Thoughts on backing – 9th July 2009

We went back up into the forest, only this time to a different patch.  I ran each dog separately starting with Grace, who was fine.  There was quite a breeze and this section of forest holds plenty of pheasants so both dogs were very motivated.  After about five minutes I swapped dogs, sending Archie away along the track.  As usual he thundered off in a straight line intent on creating a gap between us.  At a good distance he started pulling to the right, obviously picking up sent.  Every time he headed off into the trees I called him back.  I didn’t want him disappearing.  The third time he did this he didn’t turn on the whistle but carried on into the trees.  I then set off after him.  Running in boots is never easy especially when trying to feign terrible anger.  Archie by this time had realised the error of his ways, returned to the track and squashed himself into the ground as I bore down upon him.  I then looked him straight in the eyes and explained, as only a passionate pointer owner can do, that I was not happy.  He just wagged at me looking slightly amused.  This dog does make me laugh.

Grace later pointed a bird at the edge of the path that flushed almost immediately.  I blew the drop whistle and made sure Archie dropped, looked up to see that Grace had chased after the bird.  She only went about five metres before returning to the spot where she had been when I blew the whistle and dropped.  The drop was fine, just about three seconds after it should have happened.  This was turning into an odd session.

A few hundred yards on Grace signalled a bird.  She slowed right down then went on point.  What amazed me is that Archie backed her at the first sign she had given.  There is a magic moment as a dog goes from full run to a point.  It took me quite a while to be able to read Grace’s body language but I must have got the knack as I can tell before she slows to a point that she will point.  At least this is how it seems.  What amazes me is that Archie has got it already and he has had such little experience to go on.  The photo says very little really as the impressive part is seeing both dogs go from moving fast to a synchronised standstill almost instantaneously.

Grace having pointed birds had her ‘bird head’ on after this, and whilst this meant that she went up a gear, strangely enough it also meant that she was more responsive to my commands.  Both dogs had a good session, despite the two second chase of Grace’s.  Roll on August.

The drop – 8th July 2009

Today was an eye opener. I took both dogs to the racecourse with my wife and alternated training between the two.  I set Archie up in the hup position with the intention of recalling him and dropping him on the whistle half way to me.  I have always had problems with this with Grace so had low expectations.  I had been given advice on this since I last tried but didn’t realise just how effective this advice would be until I put it into practise.  Within four minutes Archie was skidding to a halt, in the dropped position, to the whistle even at full pelt towards me.  I am amazed.

I did the same with Grace with less of an effect, but to be fair she has been subject to three years of my poor training to date!  As I recalled Grace a woman with two setters walked by and commented on the control I had…if only she could see us on the moor, she may take it all back.

I didn’t take any photos – there are only so many photos I can take of dogs in the dropped position.

We ended on a good note.  I am really pleased.

Backing – 7th July 2009

We went up into the forest this evening. The harvester is in full swing so the place is very muddy, particularly after the rain we have had. I let Grace free run and kept Archie on a lunge line until I reached an area that had good visibility and wasn’t likely to hold any birds. I then let Archie free run with Grace. After a few minutes of madness Archie headed off into the distance in one direction and Grace headed in the other – this was never going to result in a relaxing session. Archie seemed intent on running and at about 200 yards I decided that enough was enough, so whistled him back. He turned instantly and came straight back. This is really quite promising. Grace responded to the same whistle so I had them back with me in no time. I decided to let them get on and see what they did with no intervention. Grace went off, head held high, in search of birds. The areas of clear fell hold plenty of pheasants but I hoped this area, which had given up few birds in the past, would be pretty barren. Archie did the same, in a different direction. I let both dogs head off and then hid from view. Within about 30 seconds Grace was back looking for me. She has always checked in regularly. Archie on the other hand was a long way off, bobbing about with his head up, obviously catching scent. I could see him but he couldn’t see me. It took about two minutes before he decided that maybe he should come back to me, and he managed to get a long way away in two minutes!

the reason I did this was twofold. Firstly I don’t want him to think that all he has to do is keep an ear open for the whistle, he must keep an eye on me, and secondly I wanted him to get out without feeling that I (or Grace) had to be with him. He needs to be confident in himself to get out far enough, but not so confident that he doesn’t look for directions from me.

As soon as he returned I put him back on the line, then released him after a few seconds, then attached him again, followed by a release. I don’t want him thinking that coming back means the end of a good time. I eventually clipped him on for good and headed back. Within ten minutes Grace went on point by the path. Archie immediately backed her which was wonderful. It may not look very staunch but he wasn’t going anywhere. The point came to nothing though, probably a pheasant from hours earlier.

Quartering – 5th July 2009

I took both dogs out today to practise quartering.  It wasn’t easy as the spot I used was too narrow and the bracken on each side proved far more interesting than the bird-less grass in between.  I wanted both dogs to cover the ground, respond to the turn whistle and drop when commanded.  The area is full of dog walkers so I had to try to control the dogs often in the presence of distractions as you will see. Grace ran quite well, apart from an initial back cast, but her mind was on other things (and often this wasn’t me), Archie was full of the exuberence of youth and whilst he may not yet have worked out what he was meant to be doing responded pretty well and dropped to command despite a rather overweight lab looking to distract him.  I am not looking for any serious quartering with Archie yet, following hand signals and just running across the breeze rather than into it is good enough (not stopping to graze on rabbit droppings would be a bonus too). 

It is interesting, both dogs have different running styles.

A day of two halves – Grace – 4th July 2009

I took Grace down to the river later in the afternoon. We didn’t do a great deal of training other than a few drops and the obligatory recalls. Grace always recalls well so this is more to ensure that nothing slips. The river was very low despite a few torrential downpours. A very humid, damp walk. 

A DVD arrived in the post today.  Des O’Neile had made me aware of a piece of black and white TV footage from the 1960s of Lady Auckland and her famous Cromlix kennel.  The TV programme was filmed for a Scottish television programme in 1966 and held in the Scottish Screen Archive.  I requested that the programme be transcribed to DVD and for £25 a copy was made and sent.  It is interesting on a number of levels – firstly it shows working cockers looking a lot larger than they do now, and working with undocked tails, secondly it shows a lab working – but not the short legged, barrel chested lab of today’s showring, but a much longer legged, deep chested dog, and finally it shows two pointers working – Swallow of Cromlix and Swift of Cromlix.  They are both wonderful dogs to watch and both became FtCh if they weren’t at the time of filming.  Lady Auckland’s trainer, Angie McLaughlin was also interviewed and he was specifically asked whether the dogs in his kennel were anything like those found in the ring – the answer was an emphatic ‘no’, with a following comment explaining that labradors were the only dog he would consider as dual purpose, but the show pointer, gordon setter and cocker spaniel were now too far removed from the working strains to be worth training for the field.  This was 43 years ago…how many litters have been bred since and have all breeders kept an eye on working ability?  If we lose the working ability, and I don’t expect to be very popular here, I feel we lose the breed. 

The DVD is very interesting, not least because Swallow of Cromlix appears in Archie’s pedigree through the Embercombe line.

A day of two halves – Archie – 4th July 2009

I took both dogs out separately today, Archie up into the forest and Grace down by the river.  We were up in the forest before it got too warm and I noticed that the common spotted orchid was out along the side of the tracks, always a reminder of summer.  I didn’t do too much, recalling Archie whenever I thought it worthwhile and dropping him whenever the mood took me.  Archie drops really well to the ’sss’ of the ’sit’ now.  I barely even have to make a sound, often a short ‘tsst’ will do it.  The second photo shows the distance from which he will drop using the ’ss’.  The camera does exaggerate the distance but it is still impressive, well it is in my book anyway.  This particular forest is full of pheasants and with a warm breeze the smell must have been tantalising.  The whole session was a series of investigative stalks and points, although the birds were too far off for me to bother flushing.  He will have to wait until August before he finds birds at close quarters.

I made a short video of  Archie.  He is  moving along a stream of air sent and I drop him with the whistle, then finger click to release him, followed by a drop to the ’sss’, followed by the recall whistle.  Nothing too serious but an insight into how he responds.  He is a good looking dog, but I am very biased.

Stolen point – 30th June 2009

We went to a local wood this evening.  Not because it is a particularly useful training area, but because it is on the way to my parents house and I had planned to call in.  Running a dog on a line is not a good plan in a forestry plantation for obvious reasons.  This was made worse because I was wearing shorts.  A high speed pointer weaving a line through trees with me attached to the other end by way of a  loose loop around my knee was not a good idea, albeit accidental.  As the dog pulled away so the line burned into the soft tissue behind my knee.  The expletives must have been heard for miles.  The friction burn is still painful hours later.

It wasn’t all bad though.  We practiced the drop where we could and in one particular spot Archie was ahead of both me and Grace.  Grace was actually on the line at this point.  Archie picked up a scent which was probably pheasant and went on point.  Grace didn’t notice and ran past, then picked up  the scent and pointed too.  Archie, however, didn’t move.  Even though Grace had effectively moved in to steal his point he didn’t so much as move a muscle.  I am really pleased with this.  He showed no signs of jealousy at all.  I moved both dogs in, sending Archie ahead of Grace, but the scent pulled them into thick brambles.  I decided to call them both away and gave them loads of praise.  I hope it was a pheasant. 

We went back to the land rover via a pond.  Both dogs paddled about and drank .  Grace has never shown an interest in swimming so Archie has no dog to learn from.  He has yet to show any interest in the water.

Torrential rain – 29th June 2009

I nearly didn’t take either dog out today.  At about 5.00pm we had a torrential downpour that filled the road drain and washed down our steps like a waterfall.  Its a wonder that it didn’t come into the house.  Half an hour later it had stopped, leaving us with a level of humidity you rarely feel in this country.  I headed off down to the river as it was likely to be the only place that had a breeze…I was wrong, it was still, humid and wet.

Both dogs had some exercise but that was it.  Grace ran off lead and Archie ran on a lunge line.  I did no training, seeming to spend all my time keeping the lunge line from dragging in mud and puddles.  I failed miserably and got very wet and muddy.  The dogs had a reasonable time I suspect, that was all.

The river, swollen by the sudden downpour, was brown.  I have never seen it this colour.  It was like something from the depths of a South American jungle.

training proper and sheep – 28th June 2009

OK, I will talk a little about consent.  The moorland surrounding my house is internationally important for its blanket bog, it is also important for its Hen Harrier, Merlin, and Peregrine falcon.  Historically it has been important for its grouse, it is still important for sheep grazing and it has great cultural significance.  It is an important cultural landscape.  It is also an area of intensive, illegal, off road motorcycle activity.  Where this motorcycle activity is most concentrated the peat has been so damaged that recovery is unlikely, wildfires are common place and uncontrolled, and ground nesting birds are a thing of the past.  In total it covers 67,000 acres.

Now, the area that I count grouse on is a 2000 acre part of this main block.  I come off it at the end of February and leave it alone through the nesting season until the August count.  I leave it alone so as not to disturb any nesting birds, primarily the Hen Harrier that may possibly produce chicks that fledge as late as the end of July.  In order to do the right thing the estate that I count on has to apply for consent from our country agency for me to do so.  Potentially disturbing birds with a dog – which is technically what I could be construed as doing, is a PDO or Potentially Damaging Operation.  I therefore dutifully apply for consent on behalf of the land owner and consent is granted.  Don’t get me wrong, I agree that consent is a useful tool to ensure that nothing untoward takes place but the reality is that I may be working my dog in one area whilst motorcycles rip through a lek site half a mile away, or a team of mountain bikers fly between Grace and the birds, or simply a dog walker walks by with his spaniel putting up every bird under the sun.  I, however, because of the formal nature of a count have to have consent.  I can’t help thinking that the regulating authorities may have taken their collective eye off the ball.

Today I went up onto the moorland.  I purposefully went to an area that has been severely damaged by motorcyclists and supports very few birds.  The object was to run Archie through a patch of heather and bilberry alongside the track to see how he responded to heather.  He would be kept on a line at all times.  In addition, if the patch contained sheep all the better.  Archie has not yet come across sheep and I felt now was the time to do this.  As we arrived we were passed by a group of motorcyclists who stopped just past where I had stopped, turned around and decided to check me out, asking if I was ‘going off road’.  When I explained that I wasn’t, as this was a protected site they nodded sagely then headed off through the peat.  They really only wanted to find out whether I was likely to report them to the police, who would do nothing anyway.  I then headed off with Archie.

Archie ran well.  He seemed to love the experience, turning on every whistle and recalling when need be.  He also had no problem dropping on the whistle, even if it meant him disappearing out of sight into deep heather.  We worked our way into the wind and he even quartered in a vaguely useful way.  This was really only a taster but he ran really well.  I was really pleased.  We also came across a few sheep and I made sure that Archie realised they were out of bounds.  This will obviously take some work but he didn’t appear to show anything other than curiosity.  This curiosity however was nipped in the bud.  We also saw a Goshawk flying overhead which was a bonus.

When we returned to the land rover we were passed by another different group of motorcycles.  They are wrecking this moorland and really don’t care in the slightest.

When we got back Archie went into the kennel and I took Grace out.  We spent the next hour down by the river.  Grace had a good run, then we followed the river bank for about a mile, scrambling our way between riffle stretches and deep pools.  This is really a wonderful place to spend an hour or two and whilst it may not be  training we both had fun.  It is sessions like this that really remind me how lucky we are to live here.  On one occasion a sparrow hawk came out of the woods and headed straight towards me at head height, suddenly noticed me and flew in an arc in front of me and up to the canopy before heading away from me.  What really surprised me was the silence of it all.  I didn’t hear a wing beat.

Training the recall – 27th June 2009

Today had a sense of purpose.  I had to purposefully attempt to sort out the errors of yesterday, and yes, by and large the errors were mine.  We went back to the place it had all gone wrong only this time my wife came with us.  I would train one dog at a time and there would be no leeway – non compliance wasn’t an option. 

As we walked to the area training would take place we were passed by four of five curlews flying overhead and calling in only the way curlews can.  I have said it before but the sound of a curlew is, in my mind, one of the most wonderful sounds I have ever heard.  It was wet, threatening rain, but very warm with no breeze at all.

Just before we reached the area where I had planned to run the training session I let Grace get on in the hope that she would vent a little steam.  She didn’t, seeming to prefer plodding about so she went straight back on the lead until we reached the right spot.  Few things annoy me more than a dog who chooses to potter.  My wife sat on a bench with Grace hupped in front of her on a lead.  I took Archie off, dropped him and walked away.  At about 60 yards I turned and whistled him in, giving him loads of praise when he reached me, which he did quickly in his thundering, cheek flapping way.  I then set him up again and walked back, doing the same on return.  He did this every time with no problem.  I then repeated the exercise but attempted to drop him as he got half way towards me.  To be honest I find this exercise the hardest as he doesn’t drop until he gets close to me.  I then patiently take him back to the spot he was at when I blew the whistle and drop him again.  I repeated this another four times before he eventually got the idea (but still seemed unsure).  Loads of praise then Grace’s turn.  She was fine, no drama, and seemed to actually enjoy the explosive release of energy which was in direct contrast to her earlier pottering.  When I had done the same with Grace for ten minutes I went back to Archie for another ten minutes.  All OK.  It is frustrating though, I can drop Archie when he is going away from me very easily, it’s when he is coming towards me that he wants to get close to me before dropping.  I will sort this out though, somehow.  On a positive note, if I had left Archie in the hupped position and walked more than about 30 yards from him a month ago he would have stood up and moved forward slightly.  Now he seems very happy in his own space and very attentive waiting for the next command.

I have noticed that Archie seems to be going through an odd pointing phase where any unusual smell prompts a point, albeit a stalking moving semi-point.  Its tricky as he has come across very few birds yet so he hasn’t really worked out what he is doing.  I just have to make sure I don’t encourage this non-productive pointing in any way.

When we got home I spent the next half an hour replacing the strip curtain on the kennel pop hole.  It seems that Archie found the original quite tasty and ate the lot in a matter of weeks.  If this one goes they can stay draughty for a week or two.