Wilfs out

[Judy]

But please, please, don't suggest Jerry!

[AlandJake]

Happy days! and he's called, for those forum members not on Facebook...Merlot! Excellent wine-based name, lets all convince Mike not to change it!!

Luckily not Chassagne Montrachet, otherwise Jerry would be a distinct improvement

[Mike A]

Picked up the new lad today , the Mrs still isn't sure but he's doing his best to bring her round
You were spot on Alice, M's youngster sold before the end of our messenger conversation .

Happy days! and he's called, for those forum members not on Facebook...Merlot! Excellent wine-based name, lets all convince Mike not to change it!!

Come on , I'd feel a right bloody idiot calling Merlot across a shooting field ! Almost as bad as Chardonnay

[westcountry]

You could always call Plonk! Merlot sounds a good name.

[Judy]

You could always call Plonk! Merlot sounds a good name.

Now thats a great idea!

[Mike A]

I think the wife has named him Milo !

[Hepe]

I think the wife has named him Milo !

You are SO clever! When i had booked Scylla the cocker i had a wee bit of problem telling the news to my beloved. I just knew he would think i had enough dogs as was. I waited longer than appropriate to tell him i admit, but once i did. i made a lurking slinking move, asking him for help to name the pup. In all the naming he forgot i was supposed to have enough dogs and got involved in the pup from the beginning. I somehow think the next spaniel will be a male and then i will make him forget about the issue with too many dogs by telling him that we finally will have a Charybdis to go with Scylla. I hope that will work!

Helene

[Mike A]

A heavy day yesterday , rained pretty much from the start on sodden ground and the birds were not found easily at all . First drive I was on peg and Wilf was wound up like a spring . I lost one bird to the river but no bird is worth sending a dog into that much danger .
His beating was good , close working and responsive , unfortunately little chance arose for retrieves bar one runner across a smaller river which he hesitated on the entry ( possibly from me stopping him often on swollen fast flowing rivers recently ) by which time the bird was heading toward a busy road 50 ish yards away so I blew stop and thankfully he responded .
Second to last drive beating but walking gun on a combe with heavy mud and steep sides . He picked a pigeon that I dropped 40 ish yards out from the cover ( which gave me the pigeon pot for the day ) .
He's very fit with good stamina but after this drive he'd had enough , and to be honest so had I .
Good to have Ian ( westcountry ) out with us again this time with both dogs , doing good work and nice to see his young dogs first retrieve of a duck .
Once the season ends it will be another summer of retrieve training , he's got the hunting sorted but the retrieving is hit and miss with him , I think a bit of competition with young Milo may make him a little more keen

[Mike A]

Starting the first drive today and Wilf was wound up like a spring ! I looked across to my left and the head keeper had joined us in the line for some reason only known to himself .
Off he goes and he's flying and I'm thinking to myself how bloody typical that is ! Pattern was crap turn was crap and generally he was a bit wild .
Decided to keep my head down at the end then the beat keeper came over and said that the head keeper had commented how well Wilf worked

If he works that well again on Friday I'll kill him

Mike

[westcountry]

Typical Mike,you have seen my old girl work,she is a witch to control. But on drives where the cover is dense and birds are tight,she is the first to be asked to be let loose. Sometimes keepers want a hard dog to crash in and flush pheasants. Us dog trainers are often not happy with our dogs running amok but the keeper is. When our boss wants birds in the air,he radios me to get the witch in there and it works. Thats why Im cagey about taking my young dog as I am training him to be steady. His future means more to me than pleasing the shoot owner.
All the keeper is interested in is putting birds over guns.
Anyway what Ive seen of Wilf,he looks pretty much OK to me,not a real tear away but he sure can hunt and thats what a lot of keepers want.