One for the Old Scots Git!

[westcountry]

Barbara Woodhouse's book was the first dog training book I ever read . I think it's title was , " Training Difficult Dogs."
There was nothing wrong with Barbara, she was "of her day."

I admit I hated when she said "Walkies !" in her later t.v. series though !

I always wondered if she wore knickers under that long tweed dress she always wore . I once competed in a retriever trial and the lady competitor walking nearest to me as we went down a field "in line" was wearing a long , thick tweed dress over her wellies. The line stopped when a dog further down the line was sent for a bird and the lady in tweed , who was probably about 60 years old, crouched down …...and I saw steam rising !

It took me a couple of seconds to realise what she was doing and I must have been gawping at her with my jaw hanging down in disbelief. She called over to me saying the never to be forgotten words, "I never wear knickers dear boy - I never wear knickers !"

Bet she was a bit of a goer in her youth !

A couple of the older men present must have been well aware of this lady's "peculiarities." One of them said to me later …."You should have congratulated her on her dog being so steady to fur !"
Such was my apprenticeship and introduction to the wonderful world of field trialing back then ! You needed a thick skin and a rough and ready sense of humour to survive !

The judges back then liked a bit of a laugh too ...often at the expense of the handlers. One local judge, a keeper called Jack Tait, got me and two other retriever trailers a beauty when we'd all failed to find a bird as 2nd - 3rd and 4th dog "downers." The first dog sent was definitely eliminated but if the judges and the gun who'd shot the bird then failed to find it when they walked out through the heather to look for it then we'd still be in the trial.

They all walked out to the fall area and began to search for the bird ….while me and the other two handlers stood there about 40 -50 yards back hoping fervently that they wouldn't find it ! After a moment Jack Tait suddenly stopped and bent over to put his hand down into the heather and we saw something fluttering still partially obscured by the heather. We were O-U-T …..OOT ! Then Jack stood up and blew his nose with the hankie he'd been making flutter ! He shouted back to us …"You should have seen the look on your faces !"

Another trial judge received a dead rabbit brought back by a dog , he gave it a cursory going over for signs of hard mouth and then checked again far more thoroughly saying , "Feel this ." to the handler. The extremely worried and anxious handler carefully felt over the rabbit then said he could find nothing wrong with it. The judge, a man I knew well and trained with , then said …." Wrong with it ? Naw, there's nothing wrong with it. I just meant it's a fine , fat rabbit isn't it !"

We had great fun at trials 40 years ago !

Wullie

Class wullie,sheer class.

[Ghilliegumdrop]

I told you, Judy, that he was fatter when I saw him last. Is it any wonder when he stuffs himself with that lot. Title should be fat old git by the way

[Judy]

Reckon he must be ill, GGD, he hasn't bitten, even though I put your suggested title... (I'm not taking the blame for that one).

[trekmoor]

I have been too busy to respond to the drivel of you two auld boiler hens. I am not fat and have never been fat but you Jan make me wonder why you didn't go extinct back when your nearest living relative , the giant ground sloth , did !

Now bog-off the pair o' yer !

Wullie

[Judy]

I have been too busy to respond to the drivel of you two auld boiler hens. I am not fat and have never been fat but you Jan make me wonder why you didn't go extinct back when your nearest living relative , the giant ground sloth , did !

Now bog-off the pair o' yer !

Wullie

Aaaah! That's better.

[Ghilliegumdrop]

God he's on fair form the day, miserable old git