30th July Monday

After months of rain, severe flooding everywhere and farming being hit so badly, it is a reasonable day today. John cut the front 2 fields this afternoon, so fingers crossed the weather stays dry for the rest of the week and we get some nice hay.

Rusty & Hazel
Lab training class.

Today we had some quite testing retrieves. Minimum retrieve was probably 100yds and then going up from there I reckon a seen behind a big clump of stingers was a good 150 yds+ . Hazel makes it hard for herself to mark as she always lays down instead of sitting which at least would give her those extra few inches to have a better idea of where the dummy lands. We were out in the field today, and the loose grass seed did clog their eyes.

Both were good, with Rusty being excellent. He just loves these sessions and behaves like a puppy at times. He is so chuffed when he finds a retrieve, even Tony says he thinks he's a lab. I just love the way he is so focused and can concentrate for such a long period. He will watch all the time while Tony is putting out the dummies, and he has a great memory. Definitely my most intelligent dog.

Jaz is in pregnant mode, and really doesn't want to do much. I see little point in staying for the afternoon class, as I just don't think she will be in the mood, something that is really necessary to get the best out of her when training on dummies.







All 3 had a good run before the class so a nice morning out for all of us.

23rd July, Monday

found out this morning that the Game Fair has been cancelled at a cost of £50 million. I was so looking forward to it, but I was concerned as everywhere is so wet, and many places are flooded. It seems that it has been raining since May and never stopped.
Even the Championships at Melvern have been cancelled because of fooding.

At least we hadn't spent much in preparation, we were just going to take the tent, and the CLA have said that they will refund ticket prices (and I presume camp site pitch costs that we have already paid out.)

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Went to dog training with Hazel & Rusty and did the lab class. Didn't have the time really to take Jaz as well for the afternoon class. The dogs really enjoyed themselves, and Rusty just loves to work, so those were the positives.

Hazel and Rusty both ran in!! urgh!! It was just another one of those days really, although both of their retrieving was spot on, oh yes, apart from when TR throw the dummy in the pond (so the dog heard the splash) the dog had about 75 yds through cover before the pond, and then had to swim out, and Rusty went to the pond, and then quickly went and got a dummy out of TR's bag. Actually I thought this was quite funny really. I could just see through the cover what had happened but it was pointless trying to handle him because he couldn't see me anyway.

I guess all the time I am a bit relaxed about the whole thing just makes my dogs not quite as polished as they should be, but then, I just enjoy seeing the dogs have fun as well.

Rusty still can outrun most labs, even at his age. He just loves it.

18th July, Wednesday

Panache
Well, she is now 12 weeks old, and has really grown. She still is a bit shy, and although I can catch her in the stable, she still wanders away from me in the field.
She is well used to the dogs, but she is getting braver now, and has worked out that if she moves towards the dogs, they will move away from her. Before she was a bit unsure so just kept close to Mum.
Today, she found out that it is a great game to chase Rusty. Poor Rusty.

18th July, Wednesday

Jaz
I really want to run her in the Grouse pointing Test the week after next. Usually she really performs well on a moor, and there just isn't any opportunity round here to work a dog on grouse. I will be in Yorkshire that weekend for the game fair and had intended to do the Grouse test whilst there.

Today, I thought I would take her up to the Downs and run her on some open ground as she hasn't been running with much pace.

Anyway, the setaside of last year has now been planted with oats and beans, so we walked miles, right up to the partridge pens and still no ground to run in, so we came home.


She was lucky that she had 2 finds both near the path while she trotted along. The first pair didn't hold, and she wasn't really on that staunch a point when they flushed.


The second pair she was really staunch too, with a really low head carriage (it's always interesting to see how scent works.) Strong, cold wind out in the open.

I put her into flush and she was sticky, moving only a stride before staying on point. I think I probably flushed the birds in the end, as I was making all the noise trying to get the dog to flush so still haven't got the dog flushing and then sitting, which is what I'm really looking for.






I have decided not to send my entry off. :(

This is a hard decision, but I will only be disappointed if she doesn't run well.

I will have to look for more ground now, or wait for the crops to be harvested.

17th July, Tuesday

Forest Edge
Jaz
Ran her, and she bumped the first pheasant, because of poor ground treatment. She had gone on too far, and not really quartered far enough to my left so had to recall her and cast her out again. Had a nice find/point on a cock pheasant, got up close to her, and had a nice sit to flush. (Unfortunately I flushed the bird which is what I really want to practise in getting her to flush, and then to sit and not chase.)
Ran her on again, but she really is not running with much pace.

Why?????
Fitness?? Well, she has had the last 6 months off because of cruciate problems, so although she had been doing some retrieving, I have not been running her.
Age?? Is she a bit older & wiser
Pregnant??

Did a couple of easy retrieves, which she just about bothered to do.

Rusty & Hazel
Did some memory retrieves, running Rusty first and Hazel second. She wasn't sure about this on the first go, and just did a couple of spins and then waited.
Will have to do more work with them together.
They both had fun, and were tearing about through the cover, so probably should have been a bit more disciplined, but at least they had fun.

14th July, Saturday

Gundog Working Test
Barcombe, West Sussex

Rusty - entered in Open
Jasmine - entered in Novice & Open

Jaz
Novice
Hunting - not brilliant, as should have run with more drive. Drop to whistle & recall
Water - straight forward seen retrieve, but you were stood about 20ft back from the edge so you needed to have trained the 'not shake - deliver to hand' scenario.
Bit hesitant to get in (she just can't really be bothered) but nice delivery
Her next Novice test was at 4.30pm and I could tell she was a bit bored.
Seen retrieve (landed out of sight round the track.) Handler to throw a dummy up a side track. Retrieve the seen first and then the other dummy.
Jaz just about trotted round to do the test. Slight lack of enthusiasm to say the least!!!!!
Blind retrieve - Jaz wandered off and went into a little shed that some kids obviously play in (in the woods) and she would not handle of be bothered to go back for the dummy. urgh!!!!

Open

Blind (for a pigeon)- Up a long and very twisty track. The dog really needs to foot scent on this one. This is a long way away, with several different turns on the track and the dog is out of sight after 20 yds.
Rusty went straight on when sent, instead of following the track left. Had to handle. Gone for ages, came back to the corner (so he could see me) without the pigeon, sent him back, and he went back into the woods, (but needed him to follow the track round) handled and then he went and found the pigeon.

Jaz - did it perfect and was one of only 3 dogs to get top marks!!!!!! She is unbelievable. I never thought she would do it.

Hunting
Nice strong breeze but was a back wind, but quite warm in the sun. Large field of grass. Dummy launcher fired at the end of the run.
Rusty
Really didn't get out, but I know that anyway, so no surprises there. Handled really well to get the dummy, as it was fired really high in the air, and the dog had no chance to mark it (he was looking at the noise of the launcher not the dummy 50 ft up!!!), and it was a good distance away from me. (Probably 50 yds to the dog, and then dummy another 50 + yds away.)
Jaz
Better hunting, although still should of had more drive. Dummy fired, sat, dummy did a nice bounce when it landed, sent the dog. Didn't want to do the retrieve, gave her more encouragement, then she went off and picked up some scent near the dummy, start tracking, speeded up and then was gone. Lost her, she must have gone into the wood at the end of the field - and this was some way off. Little bugger!!!! Recalled for a couple of minutes and no sign of her, so off I trudged to go and look for up. By this stage she had been gone for ages, so the judge and the chap firing the launcher came and looked for the dummy, and eventually she came back looking very pleased with herself.
Well.... that's the first time I've lost a dog at a test!!!!!


Split - very easy. Seen and blind. Get blind first.
Rusty - more interested in sniffing about, but did eventually trot along and did the test. More speed would have been good!!!!
Jaz - would not handle onto the blind, just wanted to get the seen. Had to shout lots, and then she packed up and I had to move forward. Urgh!!!

Water
Blind across the pond for a rabbit. Stood back from bank about 30 yds.
Rusty
Sent him, and he didn't really want to get in the water. He is fine if I am a bit nearer the entry point, but when I'm stood so far back he just needs that extra ummph. Swam across, but was making a bee line for the rushes at the wrong exit point which is to the right hand side. Tried to handle in the water, but then he came back, so had to send him again. Still went to the rushes (ie the wrong point!!) Got 6 duck out of the reeds. Swam round after the ducks for about 5 minutes. Me yelling to get him out.... the judges telling me to call him up..... and the rest of the field thinking it was hilarious....

Just not my day today!!!!!!!!!

9th July, Monday

Ashdown Forest
Only had time to do the HPR training class, so just did this with Jaz.

The other 2 came with me, and I did a few memory retrieves, 2 dummies out, and both dogs being sent together. The both did pretty well with this, although Rusty still can stop half way when he sees that Hazel has already picked the dummy.
I think this goes to prove in a funny sort of way that dogs don't really count. It was a very easy and obvious that I had put 2 dummies out, but Rusty still had to check with me that he was still to go after Hazel had got one. I just think this whole concept needs more practice, as he was my only dog for several years.

Jaz
During the class it was all based around the water. I definitely don't have any steadiness problems with Jaz as she isn't the manic retriever of say a Lab, I just have to worry about her boredom level, which has a very low tolerance.
Actually, she could have done better today. She didn't like the 'dummy thrower' hid in the bush the other side of the pond, so just swam around in the pond and obviously couldn't find it and wouldn't handle in the water. I did send her again, but this time with more 'noise/encouragement' from me, and she did succeed.
The dummy 'blind' (but you could hear the splash) into the lake she did first time, but the second time she had got a bit bored and distracted. HPR's are definitely harder to train than labs.

Judged on todays performance she couldn't even have done a Novice test, she is so unpredictable. Are all girls like this????

Rusty and Hazel came out for some water retrieves after the class had finished, and again I had 2 dummies out, and was directing each dog for each dummy in the water. This actually worked really well, and both dogs loved it.

8th July, Sunday

Chloe
Iping Cross Country
I have a training session booked with Chris Watts this morning.
I am looking forward to this, as last time we went to Iping we won the Intermediate HT, so she has jumped quite a few of the fences already.
Anyway, she was pants.
She had loads of stops. We had a really agruement at the first fence, a bit of napping, and several wacks before we even got over.... what a start.
It just seems that unless I am really kicking her she just stops.... Even a comparatively easy fences, when she is on a good stride.
So I am a bit peeved with her at the moment.
The only positives are there were some bigger, and tricker fences up in the wooded area that she did jump first time.... if only she was more consistant.

7th July, Saturday

Eastlands
H&DRC Annual Show

Chloe
Have entered the Working Hunter at a local show.

It was quite nice to see a few faces, all from hunting. This again just goes to show how much infrastructure the hunting community has with local country people, and how the bloody labour party want to destroy that. Graham was judging, a keen hunts person, and a lovely horseman.

Chloe was 3rd, so I am pleased but I just can't get over the fact that she stopped at the first jump. I am so cross about that as I did everything right. Took her round the outside of the ring, got a good rhythm established, straight at the first fence, got a good stride, so just sat there waiting for her to take off ...... and she bloody refused, and it wasn't even that big. Actually everyone in the class had faults on the jumping course so we were very lucky to get a place.
But regardless of that she did look smart, and Graham rode all the horses beautiful, and he moved us up a couple of places after he had ridden Chloe so that was nice. She is very easy and balanced to ride but I was surprised to come in 3rd.

5th July Thursday

Great News
A photo of Jasmine and Rusty will be in The Field in August. That will mean a few freebies for them.

3rd July, Tuesday

Raining again today, and we had several really heavy showers as well.

Jaz
Quartering, could of ran with more speed and pattern. Had a find on a hen pheasant, but later bumped a cock pheasant (back / cheek wind). Dull photos are it is just about to rain........ again!!!!


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Rusty & Hazel
They were both whizzing around, Rusty was on full speed!! A couple of retrieves, and one in the pond to finish.

2nd July, Monday

Hazel & Rusty
Now Hazel has finished her season, took her to the lab training class at Ashdown Forest. The first retrieve was a blind down a track, round the corner (out of sight) and then into a field of long grass, and then 30 yds further on.
I didn't think Hazel would do this. She did return so she was in sight of me, so I dropped her, and sent her back (which she did nicely) and then she got the dummy. Really pleased with this.
The rest of the retrieves they both did really well. We had a 250 yd blind which I was pleased with Rusty for doing. I had to give 2 back commands (at about 100 yds, and then 150 yds) which he took really well. To be fair the ground sloped away from me so the dogs had a nice downhill outrun, and the dummies were left around a trough in the middle of the field so it was easy for the handler to mark. All the dogs in the class succeeded. I didn't send Hazel as I knew this would be too far for her.

Jaz
Gave her a run this afternoon. I think this is the first time since last summer really. With all her leg problems over the winter I didn't do any work with her, and I don't do much quartering with her during the shooting season as the last thing I want on the shoot is her disappearing all the time.
She was rewarded in the first field with a find on a cock pheasant, which sadly flushed before I could send her in for the flush. She was stood a good distance off it, so I'm not sure why he felt so pressured. I did blow the whistle for a sit but Jaz just wanted to sniff out where it had been so that part was all very messy. I did run her on a bit more. She is running in long grass (hay fields) and the seed gets stuck to her eyes and all in her mouth and on her tongue which isn't ideal. Also I lose sight of her really quickly, and I am nervous of any fawns resting up in the grass during the day, so I guess I will have to start driving up to the Downs to run her in less cover.

1st July, Sunday

Well it is still raining. It is the Hickstead Derby today and after wandering around there yesterday afternoon, decided it would be nicer to sit at home and watch todays class on the tellie.
I had the fields mole ploughed yesterday, and the tractor has made a right mess in the field, and had to use the little digger to fill back some of the huge ruts the tractor has made. Getting the ground just right and the contractor to come in on the right day is a nightmare!!!!

Due to the fact that it seems to have rained everyday for the last month or so, noone has been able to make their hay. It has just started going to seed, so all I can do if hope for some dry weather. At least we aren't flooded like some of the villages up North.