Getting tougher all the time!

"That was a pretty tough lesson you gave us to learn last time" I said, pitching up for our latest 'training-the-bestest-gundog' session.

"Oh? What was that?"

"The one where he has to learn to go for the pheasant he hasn't seen rather than the one he has seen" I replied.

"What was the difficulty?" asked our trainer.

"He was alright going off for the dummy he'd seen but got confused when I stopped him halfway and sent him out for something he hadn't seen drop" I said.

"No Wonder!" exclaimed our trainer "You were meant to let him see the 'dropped' dummy but then send him first in the direction where you'd hidden the other dummy which he hadn't seen and when he'd got that, then send him off to fetch the one he had seen."

"Ohhh" said I

"No wonder the poor chap was confused - you were teaching him the difficult way round, which you would have moved on to once he'd mastered the easier way."

"Ohhhh" said I

"Full credit to him that he actually did finally get the hang of it"

"Ummm" said I

And then it was off to the lakes for serious water-retrieving. Seriously deep water but the dog didn't know that...... We cured his new-found tendency to drop the dummy and shake all over us.. well, mainly the trainer.... "Not a good idea" said that person... (the deep water was a lot wetter?): my instruction was that as soon as he picked the dummy up in the water I was to whistle him home and then stride quickly away from the lake. This had the desired effect: seeing me leaving, Gunner (a) swam a lot harder to the bank and (b) forgot all about shaking dry in his haste to catch up with me. A couple of times doing that and he was cured of shaking first! Quick to learn, that dog....

So we moved on to the next lesson. I'd taken along a baby rabbit which we'd found dead in our orchard in the early morning.

"Ah" said the trainer "in that case we'll also take this dead feral pigeon I found this morning and do some 'live' retrieving".

I knew Gunner would have no problem picking up the bird: hasn't he ben practising with chickens and ducks all his life???? But I was a little anxious about the rabbit. Mind you a dog that picks up a hedgehog (as he did the other evening) will pick up anything..... Sent off to 'fetch' it he found it, sniffed it briefly, thought about it a bit... and, encouraged by a few "good boy"s decided it was OK to bring back.... not without thinking a couple of times on the way that maybe he should explore it a little further..... but he didn't disgrace .. brought it back and gave it to me - almost as cleanly as the pigeon. "Think that rabbit was just a bit too small for him" said the man.

"Ummm" said I.

"Again, he surprises" continued the trainer-man "Most dogs either pick new things up without hesitation or flatly refuse. This one? He stops, sniffs, thinks... then picks things up"

"Clever, then?" said I

"Maybe" said he. "Let's try doing what you have been teaching him the past 2 weeks, but the right way round.....!"

The first two or three retrieves were easy. So the man then lobbed a couple into some really dense, highly overgrown wasteground on the other side of an overgrown ditch. And the 'going-to-be-bestest-gundog' found those after some directing and searching.

So the stakes were upped again. This time, two dummies lobbed, one after the other, in different directions and further away in the densely overgrown wasteground.

When sent off, he sprang across the now familiar ditch and disappeared in the wasteground. Found one of the dummies very quickly and brought it home.

Sent him off for the second. He sprang across the ditch and disappeared in the densely overgrown wasteground. And searched. And searched. And most of the time I couldn't see him - only the waving grasses and weeds. And still he searched. And I continued to give him directions. Some of them were wrong - me forgetting to look at it from his perspective. Sometimes I was 'told off' in no uncertain terms for either not being firm enough with my instructions or being just plain confusing. In the end we called the - by now thoroughly tired and confused - going-to-be-gundog back. Lobbed another dummy into the middle of the densely overgrown wasteground and sent him off.

Bless his cotton socks. He found it almost immediately.

So, whilst on a roll, decide to send him off for the long-lost dummy.

"This time" said our patient trainer "as soon as he stop looking, you're to 'sit' him, climb across the ditch to him and then re-direct him from where he is. And sit him again if he doesn't find it. And do the same thing. Until he finds it."

Make no mistake. I was not looking forward to climbing over the ditch and wading through waist-high thistles, nettles and goodness knows what else.

So, metaphorically crossing my fingers, I told young dog to 'go, fetch' and he went chasing off, straight through all the undergrowth and we lost sight of him. And then he turned and came back.

"Don't know if he's found it or not so you'll have to wait till you can see him" said our trainer.....

Well, within seconds he came bursting through the thistles, thorns, nettles etc with the dummy firmly held between his lips.

I jumped for joy and could hadly contain my enthusiasm.

"What a clever, clever boy" I, almost, cried - continuing to jump up and down in glee.

Gunner caught the mood and charged up to me, tail wagging and little eyes smiling. I hugged him with relief --- that he'd been so clever and that he'd saved me from the alternative fate...... He too was jumping up and down with glee at this point! The trainer was quite taken aback by this unusual show of enthusiasm......

"Now that" said Rory "is what I call a good dog. A lesser character would have used tiredness as an excuse. But this one does everything you ask him..... and just keeps on trying."

"That's a good note to end on for today".

And when we got home, Gunner told his mate Lancer all about it. And Lancer just got bored and looked the other way.

So the young dog sighed and fell asleep ----- no doubt to dream........................

Just 4 weeks till 'the season' starts. A lot more to learn before then.....

Performing piglets!

Things are getting back to normal again after a hectic 10 days.

As if it was not enough rounding up the ducks who had decided to give Jemima a little more space, we had another bout of 'preparing piglets for the show' and my 3-day equestrian activity jamboree plus, of course, saying farewell again to Jemima at the end of the week.

She was in no mood to leave us this time. Despite her initial scepticism about sleeping in the Poultry Palace, the next evening I was amazed to see her waddling purposefully behind all the others when they went to bed. Straight in the PP, quacking loudly as ever, and there she stayed. Never again to return to her splendid, but solitary, Boudoir. Unlike last time, when she kept herself quite aloof, she palled up with our own White Duck and they were often to be seen daydreaming together in the shade.

So perhaps it was not surprising that she was in no hurry to go home when the Morris family came to collect her. Unusually deaf to their calls, she also turned surprisingly blind - refusing to recognise them for quite a while. Eventually, though, she capitulated and - I'm told - after a night in her own garden-pen, she was back to her old self: loudly demanding her own pond I've no doubt!

Delila and Scratchy performed for the crowds at Walcott Country Day throughout most of Sunday - alternately playing football (Scratchy quickly got the hang of heading and kicking the ball - Delila was less interested - "Not a gilt thing" she said!), rootling and chasing each other around. And inbetween, when the crowds thinned out, they collapsed into a heap and slept the sleep of the just....... fagged out! Delila is turning into quite the Madam; she almost didn't want to leave her paddock for the stalls before the show; took her time ambling into the limousine on the appointed morning and was contrary about who could and could not stroke or scratch her throughout the day ! But when it came to going home time and she saw the limousine draw up she was as loud as Scratchy in her eagerness to get in. Might have had something to do with the fact that their tea was in there I suppose...........

As is his wont now, Gunner escorted the piglets to, and guarded them at, the show. He proved to be quite a hit too and our honorary pighand for the day - young Andrew, who was accompanying his grand-dad (who had a fascinating collection of antique farmyard tools on display) was particularly taken with him. Which was a good thing really because by the end of the day Gunner, previously wary, was quite used to 'children'! I think Andrew would have liked

to take him home, although his first question was: "Are we going to take one of these pigs home tonight Grand-dad?"

(Now that's the sort of customer we need!)

As for the equestrian jamboree - well that's a tale for another day.

Jemima's back in town!

There we are then!

At the duly appointed time, Jemima returned - complete with her bespoke bedroom, buckets, spade, bowls and food for the week.

Did she rush off to greet her old friends? Waddle around saying 'Hi' to everyone?

No. Without so much as a 'by your leave' she was straight in the pond, nudging everyone out of her way so she could have a much-waited-for swim and dive around.

Well. Can't blame her really. Dying for a ducking obviously.....

We're told she's been behaving strangely at home these past weeks.... continuing to hide her eggs and 'sit' on them for hours on end. Even went "Missing" for three whole days - in the garden if you please. Which would suggest that the Morris's plot is rather overgrown and neglected - well, how else could a full grown white duck go missing. But that is seriously not the case, so Jemima was clearly making an almighty effort to stay out of sight. It's all given rise to some very anxious moments in the Morris household and some equally determined efforts to shut her up in her boudoir in good time of an evening........

Anyway. It's nice, if somewhat noisy, to have her back for the week. In putting her to bed last night she had the cheek to 'squit' down my trouser leg! So this evening I gave her the option: Poultry Palace or Jemima's Boudoir? She went to the steps of the PP and looked in and round for quite some minutes.... then, perhaps considering it all a little cluttered, waddled out and allowed me to put her to bed!

Meanwhile, it would seem as though maybe the rest of the poultry party are not entirely overjoyed to have her back again. Gunner, Lancer and I have been spending many a happy half hour rounding up a gang of the other young ducks who have suddenly, for no apparent reason (???) taken to flying out of their pen and wandering round the Church Field --- and having great difficulty then finding the way back to their pen again without considerable direction and prompting......

Nothing to do with Jemima I'm sure........

Not to be outdone.......

If Little Ern can do it, so can Delila and Scratchy..... Linda had read the appropriate chapter in the book by the time she turned up. The sun was shining. D & S were looking energetic - much energised by the fruit and veg. she'd brought with her..... So after a few practical tips from the Big Boss it was down to business. Stick and Board to begin with....

Being naturally inquisitive, Scratchy was fine with that and Delila was happy to learn by watching, ---- closely.... but not so close that anyone could claim she was being in the slightest controlled by either stick or board. But she enjoyed observing........ until she got distracted by the dogs and started chasing them up and down the fence.

Another couple of lessons though and Linda and Scratchy will be ready for the showring.

So it was time to move on to leading the piglet. Again, it was Scratchy who volunteered - sort of. Delila once more decided to learn by watching and trying to chew both harness (a horse's headcollar, slightly too large.... but the piglet will grow into it) and leadrope whenever she could... and chasing him around when she couldn't.....

Gunner and Lancer were thoroughly bemused (confused?). and a great time was had by all, especially young Scratchy who seemed very proud to have bagged a human........ and then it was all too much and, deciding he'd had enough, he collapsed in a heap by the water bowl........ "'I've had enough.. please take my harness off" he seemed to say so Linda duly obliged - not without a bit of a struggle cos he was lying on the vital buckle!

Well, it's a lot for a young chap to take in. His very first lessons. And it was a long session for a small head..... all needed to be cogitated and ruminated and slept on.

Bet it won't be long before the local residents are treated to the sight of piglet, with or without dogs, walking through the village en route to collecting the papers..........

Crazy? Us? Noooooo....

Little Ern and Jen go walk-about

My Mama used to so look forward to the weekly letters when her youngsters were away at school. We're beginning to feel that way about our 'little ones'.

On Monday it was the escapees at Woodlands Farm and today we received these wonderful images of Little Ern taking Jen, his new 'Mum' for a walk around the countryside.
"He just loves it" we're told "gets all excited and skips around like a puppy when he sees his lead" (a one-time horse's headcollar and rope) "but quite settles down once he's on the way". As we see in these photos.

We understand, furthermore, that he is the most demanding piglet Alan and Jen have ever had; apart from constant attention and his walks, Little Ern just loves listening to Classic FM.

A discerning pig? Perhaps

And as if that were not enough, he can also carry fresh eggs around in his mouth without breaking them until he is ready and would make a first-class footballer.

Sounds to me like he is just being spoilt rotten. He must feel he has landed in Pig-heaven........

So tomorrow, the task for Linda-who-loves-pigs is to train Delila (and possibly Scratchy

- depending on how things progress...) to walk to heel also....

Watch this space........

The shooting season gets ever closer....

The excitement is mounting. Shooting season is not far off - starting dates seem to vary but sometime in the 3rd week of September seems to be typical. Apropos of which one of the local Gamekeepers has been contacted and we have signed ourselves up for 'beating'. I got the impression that not too many people offer themselves up for this most menial of sporting tasks; I could swear the chap almost dropped his phone in surprise when I said what I wanted! Anyway, I've offered to go a couple of times without the The Bestest Gundog in all the world - so that I can learn the ropes, so to speak - and then we'll see about taking him. And we'll work from there.....

In the meantime, as instructed, I am nagging The Trainer to get us down to beat on another local shoot.... we could be busy enough come winter....

And so yesterday, after a 3 week break, it was back to school for T-b-g-i-a-t-w. The lessons are getting more difficult (for me, if not for him.....!). We know that he will retrieve anything from anywhere, whether or not he has seen it drop - as long as the handler's instructions are accurate and clear! Rory-the-trainer is impressed that he will go into the thickest nettles, brambles, thistles etc

So what we are to teach him now is to leave the retrieve he is en route to fetch - i.e. the pheasant he has 'marked' - and go off in a totally different direction after a retrieve he has not seen. In practice, the latter will be a wounded bird which is able still to keep running. The job of the dog is to collect the 'runner' and bring it back. And then the dog is sent back to fetch the original retrieve that he marked.

Really simple stuff.

We'll let you know next time how we're getting on. The initial attempts yesterday were full of promise...... and just a little bit of willfulness because (I think) of the number of mice in the long grass.........

Wanderlust!

We always enjoy hearing news of our pigs from their new 'bosses'. The other day, on his return from holiday, Andrew Dennis (he of Woodlands Farm) was in touch. It seems that two or three days after our visit over there his two pigs took themselves off on a bit of an adventure. It was probably mid-week when things were a little on the quiet side!

Perhaps we shouldn't have mentioned the dyke and the orchard to them. Whether or not it was anything to do with what we'd said, they took themselves off - through the tall fence alongside their feed bin, along the dyke beyond that, through a tunnel under the road and up into the field on the other side. Such a gay time they must have had. I could just imagine that they planned it all out very carefully..........

Nobody knows how long they were 'gone'. But they were spotted! ("Good Lord! Do you think those pigs are supposed to be wandering around that field?" someone must have said in passing - and alerted young Mr Dennis!)

So they were - easily, we're told - enticed back to their own quarters with a bucket of pig-nuts. No doubt they were tired by then and in need of a bit of a siesta to mull over the experience!

Since when an electric fence has been erected around the inside of their pen! But I'm sure they'll work that out if it all gets a little too quiet.............................

Another photograph? Well, OK

Yet more photographs!

A certain Mr Phipps, a butcher of much renown in these parts (even having featured in Country Life for his craft) has penned a piece about the curly coats (focusing on the charcuterie angle) for a forthcoming edition of a County foodie magazine. Needless to say, this requires accompanying photographs of said curly coats. So it was that yesterday, just before the storms broke, the good now-retired butcher turned up with a professional photographer.

"I'd just like to get a few close ups if that's possible" he said "then I'll do a couple with you Eric". Well, he didn't know what he was letting himself in for. These piglets have been photographed since day 1; they come from a line of much-photographed-piglets. Easy to get close ups.

Add on another hour to get them away from the lens....

Nearly 2 hrs and some 500 photos later the photographer felt he had enough material.
"I'll wittle them down to about 10" he said "and the Editor will choose 1".

Wish I could be so ruthless with my snaps, I thought!

Anyway, it was all too much for young Delila; she just had to retire to the water bowl to cool down..... she used to be able to get all four feet in, but now it's just the front pair...... Ahhhh the traumas of growing up......

Can I come & stay again?

Returning home on Sunday evening we find a 'phone message:

"We've booked another week's camping holiday later this month. Can Jemima possibly come and stay again?"

Clearly the answer is"Yes". We've quite missed the old bird. I suspect the Morris's have worn themselves out trying to accommodate Jemima's increasing demands and just need a break! Perhaps they have finally dug that pond she demanded???? However, we'll be pleased to see her again.

The three orphan ducklings are now quite grown up and two of them have entered the competition for "prettiest duck in the pond". It's a close run thing. The 'Prettiest Duck we've ever had' is in danger of being outshone by these two but, actually, the PD appears to be developing into a Drake so maybe it's no bad thing. If all the Pretty Ones mate together we should have some stunners next year!

Other news from the Poultry Palace is that Daffodil has gone broody again. She accumulated a clutch of 28 eggs in her nest box before I moved her out to the broody coop. It'll be interesting to see how many of them hatch. Since she's only been able to count to 3 in the past, I don't hold out much hope for a big brood! In the nursery loft we have 5 one week old chicks who hatched in the incubator. They're at the 'just discovered food and squeaking like hell' stage and won't be ready to move down to the nursery pen for a few weeks yet - particularly if it keeps raining.

Out in the pig's domain life has settled into a fairly quiet routine since only 2 of the 7 piglets remain with us. With Mangel and Ginger reunited, Delila and Scratchy have taken over the field paddock - where one of their most important tasks would seem to be keeping the horses (particularly Ritz) entertained. They missed their brothers and sisters for a few days, judging from all the noise they made --- at one point they upset Mangel and Ginger so much that we feared the latter would break through their fencing. We only lost a few hours sleep! A week later and they only make a particular noise at feeding time --- but we'd think they were ill if they didn't!

Never far from the public gaze, they've been invited to another show - a relatively small Country Day affair at Walcott - over the Bank Holiday weekend so that'll be fun for them. Always assuming they agree to load into the trailer of course........ but they enjoyed the adulation at Heckington so I doubt they'll cause a fuss..... .... ...... !

Butterflies & Birds do it - so why not pigs?

No effort is spared in finding salubrious settings for our curly coats! So it should be no surprise really that 4 of Ginger's last litter have literally landed in clover... and grass as tall as they themselves. A fitting reward they probably think for behaving so impeccably at the Show!

Their new home, The Butterfly & Wildlife Park (http://www.butterflyandwildlifepark.co.uk/), is at Long Sutton in the South East of the county. It's a wonderful setting and just chocabloc with Interesting Things to Do - for Piglets and People.

Their arrival was much heralded: their new boss, the charming Mr Crosse, was interviewed by Radio Lincoln before the piglets arrived - and again, for good measure, afterwards! The staff were all agog and the crowds enjoying an extremely un-English hot Summer's day got an unexpected bonus.

Even the Llamas and the African Sheep stirred from their slumbers-in-the-sun to watch the new arrivals.

And what a spectacle they provided! If there's a camera or a bunch of people in sight they instinctively know what to do. Gallumping to and fro, rushing up to Rose and Neil (their new 'slaves'), dashing off to investigate the new sleeping quarters - and finding, Oh Delight, that's where the food arrives - charging from one end of the pen to the other in order to find out which were the 'most entertaining' people to watch..... All such fun! In return for providing such amusement they have been allocated a truly wonderful and just-made-for-piglets paddock (the Pygmy goats didn't really mind moving elsewhere...) complete with large and small trees, banks to roll down and - when it rains - a natural pond to paddle in! What more could they ask?

All we expect in return is that, in view of the wonderful array of Butterflies and Birds of Prey they find themselves now sharing - almost - a home with, they should learn (or are taught by Rose!!!) to fly. Well - that's not much to ask is it??? By Christmas....... no pressure....