13th December, Thursday

Sorrel

Well she is 15 weeks old now, nearly 4 months old. I can't believe she can start competing in the Gundog Working tests at 6 months old - we are no where near ready. That is the problem at this time of year, by the time I have done the horses it is dark so I have struggled to really focus on her training.

Saying all that she has picked up a lot from the other dogs and has fitted in well. She is at last getting the concept of house training, but I don't think we have had 1 day without a mistake! She will retrieve a tennis ball fine in the kitchen I just need to work on this outside.

Today she ran off, and I was really worried as I couldn't find her. I heard the bin men early this morning, so rushed up from the stables to give him his Christmas card/box and all the dogs followed me. The other dogs were all barking at the bin lorry, and Sorrel did bark but stayed well back by the trailer. After 'chatting', I looked round and couldn't find her anywhere. I knew she had been a bit scared of the bin lorry but I didn't expect her to be so badly spooked. After looking everywhere round the house, garden and fields, I eventually heard her bark, and she was on the next farm. I was really surprised that she had been that scared to run so far away, as she hasn't been anywhere without me or the other dogs with her.

I do need to do some traffic introduction, along with meeting some kids, as she hasn't really done any of that yet. However, it may have to wait till after the shooting season, and then I will have more time to focus on her.

Ellie
I have been doing some work on picking up her feet, and can just about pick all her feet up now without too fuss, as long as she is balanced, otherwise she tries to run round the stable on 3 legs which is rather difficult to hold onto the 4th leg!!
She has had a rug on the last few days, and she is getting used to this, as well as being brushed.
She has now had her feet washed and after trying to canter round me and kicking at the water the first few times she has really settled. The other day she stood tied up while I washed her feet, so that was such an improvement I was really please.

Panache
I can pick up her feet, although she still seems to get in a muddle with the farrier. Last time he did her feet, he was trimming the front one, and she managed to jump right over the top of him, knocking him flying, so still some work to do there!!
Leading is ok, washing her feet is a bit of a nightmare, but overall she is really sweet temperament. Just need to do some more work with her. I put her out in the top field the other day as there is more grass and the field is dryer. I was clipping Chloe and saw her in the small paddock and wondered how she got there. I went out to investigate, and she had broken through the slip rails, 2 of them broken in half. Why she went through the post and rail I'll never know. Thank god I don't have any wire; I'm sure we would have had a really serious injury if we had.