possibility of working her

[ips]

If Eze works better for Lynn you'll just have to get yourself a puppy...

There's a thought

[PRH]

A pup is cheaper than divorce!! I think its great that Eze works well for you both, especially given the late start. Think of all that learning you've picked up that will help you to shape a pup.

[ips]

Tuesday was Syndicate day, she was generally very good.
Wednesday was bigger day beating at my keeper pals shoot, only a 120 bird day but drives are still packed with birds, she worked well although my heart sank a bit when on one drive she got into some Rhodies that turned out to be absolutely packed with birds, she flushed a lot out then did her usual which is check back in with me, as she had shown a degree of self control I sent her back in to flush some more on the last drive keeper pal tells the chap (also a friend) running my beating line that "Ian knows what's what on the far side" ooh err, this is a long fairly wide wood with various types of cover at various stages, the side he referred to needs hunting out before another beating line sets off and once you reach the pen having hunted out the full length of the wood you have to get your dog's to heel (I had a new to the shoot young chap with a cocker to help me out) turn the birds ninety degrees and very carefully walk them into the flush point without causing an eruption of a flush, it's quite stressful but it's good hunting territory for the dog and no harm can be done until you get to the afforsaid pen....... gulp. Anyway it all went well.....phew.
Today I had an invite on a boundary day however my neck was hurting this morning (it's an intermittent problem from fencing days, sword not post ) so I ended up not shooting but picking up. Now I learned my lesson last time I tried this picking up mallarkey (which incidentally turned out to be much harder than I thought) so I stood well back from the gun line, eze was off lead for the duration she had a few twitches to falling birds but a growl from me kept her sat up. She retrieved 8 pheasant, 1 mallard, 1 teel all delivered to hand, I was very pleased with her and I believe that I learned a lot from the last fiasco so was also pleased with myself

[ips]

IMG_20211230_101442.jpg

From today's picking up shananigans

[ips]

Was beating today on the estate as I wasn't needed for loading or hospitality etc.....was good to be out working the dog as I haven't done so here for two years. She worked really well all day and now asleep at side of me

[Judy]

Anybody that says picking up is a doddle doesn't do it properly! It's good that Eze can switch from beating to picking up and to sitting at peg, well done little dog.
Oh, and you might have looked a bit happier for the photo!

[ips]

Anybody that says picking up is a doddle doesn't do it properly! It's good that Eze can switch from beating to picking up and to sitting at peg, well done little dog.
Oh, and you might have looked a bit happier for the photo!

Thank you Judy
I was much happier than I look

I was guilty of thinking picking up would be relatively straight forward until I had a go and made a complete mess of it. I learned a lot from that day and last week's "go" was much much better

[ips]

Last Syndicate day, last drive shot 6 for 9.... probably best shot average I ever shot ..after the 6 birds I gave my hot peg to the bloke next to me who wasn't getting any shooting and picked my 6 and 2 from another gun to my left.....for the record bloke I gave my peg to had about 4 birds over him and eze picked all 8 birds.......

PS
Lynn was a stop in this drive and got the vid footage

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rJ13fvqrOUM

[ips]

First day dogging in on the local estate today. Having done no training whatsoever and not that many days beating last year (due to not being well) i wasn't expecting too much however we started off very well. There was birds out in the open and she nudged em back and recalled no problems, I was very pleased and commented to Lynn how easily she falls back into work mode......but then......those of you who have followed my journey may recall "the wood were bad things happen" well she picked up a scent at some point and decided to investigate it....not just a little bit but a lot....she disappeared for a minute or so I didn't bother with a recall because I knew full well she would ignore it. She came back I gave her my very best "I am not happy at all" stare and she came to heal as she always does when dad gives her "the stare".....all tickety boo after that.
I did a day loading on Saturday and Lynn and I have a day beating next Wednesday so will report back after that

[newf]

Good to hear! I guess in the wood, if she don’t see you, means she is free to work on the fly. Smart buggers!