non-running stakes come and steward?

Hi mollipop, all going to plan I am running a dog in All Age on Monday of the Easter trials. Not my dog, but his sire, I'm sure you've met him His owner will be judging your stake

No, guns are not permitted to be used in RATG's.

Scout the ESS is 18 months old and from the same breeder as Em. To answer your earlier question about ages of dogs, Polo will be four this month. My doG where has that time gone!

One of the best things about Retrieving training and trialing IMO is being able to enjoy the Australian countryside. This is what we got to enjoy on a beautiful Autumn weekend, roobyroo is lucky enough to have this view on her front step. The little Springer that showed us all up rubyroo's Stinger

No, but I'm sure it was a relative :D I've not heard that, but I do know that my Vizsla wouldn't point planted pigeons when we were trying to get him ready for the UG test. A field trialer did suggest it was because he'd been retrieving them at Retrieving trials for several years already. He did go on to point wild quail, and then the caged birds in the UG. However, Polo was retrieving birds for a couple of years before I did any 'serious' pointing work with him.

Sounds great TSD I went out to rubyroo's place today and did some training with my 'rent-an-all-age-dog' It was lovely to run a ready trained dog Although I found out that several of my verbal cue's are different to his owners, poor dog had to cope with both at times He even got called Polo The star of the day was a young working Springer though, she did some lovely work, even on the mark that all other dogs much more experienced managed to stuff up

If in doubt I just go back to the booklet of forms I bought when showing, they were supposed to be for everything I like to make it as easy as possible for the trial secretary though, I know their pain ;) I can't confirm it, but the Weimaraner Club were talking about holding a weekend this year, the same as last year but two days, so two trials. If they offer Open I will probably enter Polo. I don't know of any other states conducting them, I must admit I've been a bit side tracked with Field work to pursue it further for NSW (ACT just won't have the numbers). Exciting, a little... but definitely scary!!!!!! Thakfully the trial manager was very encouraging on the phone when I rang with some questions. I met him at the UG last year and he commented that I'm very "determined" You will enjoy the trials I'm sure. I'm yet to even see a Utility Field Trial but got heaps out of going to the Pointer & Setter trials last year :D

I am entering Polo in the Vic GSP clubs non-qualifying and novice field trials at the end of April/start of May. Won't know the location for quite a while though. It will be a huge learning curve for both of us, but I am enjoying the training

So spill please Retrieving? Field trial? Maybe

Thanks Jess, I'm not entering obedience or agility, but if the Obedience form is the original 'performance entry form' I'll use that :D eta. Very nice, it has all the disciplines on it!

I am trying to enter a trial in Victoria and the Dogs Victoria web site has a "Performance Entry Form" link off the disciplince page which is giving me a 404 - File Not Found error. Does anyone have a copy they can email me??

I put other for the second two questions. My next dog will be for pet/dog sports/breeding if suitable, although they may do baby puppy at shows, it's certainly not on the list of priorities, espcially if I go for a breed that working lines differ so greatly from show lines. I have a preference for males and initially was going to click the "easier to train", but I don't believe the sex is easier to train as a whole, but they suit my training style better than females, so for me I think they are easier to train.

I'm not sure, maybe ask at the next trial?