would you work your dog if you weren't paid?

[heckler]

I am reading more and more that the idea of paid beating and/picking up may become a thing of the past. The cost of shoots are rising and they are finding it more and more difficult to "turn a profit" in these difficult times. As a result pickers up and beaters may not be paid. The shoots seem to be using the excusee that beating and picking up are "hobbies" and as such they should not be paid.

Its an interesting subject so, after all the hard work, time and cost involved in training and keeping a dog, would you work your dog for nothing?
Will the people who can afford to work for nothing force out the ones who may rely on a bit of additional "pin money" to supplement their pensions etc?

As I see it (and I am very new to all this) if no payment results in less beaters, although the shoots costs will reduce so could the quality of the shooting. With less picking up dogs wounded birds may suffer as they may take longer to find (if found at all) which can only play into the hands of the anti fieldsports supporters.

[t jack]

yes i would and i do,

[Rascal]

Without beaters they don't have a shoot, simples.

I have picked up and not been paid initially just to get my foot in the door so to speak but I wouldn't keep doing it with the price of fuel the way it is, not on a commercial shoot anyway.

I do work my dogs for a little rough shoot syndicate round here for now't though.

Rascal

[Willow]

In a sense i do, Im a member of a diy pheasant shoot so we beat one, shoot one, so in a sense i work my dog for free but i also pay to do it also

[cjaus]

Yes....... I do what i do because i absolutley love it and love working (loosely speaking ) the dogs.

Don't get me wrong, the odd few quid here and there helps with the dog food and the shredded clothing i end up with

But if the shoot said they would stop payment, i would continue to turn up with my dogs, just for a break from the office and work, the banter and the mates i've made whilst out there

[greatdogsato]

Depends on how local, as cost of fuel is prohibitive for long journeys. If the shoots paid expenses it would probably work out more expensive anyway. I think this is becoming a problem for many previosly willing helpers also in the dog clubs. Helping out at tests and trials is becoming an expensive day in terms of travelling and certainly I would be thinking twice before jumping in the car nowadays.

[cjaus]

A few people have already mentioned fuel.

I must be lucky, the big commercial shoot i work on is only 4 miles away

And i can count a lot more smaller shoots in a 5 mile radius. Including a small unpaid work shoot (500m from my house). Just dont have time to get out on all of them

[Decro]

Yes, but only locally. Whilst happy to beat for nothing I resent being out of pocket at the end of the day with ever increasing fuel costs. Beaters and Pickers-up only represent a small part of the shoot cost
If the guns can't afford us perhaps they can supply their own peg dogs - that might be worth travelling for nothing to see!

[liverandwhite]

People that trial actually PAY to work thier dogs in a trial,so to some payment for working thier dogs does not enter the equation.At a local shoot one lunch time a picker up,who had been there for years and years,was overheard by the new keeper stating that "without me and my labs this shoot would struggle and for what i get paid its hardly worth it". The keeper paid him that night,thanked him for his time,and sacked him.Guess what?,the shoot is still there and is better than ever .Because the guy was paid for his time he thought he was more important than he was.

[michelle]

My oh is member of two local diy syndicate shoots and I help out there as much as possible - Free of charge - and even supply the guys with venison stew for their lunch.
But i also pick up on several commercial shoots between 3 and 5 days a week, these are not so local, a good 50 to 100 mile round trip, well if I get enough to cover my fuel costs thats great but theres no way i could do 500 miles a week in fuel costs for zilch.
My time out on these shoots and working my dogs is of upmost enjoyment but i couldnt do it without my fuel cost -- no way.