Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 10:19 pm Post subject: Bracken's first proper shoot day
I know some of you have followed Bracken and I's ups and downs, and have offered me lots of advice and encouragement (thank you to you all). So, I thought I'd let you know that after nearly 4 years, the pair of us finally reached our goal!
She did come out on the shoot last year, but only the odd drive, the odd day. Yesterday, she was out all day - 7 drives. She slept like the dead last night.
It's a small, informal shoot, and I'm under no illusions - she's nowhere near well enough trained/under enough control to be welcome on a bigger more formal shoot, and certainly will never be a competition dog of any description. However, it's a shoot, she worked, and the shoot captain was pleased enough with her contribution to the bag to ask her back, so that counts in my book
I kept her on lead during the drives fully expecting my arm to be wrenched from its socket. I'm amazed to say she didn't move at all I won't be testing her steadiness off lead any time soon though. When I think back to gundog club grade 1 and the rope burns I had on my hands when the trainer even just pulled a dummy from his bag, never mind throw it, never mind introduce shot.... she's come quite a way since then and has taught me an awful lot. She was a bit squeaky to begin with, but this lessened with each drive.
Quite a lot of the serious gundog people have advised I either move her on to a pet home (but she's already in her forever pet home), or stop guddling on with her and concentrate on my proper dogs. I'm a determined so and so though and wasn't keen to give up. She's a dog only a very biased owner could love, but I wouldn't swap her for the world.
Kept the lead quite high up to remind her she definitely was on lead because....
....I was terried the combination of water, plus shots, plus birdies would equal moi being pulled ar$e over t*t into that water!
WTG Bracken!, considering you hadn`t even ventured into gundoggery things when you got her, you and she have come a long way Mo, I`m no expert but have to say she looks very alert to me in those pics, maybe instinct is kicking in at long last `
Its good that you can do the more "fun" stuff with Bracken while concentrating on the serious side with Boots and Ice.
I`m not saying picking up isn`t serious of course, hope you understand what I`m getting at
Good girl Bracken. The only chocolate that has made me think I'd give them a go myself .
Although to be honest I always think of her as black(she's a very dark chocolate) and when someone asked who that chocolate was in my car I just looked at them blankly not able to think which dog they were talking about .
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I won't be testing her steadiness off lead any time soon though. When I think back to gundog club grade 1 and the rope burns I had on my hands when the trainer even just pulled a dummy from his bag, never mind throw it, never mind introduce shot.... she's come quite a way since then and has taught me an awful lot. She was a bit squeaky to begin with, but this lessened with each drive.
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