possibility of working her

[ips]

Update
Just spoke to my friend.
Its a small shoot north Lancashire, 12 guns they split into two groups and beat for each other, 9am start 2pm finish 500 phessies down five wooded areas with some heavy cover. Mrs ips also welcome so she will beat as well and also looking forward to it.
So.... I have two weeks to prepare.
Should I concentrate on stop and recall in this time and or something else ????

Does this sound like an ideal type of shoot to start on ??

Any furthe advice on any aspect greatfully accepted.

[trekmoor]

It all sounds good to me but again don't worry too much about your dogs behaviour as some of the other dogs present are very likely to be less well behaved ! In general I have little trouble when taking a "first timer" to it's first shoot. The trouble tends to start once a dog DOES know what a bird smells like and what happens when a shot is fired at a bird. I'd be more inclined to worry about the second or third shoot you attend than the first one.

Wullie

[ips]

Thanks wullie
What should I work on over the next two weeks ?

[trekmoor]

I'd just work on her recalls , her turns and her stops to whistle. If possible I'd do this among game scent and maybe even among a FEW birds. Don't worry about retrieving .....it is very, very likely that the other dogs will get to any fallen bird before your dog has even woke up !

Wullie

[ips]

That's what I thought. I have access to lots of open land and woods part of it a now an unused phessie shoot so ideal training ground, quite a lot of game about too.
Really looking forward to it I just hope I don't make a dick of myself.

[Alice]

You won't!!! It'll be fine, just go easy with her and err on the side of caution. Like Wullie says, it's once she knows the game you'll have to watch her!. 500 birds is not a lot by any stretch of the imagination (obviously it depends over how much land too and how they feed and dog in how many will still be there) , even my tiny farm shoot used to put 1k down, so you may have more of a problem with her pulling in desire of a flush/not having enough to do than you will with density of game. I'd concentrate on her recall and stops being as spot on as humanly possible- and you'll be better than most!

[Stihl 090]

Personally, I would not B takeing my novice dog on a 500bd. 50 bd yes. Good luck!
To shoot 500 aday they would put down, what 7k+ at a guess

[David]

Ips, has your dog been close to gun shot yet? If not try and get her down the clay ground.

[Springfield Pointers]

Ips, has your dog been close to gun shot yet? If not try and get her down the clay ground.

Introducing a dog to shot without the presence of birds is not ideal. I would not take a dog to a clayshoot to expose it to shot for the first time.

I would hope that if ips is attending a shoot that his dog is conditioned to shot already.

[David]

I don't think there's to many in the UK who have the luxury of the birds when introducing shot. I do all mine at the local Clay shoot along with a dummy or ball to retrieve.

I'm not sure his dog is conditioned. I'm sure it will have been to a clay ground as he spends plenty of time at them. How close and how did the dog react is the question.