The Spotted Devil Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 That's a good idea - I'll have to keep an eye out for that one although with everything else I'm doing with Em and Zig I don't think I will be in a mad hurry to add field trials to the mix! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 FHRP - Didn't get to that field trial - had too much on at uni. But in mid July (when Zora is about 10 weeks) I will be going to an Open Utility Field Trial. Another DOLer is getting a UG pup around the same time and wants to field trial too so we will be training together. Congratulations Polo on his two Ch. Points! (How does it actually work with the Ch points? ) WA is a non shooting state too thank god! I am considering getting my gun license eventually however as I think I remember hearing that in some of the eastern states you require a gun license to compete? How did you go about field training to start with? Using books, DVD's, advice ect? I am getting a book later this week called Bird Dog - The Instinctive Training Method by Bill Williams and then later in the month going halves with a friend ordering the Huntsmith puppy DVD's. Next door to us is a huge paddock with many rabbits living there - I am scared I will do the wrong thing with my pup in the paddock, do I let her run around in there or always keep her on a tight lead when we go through incase she learns the wrong thing ect So many ways to mess up puppies! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Well, the apparent temperature here is -0.3C. And guess who talked Mr TSD into doing some walking singles with Miss Em? The sun was going down fast and poor Em had energy to burn - she tried all day to contain herself, Zig was tired after a big agility training session last night and I really didn't want to do any more drills with her without including some marking as it's much more fun/motivating. So we put the dogs in the car and headed to the oval. Em was on fire - just flying over the mud/water - straight out and straight back with ears flapping madly. Lovely to watch and Mr TSD enjoyed himself so much that he wouldn't accept any thanks for helping out. Em had a hoot in the cold weather and Zig had a nice gallop too. Crazy English dogs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRG Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 wait 'till it snows! - spaniels just LOVE playing in the snow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubyroo Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 RV, are you getting excited sounds like its getting closer? I have a couple of DVDs that I quite enjoy (still not convinced 100% about FF but they are very calm instructions and happy dogs) SmartWorks by Evan Graham and Fowl Dogs by Rick Stawski. Brilliant training programs and step by step process of what to teach first. If you have the time and the patience, some great advice given to me. When in the rabbit filled paddock, if you see one have the dog sit, watch then walk the opposite direction, encouraging from the start not to chase, yeah its there but lets go this way! FHRP, always love seeing pictures of your boys work. Do you have any more FTs coming up? will you be joining us in the Blue Mtns is a few weeks? TSD, sounds like you and Em have got everything under control, whens your first trial? We havent been training alot lately, so definately going to have to cram it all in over the next week. Stinger keeps pulling up very sore in the front. After about 3-4 weeks off he seems better and have been giving him some joint supplement and touch woods combo of both seems to be working. But at 8yrs old still running around like a 2yr old (and going around 35+kmph when on the 4X4) somethings gotta give eventually! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I hope Stinger comes good. Both my dogs have Bowen. Made a huge difference to Zig who has had a couple of very subtle 'niggles' in his hamstrings that only I would notice. Em had her first treatment and she was really well balanced for such a full on youngster. A slight tweak to her shoulder was all that was needed. I have an hour treatment afterwards so everyone wins :D No rush for Em - only 9 months old so plenty of time and I'm balancing out her training with obedience. I tend not to enter my dogs in a trial unless I am confident I have done the training - I think they can learn bad habits or lose confidence. Plus I am a better, more relaxed handler when I know my dog is capable and prepared. She's a good little marker but we need to do some more training with water. She's taken a little longer to gain confidence with water entries (swimming is fine) but is now doing 'dock dives' from the bank just for fun. We've done one fun session of water retrieves and she made really good progress but we have a fair bit more to do. My training partner has gone AWOL too - LL is still in Violet Town but has promised me she is coming home this weekend!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 OT, I know, but there was a light sprinkling of snow at Olinda that I thought was worth the 10 minute drive... I also got some funny video of off leash zoomies but haven't got around to uploading it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 FHRP, always love seeing pictures of your boys work. Do you have any more FTs coming up? will you be joining us in the Blue Mtns is a few weeks? Thanks rubyroo, I love watching them work I might go to one more Field Trial this year, in July. The next three weekends are Open, All Age and Championship stakes (including the Nationals) trials in Victoria, and we're not quite ready to play with the big boys yet No, you won't see me in the Blue Mountains. I have no intentions of going to any Retrieving Trial again this year, apart from the ACTGS trial to steward. Not sure when/if I'll be back. I hope that Stingers sholder holds up, I look forward to hearing how you go in the Mountains! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 Oh how lucky are you, TSD!! Snooooow!! Snow is a novelty for me. It took 27 years for me to see my first snow, and I was so chuffed that it actually snowed too (as opposed to it just being on the ground already). My friends took me to the snow for my birthday a few years ago Look at Em all rugged up, the jacket looks bigger than her Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 I have no intentions of going to any Retrieving Trial again this year, apart from the ACTGS trial to steward. Not sure when/if I'll be back. Dumped us for Field trialling I see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 (edited) FHRP - Didn't get to that field trial - had too much on at uni. But in mid July (when Zora is about 10 weeks) I will be going to an Open Utility Field Trial. Another DOLer is getting a UG pup around the same time and wants to field trial too so we will be training together. Bummer about not getting to the trial, but I'm sure you'll have other opportunities. It's great that you've got someone else in the same situation as you that you can train with. I know when I started Retrieving Trials that it was nice to have another newbie with a UG there ( gspmadhouse) Congratulations Polo on his two Ch. Points! (How does it actually work with the Ch points? ) WA is a non shooting state too thank god! I am considering getting my gun license eventually however as I think I remember hearing that in some of the eastern states you require a gun license to compete? Thanks RV. A dog needs 10 Championship points for their Feild Trial Champion title, however they must gain 5 of those at one trial. 2 points are awarded for a 1st in Novice and 1 point for 2nd. 5 points are awarded for a 1st in Open and 3 for second. 10 points are awarded for a 1st at a Championship and 5 for second. So a dog must either win an Open or place 1st or 2nd at a Championship at some stage. Polo's litter sister made up her title at the last trial in Vic How did you go about field training to start with? Using books, DVD's, advice ect? I am getting a book later this week called Bird Dog - The Instinctive Training Method by Bill Williams and then later in the month going halves with a friend ordering the Huntsmith puppy DVD's. I did read some books and watch some DVDs, but they were mostly American, which are not completely appilcable to our situation. Remember our dogs have to flush the bird I remember watching one USA DVD and the heavy handed methods used on a Pointer and nearly being in tears I find I learn best by doing and talking with people than trying to apply things from books. I did some early pointing stuff with Polo on planted homing pigeons with his sires owner and then later I went along to Field Trials and watched and asked lots of questions. I was then lucky to be able to take Polo to a very experienced trialer and judge who saw lots of potential in him (not so much me ;)) and have been training with them since. Last night we had our remedial plan set out, to rein Polo back in now he thinks he's out there to hunt for himself Next door to us is a huge paddock with many rabbits living there - I am scared I will do the wrong thing with my pup in the paddock, do I let her run around in there or always keep her on a tight lead when we go through incase she learns the wrong thing ect So many ways to mess up puppies! I really don't know the answer to this but Polo has chased rabbits since he was young. I am not confident I will ever get him fully steady to the flush of a rabbit now I have him to the point that I can call him off a chase, if I'm close and he hasn't gone too far. I had that tested last trial My next pup will not be given the same opportunities to chase fur when young. However you want to encourage interst in game and with birds it seems to be the norm to let them chase to start with. Rabbit is just so much more tempting to keep chasing though... Edited June 8, 2011 by FHRP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FHRP Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 OT, I know, but there was a light sprinkling of snow at Olinda that I thought was worth the 10 minute drive... I also got some funny video of off leash zoomies but haven't got around to uploading it. She doesn't look too impressed in the pic! What's with the coat on a tough working gundog ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RubyStar Posted June 8, 2011 Author Share Posted June 8, 2011 What's with the coat on a tough working gundog ;) I've resisted coats and PJ's for my Labs because I'd be the laughing stock... but my girls don't have much coat so I think I am going to make them some jammies Or at least a coat for winter training nights. The cold isn't doing much for Ruby's sore leg so I think she needs 2 pairs of leg warmers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 It was freezing! Em was VERY unimpressed because she was on a sit stay and the birdies were dive bombing her I don't often use a coat on her but it's good if she's sitting still, especially when she is soaked to the skin. When both dogs are running around coats come off but I'm a bit of a sook and don't like seeing dogs shivering! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollipop Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 How cute is Em in her coat! I have my first open RATG next week. Any tips for the walk up excercise? Where do you put your arms if you don't have a "gun"? I'm finding that my dog is watching me rather than looking out for the mark - which is what she has previously been taught to do while heeling. Great photos of your dogs in the field, FHRP. Do the dogs work together? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 11, 2011 Share Posted June 11, 2011 mollipop - can you put it on verbal cue? Maybe practice with a thrower who attracts dogs attention as you walk a couple of steps so the dog looks forward. And give her a different 'heel' picture with your arms. BTW, just to prove Em's not a complete softy, there's video on my You Tube of her playing in the icy snow, patchy as it is! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Yes I am very excited that I will have someone to train for UG stuff as well as someone to train for retrieving stuff . It makes it sooooooooo much easier to motivate yourself! How exciting about Polo's sister! I am sure you will get there too :D It seems like a good system to get titled. Is field Ch. the only field title? The field people in WA have been happy to exchange emails and have mentioned they run training days when the weather is right so I will definately be relying on them! The book and DVD's are more for me to understand the general idea of it and the terminology ect. Yes I think on a long line may be the best course of action in the rabbit paddock until she has some of the field manners, that way if she does chase I can make sure I can call her back and if she does point I can have a dance and give her soooooooo much praise! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 How exciting RV - long to go now? Yay, my training partner has returned Lablover finally came back from her training jaunt so we headed out to a farm today...given that we hadn't been at that farm for about 5 weeks we were amazed to see this.... When I got out of the car this happened... We even stopped talking long enough to laugh ourselves silly. Then we nearly got bogged. Multiple times. Lots of swearing and more laughter. Finally, we set up all the bumper boys and they proceeded to go flat in quick succession :rolleyes: More swearing but there was no way we were giving up We did manage to fit in a single mark for Em and she really nailed it. Once the bumper boys went flat LL replaced one with a pile of blinds and ran her dogs on a few exercises with me tossing a few distracting marks. LL suggested I send Em to the pile and made me double the distance I felt comfortable with but said to follow her to support if needed. Smart little thing didn't need me at all Took such a lovely line, just diverging slightly before she reached the pile but I let her be as it was such a confidence builder. I sent her from further away again (100-150m?), which she was more than happy with. I was thrilled to bits as that was way beyond what I've trained Then we did some walking singles but packed up when the youngsters showed they were (mentally) tired. So the plan now is to work more on novel ground and introduce some water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RallyValley Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 3 or 4 weeks! Depending on when flights can be arranged and my work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRG Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 How exciting RV - long to go now? Yay, my training partner has returned Lablover finally came back from her training jaunt so we headed out to a farm today...given that we hadn't been at that farm for about 5 weeks we were amazed to see this.... When I got out of the car this happened... We even stopped talking long enough to laugh ourselves silly. Then we nearly got bogged. Multiple times. Lots of swearing and more laughter. Finally, we set up all the bumper boys and they proceeded to go flat in quick succession :rolleyes: More swearing but there was no way we were giving up We did manage to fit in a single mark for Em and she really nailed it. Once the bumper boys went flat LL replaced one with a pile of blinds and ran her dogs on a few exercises with me tossing a few distracting marks. LL suggested I send Em to the pile and made me double the distance I felt comfortable with but said to follow her to support if needed. Smart little thing didn't need me at all Took such a lovely line, just diverging slightly before she reached the pile but I let her be as it was such a confidence builder. I sent her from further away again (100-150m?), which she was more than happy with. I was thrilled to bits as that was way beyond what I've trained Then we did some walking singles but packed up when the youngsters showed they were (mentally) tired. So the plan now is to work more on novel ground and introduce some water. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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