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| Skipper at the end of his first day |
Where do the months go? Those 8 long ones since February? The hours and weeks we've spent training, steadying, calming the dogs.... and here we are at the start of yet another season. It's Bugler's 4th and Skipper's first; my 10th or is it 11th? I'll have to check back.... I can't help thinking back fondly to my first season with Gunner..... It's all recorded here in this blog.... so many memories... he may not be here in 'person' any more but what could be better than continuing the story with his son and grandson?
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| Bugler at the start of his 4th season |
Bugler was out with me on Saturday for the first day of this season and I could not have wished for a better companion; the hours invested in helping him become calmer and more focused have paid off.... It was an unseasonably warm and sunny 18 degrees - tiring for us humans but more so for the dogs. He worked tirelessly and attentively - my phone recorded that I did 23,000 steps so goodness knows how far he travelled. It's a hard life being a beating dog! Unfortunately he jarred his front leg on the hard ground and developed a limp in the afternoon. He has been on 'box' rest since and will hopefully be OK soon enough to take up his engagement next weekend.
So - Bugler's limp worked to Skipper's advantage. Ten days earlier than planned he had his first real working day - he did bits last season but mostly under very close supervision and control. Today he had to step up and really work. I think it surprised him! The first drive was a stretch of dyke he's become familiar with over the past couple of months through dogging-in.. so he probably did think it was just an ordinary day - with a bit of extra distraction. He worked really well and close, focused on me and what I asked of him.. a real joy to watch. He didn't particularly like the noise of the guns but only noticed it when he was standing still.... and by the end of the day he had learned to almost ignore it. It was interesting to watch him grow in confidence through the day, doing more difficult bits of work in heavier cover or closer to the guns. The task now is to switch him off for the next 10 days and begin his second day as if it is his first.... with the same degree of focus and attentiveness ... so that we can move forward through the rest of the season in a calm manner laying the foundation for many happy seasons ahead.....
Or we could lose the plot completely and end up with an out-of-control nutcase! Let's hope it's the former.......
