Where to begin?

[Alexgudmunsen]

Hi guys,

I’ve been training my English Springer, along with help from a trainer, for about a year now (he’s just hit two years old). He’s doing well, although I wouldn’t be confident enough to take him beating quite yet (we still have a bit to work on).

My issue is that I’m not at all from a ‘country’ background and so have absolutely no connections to anyone who goes to any shoots (I’m from the West Midlands). I’d be keen to go along to a shoot, just to observe or help out without the dog, just to get an idea of how things work. Is this something that would be normal or even allowed? If so, how on earth would I go about doing it?!

Thanks for any replies!

[ips]

Hi there.
I was in pretty much the same situation 6 yrs ago. My advice is, if your on Facebook join beaters and pickers up and post on there, most shoots are crying out for beaters. Plus imo (and I may be shot down) the best way to learn is on the job because you cannot replicate beating in the training field, so take the dog and train as good as you can whilst doing it, just be mindful of which scenarios you think your dog can handle, try to pick a smallish shoot first sort of 50 to 100 bird days rather than a big commercial day which probably will blow the dogs mind, it has been my experience that lots of birds makes a massive difference to what your dog can handle .....

[ips]

I am really looking forward to reading about your journey because if it's going to be anything like mine (see possibility of working her thread) it will be an interesting journey

[Alexgudmunsen]

Hi ips,

Thanks for the reply! I have just requested to join a few Facebook groups so I’ll have a good look on there. I was hoping you might see this as I gathered you had a similar journey, I have read an awful lot of that thread and it gives me hope!

[ips]

You will definitely find something suitable on those FB groups....just choose a smallish shoot first if you can. As I say from my somewhat limited experience the amount of birds your working with makes a massive difference to what your dog can handle, if you can find a 50 to 100 bird day shoot to cut your teeth on that be much better option DO NOT jump I to a big day. My advice from limited experience is the lead is your friend try to keep dog calm on the lead or at heel and choose your off lead working occasions carefully... Above all enjoy the experience, things will go wrong it goes with the territory but the absolute key thing from my experience is to try and read the dog and the situation and pull the dog out if things start to hot up.

[ips]

PS
From my experience an awful lot of shoots require dogs on lead or at heal until the very end of the drive when the keeper utters those imortal words of "let your dog's off" all hell then breaks loose .. I prefer not to involve my dog in such shananigans (especially on duck drives but that's another story,) but if your going to then at least try to have some control over it.....it's all good fun so dont fret....enjoy it

[PRH]

Where are you? Lots of shoots near me in Worcestershire….

[Alexgudmunsen]

Brilliant thanks for the tips ips!

PRH, Worcestershire would be fine for me depending on where abouts, I’m just outside of Birmingham so wouldn’t be far, got anything in mind?
Cheers mate

[Alexgudmunsen]

So I’m meeting a shoot captain (I think that’s the terminology he used) tomorrow who runs a small, casual syndicate shoot that allow the odd novice with a dog to go along and learn about it as you go. I’m meeting him at the grounds, so hopefully the dog doesn’t show me up haha!

[PRH]

Well done. I'm out later in the month and will ask the keeper if he's willing to have a novice on the shoot, will let you know.