Gundog Training Forum

A few times in my life I have encountered partially trained or untrained dogs owned by gundog training beginners and those dogs , I knew had "IT." I encountered such a dog today . He is a two years old clumber recently aquired from a family split up.

Normally I am not a fan of clumbers, the ones I have seen were all too ploddy for my tastes both hunting and retrieving. This dog is a bit different, he exudes quality. He has a very good temperament and when sent for retrieves he did them very enthusiastically. It's all puppy stuff he is doing but that is not the dog's fault. I didn't get a chance to see him hunt, the ground was short grass but I am almost certain this lad would have a damned good try at it.

If he has a fault it is that he is a "softy".... The sort of dog that derives much of his confidence from the man handling him. Dixie the springer I trained has that same "fault" and so does Rosie the vizsla. I usually get on well with "softies." Rosie was with me today and she was working well and that was noted by the clumbers owner. I told him I liked both the look and the attitude of his clumber to work. I was asked to train him as a "live-in" pupil for his owner does want him to work as a gundog . I very regretfully had to refuse, three male cockers are as many males as I feel comfortable living with. Another dog might upset my little pack.

It is likely however that I will be helping out with this clumber. He just has something about him that screams "quality" at me. I doubt very much that he could ever win a trial against cockers and springers but I have quite a bit of confidence that if he was carefully brought on in his training he could win "other" breed trials.

Wullie

I saw a Cocker bitch last year that had a similar effect on me and I never even saw her out of her kennel. Remember the advert "if it look right it is right" well, she was one of those and I got quite covetous!

I saw a golden cocker in the park yesterday that did the same to me. Had so much style and speed however was only a pet but was from working stock.

When the owner said " I just can't wear him out" took the oppunitie to say " I'll take him off ya hands" lol

Wullie, I would be interested to know the clumber's breeding. I have a clumber myself and also train with friends who breed clumbers. 'Ploddy' they are most definitely not. I'll put up a few more photos from our last training session in the photo section for anyone who is interested. This little bitch has quality written all over her.

She is beautiful!

Wullie - I own Florin Working Clumber - comes from the guys that Heidrun is referring to (Hi Heidrun!!). In a straight line when playing she can run my five cockers down - methodical & considerate is the best way to describe their working technique. Spent Saturday morning with my trainer who is an A Panel Spaniel Judge & a friend - x4 clumbers x3 cockers and we had a wonderful 3 hours. Clumbers are by their nature & breed "different" but an absolute delight - I agree they are big softies but don't be deceived they are more than up for the job in hand i.e. three days beating a week, pigeon shooting & peg dog! Julie

I have part trained one clumber a few years ago. She came from well known breeding that I will not name. She did work but not well enough to please me. Her temperament was very good and she was and is a lovely pet but not a gundog.

The dog I saw yesterday was from a different kennels , a well known one in working clumbers. Even I had heard or read the name before . Unfortunately the kennel name has slipped my mind this morning but I think you clumber folk will still recognise the little bit I remember of it. I think the kennel name is either ....." something FLINT" or is "FLINT something " ???

He is , to my eyes, a very good looking dog but he needed to gain a few pounds in weight . I do not think this dog has been badly treated in his original home but I do think the recent stress he has undergone with a change of ownership and complete change of all surroundings has worried him. I think that has caused his weight loss. Normally I think clumbers are too fat, this dog was the opposite.

I feel this dog needs to be with someone he can bond to in order to get the best out of him. I could have bonded with him very easily ! I liked him from the moment I set eyes on him..... first time that's ever happened to me with a clumber and I got the feeling the dog felt the same about me.

He isn't mine's and he will now live in a kennel. He will be very well looked after but this lad is like Dixie the springer I trained for the owner of that same kennels. He needs individual attention and a stable environment . Dixie is a very well bred springer but she did not "blossom" or gain in confidence until after I'd taken her home to give her the human companionship she craved.
If I possibly could I'd take that clumber in for training but having 3 male dogs already makes doing that impossible. I live about 30 miles from the clumbers owner so regular commuting to train the dog would be very time consuming and very costly. He is now in a working home but I will probably see the dog about once every 10 days or so. Not often enough for me to train him but enough to advise on his training.

He is one of those dogs I just itch to get my hands on ! He's got "IT" ....I can see it and feel it.

Wullie

"Flintwood' ? That is John Cook's kennel.

I think that was the name (Flintwood) that I was told....

Wullie

Those lines are all heavily Sedgehurst lines looking at the pedigrees, they've certainly done a lot to benefit the Clumber.

Rascal