distance handling with spaniels?

[Rough_mut]

It seems like the general consensus is you train for what is expected, to suit the shooting you do? Which seems obvious, so for me, I go to a syndicate, beat one, shoot one. My dog will most likely never be shot over, although I would love to do this, there isn't a great deal of it near me!

I think its the straight lines that are getting me, however he will always get there, he just goes about it not in a straight manner!

What are these pointing dogs like for casting out on to blinds?

Rm

[Alice]

It seems like the general consensus is you train for what is expected, to suit the shooting you do? Which seems obvious, so for me, I go to a syndicate, beat one, shoot one. My dog will most likely never be shot over, although I would love to do this, there isn't a great deal of it near me!

I think its the straight lines that are getting me, however he will always get there, he just goes about it not in a straight manner!

What are these pointing dogs like for casting out on to blinds?

Rm

there's no harm in training for straight lines, even if he seldom needs to use them, it means more game for you to shoot ultimately if he can take a more direct route to a bird and not disturb other ground. He sounds like he's doing fine at the job but adding polish never hurt!

[trekmoor]

Some of the dogs I've seen faffing around the handlers feet I feel have little practical use (for moi) And don't get me started on the incessant whistling...

That is one of the things I like about the HPR's , I have to do less whistling BUT a well trained spaniel that has been trained to hunt at an established distance will not need much turn whistle .........or so I'm told by those fortunate enough to own such a paragon of a spaniel !

I don't remember ever seeing a spaniel being required to do a blind retrieve of more than about 35 - 40 yards in any of the trials I have watched, including a few championships . I think the trial handlers train for a good bit more than that though .......just to be on the safe side ?

Wullie

[Springfield Pointers]

What are these pointing dogs like for casting out on to blinds?

Rm

Mostly effective from my experience.

[trekmoor]

What are these pointing dogs like for casting out on to blinds?

Rm

Last year I could send my Brittany out about 150 - 200 yards for blinds (dummies.) I've never sent her anything like that far for blinds on a shooting day. I suspect she'd break off to hunt.

I have had a few GSP 's that were worked doing their own job on grouse moors. They would go well over 200 yards for blind retrieves on grouse. The shot or shots clued them in that there was something out there worthwhile retrieving. That made them more inclined to stop when told to and to take arm signals at distance.

Wullie

[scot-ish]

Galloway gundogs open spaniel test at tge weekend had 130/150ish yard blind retrieve in it.

A spaniel should run 100+ Yds straigh, on a blind no problem i think. I would train past this. Dogs working 30 yds apart, mean a flushed bird over the other dog could be 60-70yds from that dog when the shots fired- thats a 100yd eye wipe.

[Cass]

I think 200 yards is a solid goal. Never know when waves can take a duck out farther than normal.

[Miesque]

Recent open test I watched had a 115y mark behind the line with reeds and a ditch between the dogs and the mark. There was a lot of handlers struggling if handling was needed out there.

[Naj]

But we're getting back to different requirements. A 150 yard retrieve over water is specialist training for most people. Working tests are different to field trials where the only time you're likely to have a long blind is when you're taken across to pick a bird shot over your brace mate or by a forward gun & judges used to take you to within 50 yards of the retrieve. And if dogs were being hunted 30 yards apart then you'd send the nearest dog &/or the dog that flushed the bird in the real world, unless you're in a working test perhaps. I think most people work to at least 100 yards in training, longer on memory retrieves, and that has always done me well when shooting over a dog. But train for what you need. If you're into tests you may need to train for longer distances. We all have different circumstances & some spend more time out shooting & less time training, others more time training & less shooting. As long as you're having fun that's what counts.

Naj

[Miesque]

Sensible advice Naj, training for 100 yards is relatively easy and surely makes it easier for the dog at closer distances if it's got the confidence to do it at longer distances.