How did you decide this was for you?

[Recluso]

Hi there.

This thread is likely to be in a similar vein to many of the newbie threads that pop up so for that I apologise. I've been plowing through the searches and haven't really found what I was looking for, so felt that perhaps a new thread was in order.

A little bit about me. In my 'dog life' I have owned two dogs (I'm 27), both of which being Gundogs. One a Gordon Setter (who we sadly lost last year at 11) and an English Springer Spaniel (coming up to 13). Neither of these were worked, although we explored different activities with them. I did some showing with the Gordon although I didn't enjoy the bias of not being pally with the judges. And we dabbled with some agility and obedience with the Springer which he thoroughly enjoyed, but we didn't really enjoy the push to do competition levels (particularly in agility which we wanted to do for a fun alternative exercise).

With the Springer approaching his twilight hours, I have been casting my thoughts ahead a little to 'next time'. We made a lot of mistakes with regards to training in the past and I have learned a huge amount from both dogs. It's changed my attitude about how to address training but also made me look seriously into utilising my dog's inherent ability to not only satisfy me as an owner, that I am exploring my dog's full potential - but also that I am allowing the dog to gain physical and mental satisfaction from its life.

I love Gundogs. I always have. Whilst the occasional breed here and there has made me go 'oo that's nice', the group has consistently pulled me back again and again and down the line, unless I find a breed elsewhere that spectacularly leaps out, I suspect that the Gundog family is where I'll be finding my next companion.

I have always had an interest in the prospect of 'working' the dogs and getting involved with the like of Field Trials. But being a complete newbie to the field (excuse the pun, har har) with no contact-base or experience, part of me worries that it's merely something that's a romaticised notion and not a serious endeavour. Naturally this worry extends to the 'next dog' in that I half-heartedly get involved, change my mind or even find out that it's not what I wanted after all.

So, my lovely forumites.

How did you find out that this 'world' was what you wanted, for both yourself AND your dogs?

And of course, what advice could you extend to someone with no experience about determining the measure of their interest and involvement?

Cupcakes to all. Fresh baked of course.

R.

[vicky payne]

I will admit that before getting Quincy,my first ESS, I wasn't that 'into' dogs. I liked them, I worked with them (I'm a vet) but why people had more than one and why they devoted all their spare time to them was a mystery. I had left a very stressfull position which had given me depression and I liked getting out and about in the countryside so we decided to use our wedding present money to get a dog for company on walks. We almost had a cairn, almost a border but for one reason or another, or fate, it didn't work out. One week hubby got the Shooting Times and there was an ad for springers in Canterbury. We went for a look.....and came home with Quincy.
I knew he'd need lots of training so we started puppy classes, then went to a gundog group. In hindsight it didn't suit Quincy as it was a retriever class with too much sitting about which lead to frustration but it was a start. Then we found a spaniel club, we went beating (the source of more faults from letting him do things I would never dream of now!) we entered scurries and won. Quincy could never handle the pressure of tests (or maybe I couldn't) but we had so much fun together. We even went to Crufts and got placed several times, won a rosette for obedience and held the water long jump record for a day!
I was now.....hooked! I still find no better pleasure than watching dogs work and my dogs love their job.

A friend asked to use Quincy on her bitch and I took Rebus as my stud fee. He was good enough to trial at one point but we didn't get the runs when he was ready and I gave up waiting and took him beating! Then came Ru, number three who I've had a really good stab at and who has novice field trial awards. I'm planning numbers four and five already!

So enough about me...If you think you want to work a dog or even trial it get out there and see dogs working and trialling. Maybe go beating without a dog or follow a picker up to see what they do.Getting invites can be tough but ask people who work dogs, or shoot or try NOBs. Find out hwere your local gundog clubs are based and ask to go along and see the training and again chat to people to decide which breed would best suit your plans and lifestyle. Once decided on your breed and your plan you will already have contacts to find the right dog for you.

Training a gundog is not hard, it'smuch easier than some other disciplines as you are just moulding natural talent if you pick the right dog. But it is relentless; 15minutes pretty much every day. Every walk planned with a bit of training, or at least not mucking up your training, inmind. But forme that's easier than finding long walks for a untrained hooligan and on busy work days my lot are happy after their short work session to sleep until I'm free again.Or until the next day!

Good luck!

[pontbeck]

I was unable to have a dog as a child but as soon as I married a bought a dog and have never been without one since that day. Don't believe all your told about showing dogs and the need to be friendly with the judges as an exceptional dog , like cream ,will always come to the top. At dog shows there are always more than one judge, everyone around the ringside is a judge and if an outstanding example is beaten by a poorer dog tounges will wag.
I was re- introduced to shooting by a friend, after an absence of over 30 years. The first thing I bought was a gun , the second a Lab pup. Like many I now enjoy the gundog side as much If not more than the shooting . The thrill of one of my dogs making a good retrieve can stand up to the highest pheasant I've shot easily, I 'm never happy shooting without a dog at my side , even though some days they can lead me a dance, I feel lost without one there.
For you to become involved , if your next dog is from true working lines, from someone involved in beating or picking up, or trialing,the breeder will know of a club or possibly even a shoot that you could attend to gain some experience.
Working a gundog is a most rewarding, exciting experience, once your bitten by the bug it will rule your life.

Bill

[trekmoor]

Ever since I can remember I have always wanted dogs but I always wanted dogs that worked. I grew up in a top flat of a central Edinburgh tenement so I didn't know anyone at all that went shooting or who had gundogs. As the years went by I eventually did get a dog, a border collie, that bitch trained me. I became a Guide Dog trainer and at about the same time I got my first gundog, a show bred springer, he was not easy to train ! I tried again with a lab and that dog got me out shooting. He was a natural but I knew nothing about stop whistles or directional control.

Eventually I took my first ever lab bitch to training classes but by then I already knew how to train a half decent gundog. After less than a year as a class pupil I became a class trainer .... mainly because the bitch was winning tests and trials. I just sort of kept on going from there and moved from labs to HPR's for several reasons but mainly because it was far easier to get runs in HPR trials than in lab trials. I now have cockers and an HPR puppy.

I think I always just knew I liked training dogs and although I did well in obedience ring competions I found that kind of dog work very limiting for both me and the dogs so I have stuck to gundog training ever since. The game birds and animals add a degree of extra interest to both me and my dogs. I like the uncertainties that only game can provide.

Wullie

[Stacia]

I got into gundogs completely by accident. I had a Colliex Springer (supposedly) bought for 30 shillings from a pet shop as birthday present to my daughter ( can you imagine, how times have changed!). When Gemma was nearly 14 she had osteosarcoma and while we were in the vet's waiting room, a woman came in, collected a bottle and went out again, the receptionist uttered the fateful words "she has a lovely litter of pointers". Gemma was dead 14 days later and I got in touch with the lady with the pointers, except they were not, they were GSPs. While in the library, a book caught my eye and it had a picture of a GSP on it and that was my introduction to gundogs. The breeder of the dam did some gundog training sessions and one day a visiting trainer pointed to me and said "you, gundog classes with me next Sunday" and that was it.

You will find that invitations to work your dog will follow and your life will change very much for the better. You will have to decide, if you do decide on a gundog, which kind, an HPR (hunt, point and retrieve), a retriever, could be a Lab, Flatcoat, Curlycoat, Chesapeake etc, a spaniel ESS or Cocker or a Pointer/Setter. Probably better to go with a spaniel or retriever to start with, depending on where you live. Good Luck. You won't regret it!

Jelinga

[Bryn]

Have always been around dogs there's pictures of collies (Watt and Wag) guarding my pram and got my first collie when I was around 6. Working Border Collies have been a constant but have had various breeds of house dogs, Lab, Golden Retriever, Old English Sheepdog, Cavalier, ESS, ESSx, I got my current ESS Bryn to keep me fit and motivated in retirement, I've always preferred active working type dogs but felt that labs retrievers etc would be too big and the only cockers I'd seen before were show type which I didn't really rate, now I've met some working cockers I think they are great dogs but while Springers are nuts, cockers are mental . The original plan for Bryn was just an active healthy house dog/companion but he's such an intelligent little chap I'm taking whatever direction his abilities and any opportunites take us. I'm already planning on how best to expand the pack

As Jelinga has said we've already been offered beating and at least a day's shooting next season.

[Cambusvale]

My family always had dogs either as pets or guards for the family business. My Father and Brothers kept a kennel of racing Greyhounds for many years and we would go running them around flapping tracks both in Scotland and Northern England. We had a few really good dogs and won a few high end stakes though keep anything up to 10 greyhounds was a full time job.

My sister owned a Weimaraner in the late sixty's and she promised a pup from her later litter she was breeding, this did not materialize as she gave my pup to a lad who had come with his parents and was crying he could not get one. So she went and got me a GSP dog, I was 10 or 11 and I spent my teens scouring and poaching the local farms and estates with that dog. We ferreted, I even had him find game for mates Jack Russell or Alsations, the GSP would hunt, find them, hold them on point and on cue the other dogs went in and caught the game. It was a good team and the GSP nose was great for finding everything and for searching out burrows to occupancy or not so not wasting ferret time, retrieving was not needed and I never trained him for it. To keep this band of outlaws in check we were asked to go beating and help walk the boundaries of shoots, it was better to know what we up to than not I suppose.

When I was old enough I got a gun and got another GSP which I trained to shoot over mostly rough shooting, wildfowling and mixed in with beating and picking up, and I have had them ever since so GSP's and me cover some 43 years together mixed with ESS ownership. So if I did not have GSP I would have a Cocker or ESS. Working hunting dogs is what I prefer to do and like my dogs do not like standing on pegs for too long.

[Gazelle1000]

Hi

Gundogs is something that always interested me along with the 'country life' so 2yrs ago aged 35 made the plunge and opted for a ESS to train up for beating.

After many mistakes made and getting nowhere with my training or finding a shoot to beat on booked lessons with a trainer which also led to him inviting me to beat on a shoot in Yorkshire

We have since built up a good friendship and go beating together on various shoots around the north and with him also breeding Spaniels have my new pup coming up in June

I now understand when people say gundogs are addictive, they are!!!!!

Chris

[Wozzy]

I have always grown up with dogs and was pretty dog mad as a kid. My only experience with dogs was with collie types which is what i'd grown up with. When I eventually left home and moved in with my ex partner we decided to get a dog. Since it was approaching his birthday we decided he'd choose and he chose a flippin' border collie! Of course, I knew the breed and ended up doing obedience and agility with him but I was bored of collies and wanted something different. When we decided to get a second dog it was my turn to choose and i'd looked at all kinds of breeds and had a bit of a shortlist with GWP's being on there. I have to admit i'd picked them purely on looks. Anyway, a crossbreed litter came up (GWPxSRHP) at a fraction of the price of a pedigree GWP and since I wasnt into gundog stuff then, the fact he was a crossbreed didnt matter to me, he looked just like a GWP which is partly what mattered. I had no real intentions for my gundog other than to be a well behaved pet. He did obedience and we dabbled in agility but agility proved to be too much for him, he had a severe lack of self control which was made dangerous by the excitement and fast pace of the sport. He had started to point and take an interest in game so I thought it was only fair on the dog to do something with his natural instincts so we started gundog training which we continue to this day. He doesnt work, we generally cant enter tests so we just plug away at the training!

I have to admit I have no interest whatsoever in country sports and many of the practices dont sit well with me, but the dog work is the element of it that fascinates me. I love to watch a gundog doing what it was bred to do and admire the handling skills of the human involved. For me, HPR's are the ultimate kind of gundog as they do it all. Plans for future dogs merely involve SPT's and GWT's as i'm not really interested in actually working a dog, it's not really my cup of tea. I have been beating and felt like a fish out of water as i'm a townie by design! Thats not to say I would turn down an opportunity to work my dogs on a shoot if one came up, it's just not something I aspire to.

Gundogs are probably the ultimate type of dog for me now but I do like other breeds as well, but they have to be breeds that still have the drive to work and still have a useful role to perform in society, so thats many of the pastoral breeds.

[canismajor]

got my first dog when i was 10,fifty something now, she was a mansergh bred lab bitch, and one of the most stubborn,unruly dog you can imagine but for a young lad wandering around the countryside she taught me a lot about dogs, not all of it good,she was a good retriever, but would always run in,even in a pigeon hide she would take net and all! she was also a good ratter! Since then ive had terriers,springers,cockers, a golden retriever and of course labs.I run in a test or two in the summer,help with the running of a shoot,and pick up through the season,oh and a bit of wildfowling,so not a concious decision, just a way of life!