[bradleysmum]

Hi There,

Does anyone have a lab that competes in field trials?

Anyone in the process of training their lab/s at the moment?

How's it all going?

I'd be interested to hear how you're getting on.

Thx

Julie

 

[JohnW]

Training starts on the 31st of May Julie!

Regards, John

 

[lablover]

oooh, John - so you've chosen little Amy. was it difficult?
best wishes Jenny

 

[mommy]

Tilly started tracking at a year, and was a natural, so needed no more than expierience.

Sadly, can't get this experience with out knowing a farmer or landowner..... to offer the space

 

[JohnW]

Only provisionally chosen yet Jenny. I've ruled two out and watching the other two. Liz is quite happy for me to choose on the morning when I go to collect her. I'm collecting at 7 weeks whereas the others won’t be going till 8 weeks. Trouble is, the litter is so even that I think I would be happy with either!

It's always difficult training on public property Rhoni. I put a dummy out for a long "Go Back" for Anna when she was a puppy. Walked over to the other side of the common and set Anna up when I saw a woman with a dog. She was carrying MY DUMMY! I asked her what she thought she was doing and she said, "I just found this old thing and thought it would make a nice toy for my dog!" People do not realise the kind of distances we work our dogs over and 300 yds is not particularly long. I have around a dozen training grounds I use. A large part of them are public but the shoot I pick up on covers 3 farms, including 2 woods, a spinney, a plantation, a brook, a disused railway embankment and an assortment of fields and I can use any of this! It makes it so much easier to select the kind of ground which is suitable for what I'm training on any particular day.

I take it from the “Tracking” that you work in Working Trials? Although I have a number of friends competing It’s something I’ve never got involved with although after watching the Met Police dog championship at Catford a few years ago it is something I’ve always been interested in. Trouble is, there are not enough hours in a day to do everything! That’s one I’m saving for my next life!!!

Regards, John

 

[trumansdad]

Hello there,

Although I am not going to compete in field trials I am going to work my Lab. He will be a peg dog when I shoot. He is 15 months old now and training started in earnest on the 7th of April, he's coming along well.
Hopefully he will be ready for the start of this season.

 

[GADAWGS]

I try to train everday, whether its just throwing the bumpers for excersise or whatever else I can do. I dont trial my dogs, they are purely hunting stock and I dont have the time, money or expertise to train a trial dog. As long as they bring me my ducks with minimal fuss. I am currently training my third retriever and am learning more every time out

 

[Lepuslabradors]

i' thinking of training my cocker up to field trail standard but my labs are just trained for beating and picking up and thats good enough for me... love watching true field trail trained dogs its amazing and makes me a little jealous :roll:

 

[GADAWGS]

Just wondering, but do any of you get the American sports channel ESPN? The ESPN Great Outdoor Games are getting ready to start within the next week or so. They have some amazing dogs working in this. This is like the Olympics for the outdoors. Has field trials, shooting, fishing, timber sports and alot more.

 

[JohnW]

Unfortunatly no Gadawgs, About the only thing which is transmitted in the UK from ESPN is the NASCAR and CART series. Working gundogs are almost never seen on the UK TV.

I took Amy along to a working test yesterday, just as a socialising oppertunity and to allow her to hear a gun in the distance. I did not stay long (She's only 12 weeks) but I was more than happy with what I saw. Amy was interested in the sound, but the good bit was watching her follow the rise and fall of the dummy! (Bumper) You never know, she might just go one better than Anna did when I worked her in it a few years ago. Anna led all day until the last batch of cards were handed in then finished in a three way run off for second place (Which she won!)

Regards, John