Pink Gundog wrote:
Sorry but thats where you will never make a trainer as the majority of cocker owners dont see your way of thinking im afraid And Viszla's the majority of them now being bred are pets sadly
It's nice to know I'll never make a dog trainer !
I agree with you about the viszlas being bred mainly as pets but that does not mean they are not more sensitive than the average working cocker. Cockers are great wee dogs but they are dogs and that's why I like them. I often use human thought terms when describing the things dogs do but I still know they are dogs ..... and long may they remain so.
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
-----------------------------------------------------
Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
Most of the labs appeared to be hunting by eye - looking for dummies on open grass while ignoring the cover. The goldies were really hunting, I don't think it was the scenting conditions because the labs that shone were doing the same. And some of the labs were sooooo slow.
Inside every springer, no matter how well trained, is an idiot trying to get out
madrags wrote:Most of the labs appeared to be hunting by eye - looking for dummies on open grass while ignoring the cover. The goldies were really hunting, I don't think it was the scenting conditions because the labs that shone were doing the same. And some of the labs were sooooo slow.
Sue to watch the proper working Goldies on a shoot is mind blowing. The male FTCH dog that Philippa has ive wathced a number of times on youtube and he is just amazing. I think SHE is amazing and after watchng her demo at crufts a number of times now as It is fab viewing she is just great!! Go Philippa I think she should bring out a video
Philippa has brought out a video - but it was for pet dogs. Years ago I went to Philipa's gundog classes and the she moved up north I have also been on one of her gundog holidays, it poured with rain every day but it was very good training.
If you want to see Boycie ( pip's goldie) working in the field. Go to pips website. Dogs for life and there is a link to a tv show filmed a few years ago at a field trial, just so happens Boycie won the trial with Peter handling him. great commentary Well worth the watch. I think it's also on utube,
With so many people talking about it, I am intrigued about this demo but I can't get on UTube to watch it, maybe because everyone else is! No doubt it will be professional and well thought out, from the little that i have seen of Philippa and the Levenghyl dogs, it would not be a disappointment! It was a Levenghyl dog that was my favourite at this years IGL (after my friend Carole failed on her last retrieve) and it was a Levenghyl dog that was my favourite at the first ever retriever trial I went to watch which I believe was in this demonstration.
As others have said, it's really difficult to do an interesting and crowd pleasing demo in a sterile environment with such a broad spectrum audience that is different to all the other gundog demos that are done throughout the year at game fairs and country shows. It's a nerve wracking experience and I take my hat off to those that took part, flashy wellies and all! Wullie, you do like stirring it up don't you! Do you realise that the one thing that you dread when doing a demo is your dog stopping to do a big fat turd in the middle of the arena and then you having to clear it up in front of everyone!
Rothievale wrote: Wullie, you do like stirring it up don't you! Do you realise that the one thing that you dread when doing a demo is your dog stopping to do a big fat turd in the middle of the arena and then you having to clear it up in front of everyone!
Me ? Stir things up ? My original post made little mention of any of the work seen in the ring .... in fact I only mentioned that the cocker reminded me of one of my own. My comments were all directed at the wellie boots and the way they couldn't train them to walk in straight line !
I've done quite a number of demo's at game fairs but I was lucky , none of my dogs did a dump in the rings ! At a small game fair I once had a freshly caught wild rabbit hidden in a release cage covered with branches and some hay near the centre of the arena area. My Brittany bitch was hunted towards it pointed on it with no practice try whatsoever beforehand and in very unusual surroundings to her with lots of distractions . She went in to flush on command and sat to flush with no whistle blown when the rabbit was released in front of her. The rabbit escaped back into the nearby woodlands as I offered a profound thankyou to the gods that my bitch hadn't jumped on top of the cage to pee on it's occupant as she always did if a pigeon or even a pheasant was hidden in a cage ! That was the most hair raising demo I have ever attempted and the crowd was very appreciative.
Cockers do have a lot of character but they are not the only breed to have it !
Wullie
If at first you don't succeed .....find out if there is a booby prize !
-----------------------------------------------------
Don't do what doesn't work - do what does.
.
And Viszla's the majority of them now being bred are pets sadly
It's nice to know I'll never make a dog trainer ! 
I have also been on one of her gundog holidays, it poured with rain every day but it was very good training.