Fun Dog Day at Gayton Wood Farm

At 9am on Sunday 19^th September we gathered at Gayton Wood Farm by kind permission of Dawn and her parents; John and Rosemary Huckerby – a very big 'Thank You' to them. Dawn Rose and Gaynor Gent, collectively known as 'Trouble' or 'www.gundog-trainers.co.uk' had organised working tests and fun activities in aid of 'Breast Cancer Care'.

The day started with judges Graham Bird & Trish Ford putting the Intermediate dogs through their paces. Test 1 involved a mark to the left at about 200 yards and a blind in long white grass alongside a small copse. The blind was to be picked first. The dogs handled this well, one or two understandably reluctant to cross nettles and thistles.

Test 2 was along a disused railway line bordered by hedge to one side, wooded to the other side with a small stream running through. For this test, there was a fallen tree across the path a yard or so along the track. A mark was thrown, about 100 yards down the track. The dog was sent and another blind was set in the same place. The dogs could jump or go under the tree obstacle. This was handled well by the dogs although a large hole to the right, a couple of feet in front of the peg occasioned some interest slowing the retrieve a little.

Test 3 was again along this track, but further along. It was set as a picking up day. Facing into the wood, there were dummies on the far bank of the stream, a few to the left and a few more to the right. One dummy was to be picked from each, the handler choosing which should be first. An interesting test, the dogs tended to go up to the edge of the wood and then turn back onto the dummies. A concern was that a dog might swap dummies or that on sending for the second dummy they might remember those left behind on the first retrieve. However, swapping did not appear to be a serious problem and a sharp command to 'leave that' had the dogs managing the retrieves well.

The final test was back up on the grassy area and made a little tricky by quite strong cross winds. However, a marked retrieve at the top of a grassy slope, about 150 yards from the peg enabled the dogs to work across the wind for a successfully.

Intermediate Results:

1^st Karen with Molly

2^nd Chris with Willow

3^rd Simon with Ellie

4^th Guy with Westley

The special beginners test was held in the same areas. Test 1 - a marked retrieve into the long grass by the copse had the dogs running out well. The return was a test of experience for both dog and handler, but the judge ensured that they were given support to be successful.

Along the track, test 2 was a straight mark along the track without obstacles. Apart from some interest in Simon, our 'semi-hidden' dummy thrower, the dogs managed this well.

Test 3 was a heel, stay and recall activity. Heeling the dog, throwing a dummy, turning the dog and leaving it, the dog was first recalled before sending it back for the dummy. The hardest part was, of course recalling the dog without it going for the dummy. The dogs had various reactions, from wanting to go and hunt the hedge through simply assuming that the handler wanted the dummy and many managed to recall and then return for the dummy.

The final test was held back along the railway track. Back to the stream, a mark onto the opposite bank tested the dog's willingness to cross the stream, having marked the dummy.

Special Beginners Results:

1^st Sian with Bertie

2^nd Angie with Dotty

3^rd Karen with Teasle

4^th Alison with Dennis

The puppies were judged by Gaynor Gent. They had a heel, stay and recall exercise followed by a simple retrieve. The puppies handled this well.

Puppy Results:

1^st Angie with Dotty

2^nd Helen with Ziggy

3^rd Richard with Barnaby

4^th Danni with Billy

While the tests were proceeding, there was plenty of activity continuing at the top of the field where Jo had kindly brought agility equipment and set it up for everyone to try together with a scurry. Photos were taken by 3 photographers around the ground and will be available for a small donation to Breast Cancer Care. A raffle with some splendid prizes attracted a great deal of attention and raised over £200.

Altogether, a total of £420.25 was raised, before photo sales.

A great big thank you goes to Dawn and Gaynor for all their efforts organising this day and to Kirsty, Danii and Alex who kept the ball rolling for the raffle and the fun activities. It is much appreciated. Thank you also to Tish Ford and Graham Bird together with Gaynor Gent, they were all fantastic judges; clearly explaining each task and encouraging and helpful with their advice.

Eye wiped by a chocolate!!!!! Oh No!

It was a much better evening this evening, when we went up to the top field. After a walk up and a few launcher retrieves with Mickey the cocker and Fred the springer working in front of us; Gaynor fired over the hedge into the next field. The first one was a bit tricky. Our stars, Sally and Jack had a good go. Sending them back over the fence, it was difficult to hadle them right from their angle. Wesley had a go and then Molly, they all worked quite well, Wesley and I having a better angle, but couldn't find it. So, just for fun Holly our youngest lab had a go and blow me down, she picked it, winding it from the middle of the field!! It was explained that he would no longer be welcome at training if he wasgoing to do that sort of thing!!! ;)

So we had another go!! This time, Molly the Chocolate was about 3rd dog down, and she got it ....yeah!!!!... That was, of course, totally different and great that she eye wiped the others!!! A good idea to have a go at handling the dogs from over a fence - this weeks plans, together with more whistle.

We then had a go a t doing double marks like we had at the test. Gaynor stood out in the filed, fired a shot and threw a dummy - when the dog was on the way back, she fired another shot and threw another dummy. The dogs weren't marking the second shot. Eventually she realised that the shot was echoing because of the wood close by so we moved away and eventually they started to take note when the dummy was thrown as they passed. I think we will be doing some more of that!!!

The evening was wrapped up with a visit by the delightful Ziggy - black cocker spaniel pup - who had a great time with Fred and Mickey :)

A chilly evening!

On 9th June we met in the evening since Gaynor is off this weekend to judge in Germany. Frohliche Wochende Gaynor!

It was rather chilly and threatened to rain, making good towards the end off the evening. Hence the lack of photos from this week.

Molly, possibly a bit big headed since her award at the weekend was not as good as she should be - getting up to greet me as I came around the circle with Teasle a couple of times. She was keeping a good eye on me a couple of times. Its all a bit confusing as I was informed that that was what she was supposed to do - watch me, not move!!! I can't quite believe that she has learned!!!

Either Ellie or Zoe was also a bit reluctant to stay, maybe it was all the excitement of the weekend!!

It was great to see Jake the lurcher back, we have missed him!!. He was great, a bit of a bark at another dog as it passed, but he is much calmer than he was. Otto the Doberman is also learning, calmer and staying for longer than he used to. He really doesn't like the rain, using his beloved owner to shelter him!!!

D'arcy the golden retriever is also coming along well. she stayed really well and recalled very daintily.

Max the black lab was quiet and much calmer which was lovely to see. He enjoyed his retrieve!

There was an abundance of spaniels, Millie and Emma, who have really come on well. They are gorgeous, staying when told and the usual fun when trying to call one and not the other. Calmly putting them back is really working on them :) The gorgeous caramel cocker (yes, I know it should be golden, but he's the colour of a werther's original!!) does so well, he is very young and stays really well. He watches his owner so closely and learns very quickly!!!

Coll the golden retirever also came out to play. He is lovely and it was very difficult not to give him a fuss when he sidled over to say hello!!!!

That was a great class on a lovely day. It's great to see how much the dogs improve from week to week. Dogs that wouldn't let their owners go more than a few yards are now letting them go all around the circle and even mingle so they lose sight of them briefly and stay put.

Award winners from Mistigri Gundog Training @ East Midland Gundog Club Puppy and Novice Working Test 6thJune 2010

Award winners from Mistigri Gundog Training @ East Midland Gundog Club Puppy and Novice Working Test 6thJune 2010, originally uploaded by MistigriGundogs.

We had a great day out at the EMGC working test. Although the valiant organisers got themselves soaked whilst setting up; by the time we arrived it wasn't too bad and at least it was fairly cool for the dogs.

For four of us, all novice handlers with novice dogs, we had the opportunity to go around together whilst Geoff, being much more experienced, got to go off with those who really knew what they were doing :).

The tests themselves were straight forward. The sort where you look and think; he/she should be able to do that although a small fence at the first test we did was too much for my young inexperienced dog - as soon as I saw that I thought we were in for trouble. However, she had a go, didn't want to go over - though it was smaller than other jumps she had taken. However, she really wasn't listening to the whistle so with Gaynor and the judge's advice I called her in before she got too silly. The judge very kindly let me take her up and get her over the jump which was good for Teasle. That was a big fat zero then!

The other dogs had varying approaches to the jump and it was interesting seeing dogs I had seen in training working differently in the test, and that they did similar things that I wouldn't have expected.

However, our 7 dogs between them, apart from Teasle, did well, especially Trish with Jack.

The second test we did was, in fact, test 1. This was a heel, shot and mark then more heel, recall and then send, into a dip, for the mark. They all did this really well - even Teasle got 19 for that one. Her only mark, but, still a good mark! This was another test that, on the whole, they did well. I do need to tighten up my heelwork though.

The next test was a mark near some cover. Teasle went out well and I did think she should have been able to do this, but she still wasn't listening to the whistle and was called up again. The judge again very kindly let her have another mark and she eventually picked so had a little success. It was interesting watching the others, they all got similar marks with Molly certainly, a little sticky around the cover and taking a while to get her nose down. Eventually they did it. A second dummy was thrown and a shot was fired as they came back. Surprisingly Molly didn't look back to mark it. However, she went out quite well and picked it more quickly than the first.

The final test was on water. Since Teasle had taken time to get into water and had only swum for the first time the previous day, I was really pleased that she did go in after a tentative look along the bank - although we were close to a big gap with a clear view to the dummy - and she swam really well to pick it and bring it in. She was then redirected to go back a short distance through a fence to a dummy just behind. She had just got there and picked the dummy up. I was about to recall her when a shot rang out behind her at the top of the field - the second test where she hadn't actually picked and off she went at a rate of knots!!! nearly got it too!!! It took a few minutes to get her back but she cut across the lake and picked up the dummy so she did complete the test. Marks? That would be a big fat zero! The other dogs had a few hiccoughs with this; being a bit messy around the edge. I think I should have taken water with me. Although it wasn't hot I think that Molly was thirsty and that always throws her off a bit - maybe the others were too. However, they all did well and had a fabulous time.

The debrief: Things to remember: Me, heelwork, whistle, water. .. and carry on training!! :)

A big thank you to the judges: Mr Morris Sargeant, Mrs Chris Winfield, Miss Laura Marsh and Debbie Hall.

Thank you also to our long-suffering trainer Gaynor Gent for her well thought out and varied training, her advice and support!!! :)

Roll on the next session!

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