Which kennels & trainers?

[Blanco]

The comment on smashing down trees like a bulldozer was a bit of humor. We have small stands of what we refer to as wild plum. they tend to grow in small thickets, and are less than 6 feet high. Birds regularly use them for cover. My dog gets comments because he does not go thru them as much as he goes over them and smashes them down. You can track where he is by the part he makes as he travels.

[Naj]

Thanks for that, Blanco, it's always interesting to hear about the gundog scene in other countries. And we've all got a love for these great working dogs in common.

Naj

[Blanco]

It has been a while since I was here.
I still have my standing question though from the earlier post, that being Rytex free?
I suppose my question is why would this be advertised? Is it because they are so predominant? Or is it just to be not like everyone else? Or are there other issues such as genetics?
Not wanting to start a pizzing contest, just seems to be a bit un-spoken verbiage ...

[Jenny Talia]

If i may be so bold, a very high proportion of these dogs have noise, mouth problems, any problem you may think of a gundog could have, yet are always "made up" under mates when needed. You would need to talk to an older generation handler who knows the in and outs of the trialing world to know the good and bad.
There are others to avoid as well.
Trouble is people are a like sheep and always buy certain names, thinking its the best when invariably its not. The unititaiated.
This may cause a storm, but until people look closely and or know the facts it aint gonna change.
If you look back through the best trialing thread i think dawnrazor makes comments within that thread though it may be in another.

[EssGrouse]

If i may be so bold, a very high proportion of these dogs have noise, mouth problems, any problem you may think of a gundog could have, yet are always "made up" under mates when needed. .

I was always under the impression "Rytex Fee" was because the Rytex studs had such an influence on the breeding back then, folk wanted Rytex Free to outcross their lines, also they was known as soft and needed game to get going (hunting)....

What folk dont tell you is that Ian bred this line for himself, and because he was so successful with it because what he bred suited his experience and facilities, other folk wanted to jump on his band wagon......only realising further down the line that the dog they had bought never suited them because they didn't have the experience/game Ian had........like sheep they followed, some won and some lost......

As James said in earlier comments, he tries to breed dogs to suit his needs and part of the country, not for anyone else........

I think in a few years time you will also see "Helmsway free" because Henry, Ted and Will are having such an influence on todays breeding...... Like myself I have 2 dogs out Henry, 2 outa Will (Hellraiser) and one with an helmsway bitch line......they suit me....but i know others who wouldnt touch them because they don't suit them......

Each to their own....... Success dictates the markets, like it or lump it.

[trekmoor]

I was taken by surprise when I first saw a film of an American spaniel field trial. I can remember very clearly thinking ..."That would suit my cockers right down to the ground !" I never have any problems persuading spaniels to hunt further and more widely out the way . Just the opposite is my problem ! Same goes for following a moving bird way out in front to flush it. My spaniels do that so well they'd get chucked out of any British trial . It suits my work with my dogs though so I make little attempt to keep my dogs in to more modest distances.

On the very rare occasion when I want to run one of my spaniels in a test all I do is to make tennis ball lanes for the dog to hunt up and keep the lanes narrow. I usually begin this about 3 weeks prior to the test and hope it holds together long enough to get through the test after which normal practice is soon resumed .... all I have to do is keep my mouth shut and my whistle in my pocket for a while !

There was a very well known springer being used heavily at stud many years ago . Eventually ads began to appear from people looking for studs free of that dogs blood. Same wording of the ads ...." ********** Free " It seems the same is now happening with Rytex bloodlines. Things tend to go round in circles ......

Wullie

[Naj]

Actually the 'American way' used the be the 'British way' if you look far enough back. Early writers extolled the value of having a dog that would 'line' a (unshot) moving bird until it forced a flush for the gun. I also suspect that the American trial system of using planted birds, which are prone to move from the 'nest', has something to do with this. Few hunters in the UK have the privilege of hunting wild game but if they did they would quickly realise the advantage of a dog that will work the line of a moving bird when game contact is scarce. Most spaniels in the UK are worked among such high densities of game that constantly working lines would be a disadvantage.

Just to clarify an earlier point, Oppenshaw inherited the Rytex line. When he was first involved in it, and for some years after that, the line had a reputation of producing hard temperaments & hot dogs, something that Ian was well up to handling. Since then, by all accounts, the temperament has softened, as has the temperament of most lines involved in competition.

Naj

[Blanco]

That was generally what I had suspected. There is a bit of the jumping on the wagon attitude here also. I personally enjoy being about as different from the sheep herd here as I can get.