MORE LESSONS IN THE LIFE OF A WOULD-BE GUNDOG

Off to Rory-the-Trainer again yesterday. Things have been going very smoothly lately. So he decided we'd start with the rabbit pen. Rabbits are my one Big Concern. We've been practising at home. Every night at dusk we're off down the field watching the rabbits running around - and then away when we get closer. The lesson is to sit and watch. Then hunt the ground when the rabbits are gone.

I know. It doesn't sound like much fun. But the idea is to teach young dog that gundogs do not chase rabbits.

However, once my back is turned....????

R-t-T knows my concerns.

So we started with the rabbit pen.

Bless his shaggy ears. He 'hunted' round the rabbit pen; little bunnies popping up everywhere, even under his nose. Did he chase?

Not a single one. Each time one popped up, down went his bum down on the turf like he'd been grabbed by a magnet. It wasn't long before he was sitting and pointing at the bunny before it had a chance to jump up and run away!

What a star!!!!

"Excellent" said R-t-T "Now you must take him out and actively start hunting rabbits with him to ensure he's as steady as this away from the pen..."

Hmmph .....

So, following that it was off to the river for more waterwork.....

I held my breath as Gunner set off for his first retrieve in the water..... and hesitated on the bank as if wondering whether there was any way he could reach that dummy without actually swimming for it!

Much encouragement of the jolly-hockey-sticks variety ensued ---until suddenly he leapt in and swam off after the now-rapidly-floating-downstream dummy!

"Phew"

Once he was wet there was no problem. Degree of difficulty increased until he was fetching a hidden dummy from the opposite bank, bringing it back and then going off to fetch the other dummy which had earlier been thrown in the long grass 50 yds or more away from the river.

The only stumbling block of the day came when we were trying to teach him to 'mark' an object dropped about 200 yds away and he was suddenly assaulted by a pack of 6 or so lurchers ---- the (elderly)owner remarking cheerfully that "they always chase after anything that's moving". She got a very terse response. The other ramblers and dog walkers by the river bank paled into insignificance by comparison - failing to do more than momentarily distract him. And since it was a lovely day, the World and his Wife were out for a stroll - and clearly didn't appreciate the gravity of his situation! Poor Gunner.

Still, he'll face worse distractions when he gets to the 'shoot'.

"He's really coming on" concluded Rory. "The way he looked to you and followed your signals on the other side of the bank prove the homework is sinking in".

So, this week's homework is to practice more distant 'marking' and to continue to embed the basic commands ... and wait and see what Rory can dream up for next time. And hope the rabbit hunting goes as planned........

Meanwhile, we've also been learning the command 'Over' - using the obstacle behind Gunner in the picture to throw dummies (and occasional chew sticks!) over.....

Oh...and the baby swallows in Max's stable have been having lessons too - flying off with their parents in pairs for short spells before returning to the safety of the hayrack... and Rocco's blackbird is still only managing to fly the length of his stable and about a foot off the ground after 2 days of practice!

Presumably this is why swallows go to Africa and blackbirds stay at home......