If at first you don't succeed...........

Bugler makes his dad proud

Exactly a week after #TeamGunner's last Gundog Working Test adventure, off we went again. Another early start yesterday saw us heading to Barleythorpe in the beautiful county of Rutland.
"If nothing else" said The Big Boss "the dogs are getting us to visit some lovely countryside".
The morning was dry and cool with a promise of sunshine later. Our destination was a quiet (we thought) country lane (with a distant view of Rutland Water) a mile or so out of the village. Arriving shortly after 9 o'clock - not the first by any means - we collected the 'Card' and our numbers (4 and 8) and waited for the signal to move off to the test ground. We'd been advised in advance that we would be using a white grass pasture and were, therefore, a little surprised when we came to a halt by a young plantation!
"Oh well" I thought "all that practice in the cornfields ( the nearest thing to white grass here) might still serve some good!"
Bugler was the first of the pair to 'run' - being an even number we were in front of the novice judge first. He hunted enthusiastically albeit a little further from me than I would have wished but was good on the whistle and, joy of joys, when the shot was fired he sat and looked at it, thus (for the first time) seeing the dummy thrown. That meant the retrieve was simple and he completed it quickly and cleanly. His 'blind' retrieve needed only one bit of help from me, which he paid prompt attention to, quickly finding and returning with the dummy. His second run in front of the senior judge was a lot tidier and his retrieving needed no help so I was well pleased with him.

"What do you mean 'closer'?"

Since the No. 6 dog had not turned up, each of Bugler's runs was immediately followed by Jaunty. The judges couldn't have had a starker contrast! My second dog was well fired up for each of his first runs! What a good job I'd taken the advice to buy a new whistle! It took all my efforts to 'hold' him. His worst mistake - running in to the other dog's dummy - was of my making. Since Jaunty was a fair distance from me when I whistled him to sit to the shot the judge suggested I might like to call him to me - but only by name. When I'm doing group training with the three dogs at home, I use their name to indicate which of them I want to fetch the dummy - so as soon as I used Jaunty's name he understood I meant him to go for the retrieve. Stupid of me. That cost him 50% of his marks on that run. The fact that his own retrieves were clean and prompt was a consolation but didn't improve his chances! Each of his second runs was better than the first but nowhere near close enough or sharp enough on the whistle. More practice is definitely required. He has bags of ability and style and when he finally understands why he needs to listen to me I suspect he'll be better than Bugler.

"I've had a nice sleepy morning, thank you"

The tests finished around 1.30 pm and we all returned to the lane and our cars in warm sunshine. I'm not sure that Gunner was pleased to see us because we 'caught' him sitting on the seat behind The Big Boss. Mind you, it was a good job that he wasn't in the back because the youngsters jumped in with gusto, drank loads of water and then crashed out exhausted from the excitement of the morning! Apparently the lane had morphed into Piccadilly Circus after our departure at the beginning of the morning - The big boss regaled us with tales of the comings and goings whilst we ate our lunch!

"We'll have 'em licked next time!"

It was fully an hour to wait whilst the judges deliberated and certificates were written out. Finally the call came to "gather round" for the results.
When I heard the name of the third placed dog I was slightly disappointed, thinking that Bugler might have done enough to get in the placings. I was totally overwhelmed therefore when I heard the name of the second placed dog - and it was him!!! Apparently I was grinning from ear to ear when I walked up to collect our certificate.
"Makes all the hard work worthwhile" said Rory-the-trainer when I told him later "Especially when it's a dog you've bred yourself".

If this had been Red, we'd be out of Novice so perhaps blue is best

It most certainly does. In spades.
If we never get another certificate, I'll always treasure this one.
And what a clever dog Gunner is to father such a talented son. Oh - I know it's only 2nd place but if he can get one certificate surely he can win another?
I did say we would only do three tests but we've entered already for our 4th and we've got 6 weeks to practice so I'm keeping fingers crossed for Jaunty too!
Nothing wrong with ambition is there??????????

#TeamGunner sally forth again

View of Boughton House across the park

Sunday dawned dry and clear, if somewhat cloudy, as #TeamGunner sallied forth for their second appearance at a Gundog Working Test. This time the destination was the impressive Boughton Estate in Northamptonshire at the kind invitation of the Duke of Buccleuch.
Arriving in good time shortly after 9 0'clock we collected our 'card' and found that we were numbers 3 and 15 of 24. By the time we started at 10 a.m. that had been reduced to 19 by 5 no-shows and we were advised that the dogs would get a 'run' in front of each of the Judges and that any dogs eliminated in the first run could use their second as a 'training' exercise! And off we all went into the wild woolly woods of Boughton. The Big Boss recorded our departure on his new mobile - sadly  by the time he got organised, he had a very good picture of where we had departed from!!!!
For the next four hours the dogs (and handlers!) were put through their paces. Same format as before: hunt; shot fired; dummy thrown in sight of dog (if he happens to be looking); retrieve; hunt on; shot fired, blind dummy to be retrieved from behind; hunt on and finish. What could be easier? The terrain was perfect for spaniels - thick woodland with a good ground cover of fallen trees, mixed herbiage and brambles. The weather was equally suited to the event - dry, cool, cloudy with a light breeze. We couldn't have ordered better conditions.

"It is no laughing matter" said Gunner

Bugler was first of our pair to go, in front of the A list judge. After his performance last time I had high hopes that he would do well. They were soon dashed! The highly scented woodland combined with the stresses of the occasion must have gone to his head (or his ears). I'd been worried about his lack of attention to the "shot and drop" bit, but his retrieving was very good. His hunting on the other hand was uncharacteristically erratic and off the whistle.
"You need to work him in a tighter pattern much closer to you and get him to pay more attention to the whistle" was the judge's conclusion.
Jaunty had plenty of time to absorb the atmosphere before his first run. I expected the worst but was hugely impressed with his work. He was on the whistle (admittedly I had to use it a lot), eye-catchingly enthusiastic in his hunting and sharp with his retrieves. I was delighted. Then, just at the very end of his run he flushed a pheasant, I was too slow on the stop whistle and he was eliminated for giving chase! He didn't run far but the damage was done.
"He's a good dog" said the judge "Persevere with him and for goodness sake, get a quieter whistle!"  I've been using the same whistle for 8 years and now I find out it is "too loud". Well!
Both dogs got to run in front of the second judge. Neither covered themselves in glory but there were no more misdemeanors. His general advice was to "keep up the good work" and "work them in a tighter pattern and much closer". He was particularly taken with Jaunty, calling him stylish and eye-catching.Small crumbs then...............
As for the whistle........... I'd never realised that it was particularly loud. Rory-the-trainer did mention it once but I thought having trained the dogs to a certain tone, they wouldn't listen to another. I've now bought a different one. If I blow it as hard as I can it is still quieter than my original as its quietest!
Do the dogs respond to it? Gunner looks at me quizically when I use it as if I'm doing something quite bewildering but he's prepared to humour me, albeit in slow motion! The youngsters took a short while to get used to it but after that are, if anything, a lot sharper on it than the original. Perhaps they are saying "Thank goodness She's stopped shouting at us".
Meanwhile, we have our final working test of the 'season' on Sunday. Paws crossed that we've all learned some lessons........................ and that we can do Gunner proud!

The ducks are wandering..... again

 Male (white) and female call duck

Spring is heralded by many factors.... Here at RectoryReserve one of the prime indicators is the heightened activity of the ducks.
All year round the 10 Call and 6 Indian Runner ducks live happily within the confines of the pen and poultry house they share with the chickens. Most of the day they paddle and sleep, interspersed with bursts of poking around in the ground or disappearing into the poultry house to eat. Unlike chickens, they don't mate and they don't lay eggs.

Male (small mallard) call duck with 2 female Runner ducks

But that all changes when 'spring' is on the way. Ducks that haven't waddled more than 12 metres in any direction for 9 months become long distance runners  and convincing Houdinis, not to mention sex maniacs! They used to get through the vertical rungs in the wrought iron gate to their pen; but I stopped that so now they go out via the adjoining pig pens and down to the fields. Obviously there's a lot more (bugs as well as grass) to feed on down there and, if they go far enough, there is a natural pond. You would think they would fly but the Call ducks, whilst very adept at it, rarely do and the Runners' wings are out of all proportion to their bodies so, whilst they flap alot, they can only do extended hops! Mostly, therefore, they all waddle - the Runners more elegantly than the tubby little Call ducks.
We only acquired the Runners last year. Up till now they have flocked together rubbing alongside, but never joining, the Call ducks.
However, there is only one male Runner duck and he appears to be a timid fellow. So one of the Call Ducks males has adopted the female Runners and is now firmly 'in charge' of them, escorting them everywhere and leading them frequently and often down to the pond. I don't know if this is abnormal but it is certainly 'odd' and always makes me chuckle. He looks so important!!! I haven't seen him trying to mate with them but I've no doubt he's tried.

Call drake leading Runner ducks down to the pond

Meanwhile, the other call ducks are pairing up and bustling about looking for safe, secluded places to 'nest'. Unfortunately, their idea of 'safe' is ill-founded. Pig arks with nice fresh straw are very attractive to them. Several of the pigs have enjoyed fresh eggs for breakfast over the past week! There's just one vacant, freshly strawed ark at the moment but some young gilts will be moving in there tomorrow..... I think they may find an unexpected welcoming gift!!!

The ducks would be enjoying a perfectly idyllic time but for one factor!
They are extremely attractive to dogs - whose natural instinct is to chase them!
The ducks therefore become a "training exercise" and - as long as I am around - the spaniels quickly learn to "leave" them. Of course, the ducks don't know that! As soon as they catch sight of the dogs they make their way as quickly as possible back to their pen.....
There are usually a few early 'mishaps' - occasioned by my being rather slow and the dogs being rather fast to react to the sight of a flock of happily hunting birds. Luckily the springers all have soft mouths so the ducks suffer nothing more than shock! An incident a couple of weeks back is a case in point. When the Runners were new to this wandering business and I was unaware that they were out Gunner found one, picked it up and brought it to me. It was totally floppy when he gave it to me but there was not a mark on it. I carried it to the Poultry Palace and laid it gently on the floor. Expecting the worst. She stayed there motionless - for fully 30 seconds.
Then she got up, shrugged purposefully  - and waddled quickly across to the door leading out to the pond!!!
But all this fun will end when summer comes and the ducks return to their normal restrained selves; but will the Call Drake still be in charge of his lady Runners? That remains to be seen...................