Bryn's blunders

[Nellie]

See, he can sometimes get dogs to listen to him

[Judy]

Well, the born half trained ones are even if Bryn isn't

Edited to add, is that a biscuit in his right hand, that would explain the blacks' riveted attention.

[Bryn]

I like to think of Bryn as an independent thinker who is willing to show intiative , yes the labs were fixated on the treat they thought I might have in my hand.

Bryn was more interested in the rabbit back in the pick-up. Unknown to him, that particular rabbit is reserved for teaching Fizz that a particular scent and fur means tasty fresh food, he did get the liver and kidneys but turned his nose up at them so the labs got lucky, in fact Lily nicked the liver out of Poppy's dish

[Bryn]

Last couple of days Bryn has been in "Kevin" mode, we've been revisiting various retrieves mainly left/right and straight lines. Mr "know it all" is being a bit of an arris, trying to set off early (not running in as such), a couple of times when I have settled him before sending he's got about 5 yards away before grumbling loudly about the indignity of it all. Takes me all my time not to crack up when I hear a resentful "rowrgrrrowrgrrmf" as he scoots off on the outrun.

Have been reassured that its a part of his development thing, we've got another 'embarrass dad' session tomorrow so hopefully I'll learn how to keep him right without resorting to a length of 2x4.

[Bryn]

Yesterday, back up helping at the kennels, boss was at a shoot with some of his dogs so I was helping the joiner hang the new doors to the main block of kennels. Should be ready for business very soon, quite an incredible set-up.
When we stopped work I took Bryn into an area of forestry tracks, walked him at heel for a while then gave him 'off you go', while he was looking the other way I dropped the red dummy, came to a junction recalled and sat him up and threw the yellow dummy further along that track before walking him at heel along another track and did a short spell of hunting. Recall&sit while I dropped the green dummy and walked on at heel before sending him back for the green dummy, gave him 'off you go' while I dropped the green dummy for a later retrieve. Normally when I give him 'off you go' he sniffs around and explores, this time he went off straight away and retrieved the yellow dummy, nothing left to do but walk to the T junction and send him back for the green dummy then straight out on a blind for his favourite red dummy.

Today back to the rabbit ground. Son has shifted his sheep accross the track so I'm using the little paddock with short grass and more rabbits . Checked the traps in the yard (empty again) while Nellie and the Labs fed the trout and filled the bird feeders, just before Bryn and I headed off to do a bit of training Poppy came back and jumped into the crate, didn't think anything of it and went off with Bryn. Did some hunting into the wind dropping a couple of dummies for later and then worked Bryn on a cheek wind so I could learn and understand how he'd handle it and dropped a third dummy. Stopped hunting before we got to a huge pile of brash and sent him for the last dummy dropped, then the first, by this time the rain was hissing down and Nellie was standing at the fence calling to ask if I'd seen Poppy as she and Lilly had been looking everywhere for her . Sent Bryn for the final (yellow) dummy but Bryn decided rabbit fresh scent was more interesting so I called him up, walked him at heel to the dummy, picked it myself and called it a day. By the time we got back Nellie and the Labs were sitting in the pick-up, Poppy having sensibly decided it was about to chuck it down and taken shelter

[Nellie]

More shameless photo posting.

[Stacia]

Look at that little pup

[Bryn]

Dogging in!!

after a couple of days doing next to nothing I took Bryn down to the rabbit ground and put him through his paces heelwork, hunting pattern and some retrieves including a clock-face drill, nothing in the traps so loaded up and started home. Just started up the road and met the local shoot captain and stopped for a chat. He's tearing his hair out trying to keep the birds at home so could I help and did I think Bryn could/would do it.

So Bryn had his first go at dogging in. First area is up a very steep grassy field with an almost vertical bit of woodland at the top. scrambled up a fairly dry stream bed at the boundary of the shoot lifted Bryn over the barb fence into the field and followed him over. I could see a lot of birds running along the fence at the top of the field and a few still out in the middle but generally moving in the right direction so we continued to the top and started working along the strip of wood at the top, it's very steep and tangled and to this point so I let Bryn off and set him hunting the undergrowth and this is where things went a bit awry, one cock after another flushed and the scent and flushing birds was too much for the pup and his controls went. Chased after him and we had severe words after which he did as he was told.

Made our way back to the pick-up and headed along the road and came across a load of birds from the lower release pens, some on the road which I moved along until I saw dozens in the fields below the road heading out of bounds. Stopped and got Bryn out, to get into the field I had to climb a rickety rylock fence with a barb topwire, but there was a gap underneath that I could put Bryn through. I thought all the birds had moved out of the immediate area so put Bryn through while I negotiated the fence, ARGH!! one hen had tucked up in a clump of long grass and got up in front of Bryn, he forgot his previous lesson so again we had strong words before taking a wide sweep down to the bottom of the field and working our way back up sending the birds nicely back to where they should be. Towards the end there were half a dozen in a corner of the field that were reluctant to fly so I moved Bryn forward slowly and they flushed one by one, making sure he stopped as soon as one got up. The shoot captain has been herding the birds back 3-4 times a day so I reckon if we do a morning and afternoon turn I can really start moving Bryn's training on.

[Alice]

be careful dogging in- it can be brilliant, but it can also be tempting to take short-cuts to get the birds moving which can be detrimental to control and pattern! (i.e.- you see a group of birds crossing the track, think 'aaargh they're going to disappear into those woods where I don't want them, quick dog, run at them and turn them back this way, phew, good boy, ooops...!!')

[Bryn]

Know what you mean, after this-morning I would compare it with herding flying sheep , much better to have them moving steadily in the right direction rather than trying to push them otherwise they'll starburst in all (mostly the wrong) directions.

The first area I did was really tricky as there's a large wood with perfect cover just out of bounds at the bottom of the hill which is a natural draw for the birds, lost a couple of old cock birds out of the top strip which towered before flying back over my head and down into there