Fieldwork:

  Working Gundog Using the Wind Handling the Dog Understanding the Dog

 Members Gundog Articles

A selection of articles from our members about working their weimaraners:
Article by Sue Knight
Article by Ingrid Moyser - WA Retrieving Challenge 2011

  The WA Retrieving Challenge 2011 by Ingrid Moyser

Why had I entered the WA HPR retrieving challenge? I certainly had plenty of time to contemplate whilst driving at 20 mph through winding Derbyshire lanes following a series of vintage buses, cars and tractors at 9 am on Easter Sunday morning.

I have 2 spinoni, Bosco (Hollutrix Dante, aged 9) and Flyn (Sanjika Abbracci, aged 3). I used to enter a lot of working tests with Bosco. We had great fun together and soon progressed to working on shoots and competing in field trials. My dogs arn’t enthusiastic hunting a piece of ground previously worked by many dogs so, whilst I appreciate that many people do enjoy WTs and get a lot out of them, I now rarely enter. But when I saw the WA were running a retrieving challenge, with tests specifically designed to mimic retrieves on a shooting day, I knew we had to have a go. I decided to take both Flyn and Bosco (who still loves to retrieve anything and hates to be left at home).

Armed with an excellent map of how to reach Low Moor Farm, I set the SATNAV and ended up on the narrowest part of a no-through road trying to do a 25-pt turn in husband’s car. Thankfully it has parking sensors so no damage done. I arrived, almost last, to see people I hadn’t seen in ages and chance to have a good chat. Then onto the format for the day:
We had 4 tests to complete, arranged on a circuit around the farmland, well spaced out, these could be attempted in any order. Open and Junior dogs did the same tests but the complexity of the test would be adjusted accordingly. Another excellent map had been provided to find each test (portacabin WCs too which were a luxury). Friend Sue had entered her dog Jago and kindly offered to look after one dog whilst the other had its run. So outward we went.
Test 1: A long narrow, grass field with dummy thrower well secreted about 100 yds away by the wall. Shotgun fired with the blind (pigeon) out upwind of the dog. Bosco set off with his usual enthusiasm to the right area and started to hunt (we won’t mention the poo), suddenly his nose took scent and he made his retrieve – from the dummy bag! The junior test differed only in that it was a seen retrieve on a canvas dummy. Flyn took a good line out and started to hunt the area, the nose took scent and he made his retrieve – from the dummy bag. Our judge, Claire Rodgers, seemed amused and asked me which method I used to train my dogs!
Instead of following the map we wandered in the direction that everyone else seemed to go and found the next test without a queue waiting ahead.
Test 3: The start point was on the rise of a slope, the land dropped down to a stone wall, the other side of which was a steep rise and dummy thrower hidden over the plateau. Open dogs had gunshot then to retrieve a blind (pigeon) from over the top of the rise. Bosco was off to a good start but veered to a high point of the wall and tried to get over. He may have managed this easily in younger days but now needed redirecting to the safer level. With a little encouragement he was up, over the top and out of sight. He eventually emerged too far downwind at the back of the slope without bird. Redirect back up the slope and he came back the same way. Third time he got the scent and came back with his bird. The junior test involved gunshot and dummy (seen) thrown onto the lower level of the slope. Flyn went out with gusto, over the gap in the wall, had a sniff of something nice on the other side, then made his retrieve.
We set off again and saw signs for a pond to give the dogs a drink. The site of the next test was just visible on the horizon so why consult the map? Three fields, many stone walls, exhausted, bruised and scratched we joined the gallery and received a ticking off from Penny for walking across the wrong land and not following the orange plastic bags marking the route.
Test 2: This was an optical illusion. From our viewpoint the ground dropped initially then seemed to rise consistently for about 200 yds , bordered by stone walls, wider at the start and narrowing down on the left with a nice indent where the dummy thrower was out of sight to the dogs. Open level dogs were sent from about 180 yds away, into wind, gunshot fired and a blind pigeon to retrieve. When I took Bosco it soon became evident that the “rise” was a hump so dog disappeared over the horizon and was mostly out of sight. Gunshot always gets the dogs motivated so Bosco had no problem doing the distance and here his experience paid off, I just had to wait for him to do what he would be expected to do on our shoots – come back with his bird. Flyn was allowed to go further forward to start his retrieve, but again a blind with gunshot. He didn’t let me down – all the hours of training had been worthwhile and he went out, good line, disappeared briefly and reappeared with his dummy.
This time we dutifully followed plastic bags on posts to find the final test before dying of hunger and thirst. Somehow managed to miss it so had to ask directions and backtrack. Another long blind (with gunshot) into wind – a pile of birds and dummies had been placed in a small wood the other side of a stone wall. Bosco took a good line initially but veered off when he hit scent coming off the wall/wood. But I could see he had taken scent so just left him to his job. The junior test was the same but dog set off from a closer point. Flyn took a similar line to Bosco then disappeared into the wood. Minutes passed, possibly hours, I decided to use the recall whistle and was just about to go off in search when the judge saw him coming back with dummy! (I really could do with being a few inches taller). On reflection I think he probably took time making a suitable selection from the choice of retrieves.
Lunch at last – all tests done, or so I thought. A chance reflect on our handling skills and to enjoy the April sunshine. Next the run-offs and Flyn was one of 5 dogs called. This test was a blind (pigeon) with distraction of seen dummy and gunshot. To his credit he took instructions perfectly, ignoring the distraction and going almost straight to the pigeon. He picked it, dropped it, rolled it, picked it moved a few paces and spat it out! I tried everything to encourage him – forgetting all my training commands. Then, scenting canvas - so much nicer, off he went. Why I hadn’t trained him on pigeons is another story, but that is the next task on our schedule. He came 3rd out of 18 so I am very happy with our progress.
Everyone who organised the day did a superb job. Thanks to Penny for designing tests which were carefully planned to mimic, best as possible, what may happen on a shooting day: by positioning the dummy thrower out of sight, placing retrieves at a realistic distance, using actual gunshot and ground/wind which would aid the handler but also test the dog’s confidence and nose. The judges were very fair and considerate of rewarding a dog’s ability and initiative (eg our dummy bag retrieves), also happy to give feedback to you after a test. Each judge provided valuable summaries for us all before results were announced.

The day was great fun and I found it a really useful measure of my dogs’ training. I will happily enter more that follow a similar format and might even read our maps next time.

Ingrid Moyser, Hollutrix Dante & Sanjika Abbracci

  The in’s and out’s of dogging by Sue Knight

This is not a risqué article on the dubious pastime of ‘dogging’ but rather an account of using my Weimaraner for ‘dogging out’ release pens (to check for vermin) and ‘dogging in’( to push straying pheasants back towards their pens).
By summer, those who work their Weimaraners will no doubt be reinforcing whistle work and looking forward to another shooting season. But I wonder how many people stop and think how much work has gone in to preparing the birds beforehand to provide healthy high fliers for the Guns and challenging retrieves for the dogs?
Pheasants are birds that require the most care. When they have reached the stage of poults (young pheasants), they are put into release pens which are large fenced areas of natural habitat. First these pens need to be checked for vermin by ‘dogging out’. Georgie, my extrovert 9 year old Weimaraner is ideal to ’dog out’. Quartered throughout the pen and made to investigate every thicket, he will indicate by pointing anything untoward (ie muntjac deer or fox) which is dealt with by a waiting Gun. Once cleared, the pen is then protected by electric fence and the poults allowed to grow in safety, fed and watered at least twice a day. Their flight feathers, which were clipped on one wing prior to being put in the pen, gradually grow back, enabling the birds to fly up to roost in the trees at night.
‘Dogging in’ starts once the pheasants begin to roam from their release pens which usually coincides with harvest time. Obviously a shoot wants to keep their pheasants within their territory, but pheasants are natural wanderers. They fly out of their pens early morning to roam and this is where a good ‘dogging in’ team helps to prevent them from straying onto neighbouring estates or the danger of roads. Georgie and I set off about 6.30am in the Land Rover. It is a guessing game where the birds will be, as weather conditions, livestock and crops all affect their movement. Once the birds are spotted, on stubble or in hedgerows, we go into ‘One man and his dog’ mode and Georgie stalks the birds to drive them back to home territory. If the birds prove stubborn, he will go in to flush and encourage them to fly.
I know how hard it can be to ‘get in’ with an HPR friendly shoot and ‘dogging in’ can be a good entry, leading to working your dog in the beating line. However, keepers zealously guard their birds and reputation, after all they have put many months into rearing. They will want to see your dog work to ensure he in under control, obeys the whistle and does not chase or disappear over the horizon. Good luck and good dogging!

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