Hpr training partners Angus,Perthsire,Aberdeenshire,Fife area?

[trekmoor]

D.R. you haven't completed your gundog education until you have owned and worked a couple of HPR's. I'd had labs and springer spaniels and had won trials with the labs . That caused me to think I knew dogs and "knew" game. I was wrong. My education didn't really start until my first Brittany educated me.

I think I am the only person I have ever met who successfully moved from labs to HPR's. Most lab field trailers expect their dogs to jump onto the shovel when ordered to and then to ask you what colour of poo you require. That is completely the wrong attitude to take with HPR's . If you really want to see your HPR at it's best you just have to allow them much more initiative than a trial lab .....or spaniel....is allowed. That's when an HPR can start to show you what it can really do.

Where brittanies are concerned, I am a fan of the breed. I think they are probably the huntingest breed I have ever encountered ! They are far from being a good breed for everyone however.

I think I have told this story before but maybe it's worth repeating it......... I was at a big shoot down in the borders and part of my picking up team was my first ever HPR, a Brittany called "Vicky." She had won trials and to this day she is still the only Brittany to have ever gained an award in the HPR Championships. One of the other men present walked towards me at lunchtime and in front of everyone, he swept off his hat and bowed deeply to me. I didn't know him but I'd been told he had won the pointer/setter Championships more than once and was an "A" Panel judge for those breeds.

I asked why the hell he was bowing to me and he told me he'd tried to train brittanies ......and had failed so he took off his hat and bowed to anyone who could train the little buggers !

That was nearly 30 years ago but more recently a man who had won the HPR Championships with a GSP decided to try with a Brittany.......he gave in and "moved it on ." I love the breed but not many other folk in this country seem to !

I advise a GSP if you want an easier life than a Brittany gives you !

Wullie

[Naj]

I think the problem, in the UK, with Brittanies in particular and HPRs in general is that our shooting scene is geared up to flushing dogs, of which we have great knowledge and expertise in training and working them. Everywhere else in the world where hunters traditionally shoot over their own dogs a pointing breed is the natural choice and Brittanies are seen as excellent shooting dogs that can hold their own with the other HPRs on feather. And it's not that long ago that our indigenous spaniel breeds were expected to point their game.

Naj

[Cambusvale]

I think the problem, in the UK, with Brittanies in particular and HPRs in general is that our shooting scene is geared up to flushing dogs, of which we have great knowledge and expertise in training and working them. Everywhere else in the world where hunters traditionally shoot over their own dogs a pointing breed is the natural choice and Brittanies are seen as excellent shooting dogs that can hold their own with the other HPRs on feather. And it's not that long ago that our indigenous spaniel breeds were expected to point their game.

Naj

Spot on