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.