First day of winter – 1st November 2009

Today really felt like the first day of winter.  The storm in the night had resulted in a few local floods and the river really was running high.  When standing in the garden the sound of the river below really was distracting,  we haven’t had rain like this for a long time.  Looking back though, on this weekend a year ago it snowed quite heavily, so things could have been worse.

With these dark evenings both dogs have had little more than an hour’s road walking a day.  This isn’t very good at all but is about all I could offer them until the weekend.  Having spent yesterday beating I couldn’t even give them the run they deserved then, as the dogs were walked by my wife.  Today, hopefully, made up for this though as both dogs had a long exercise session in the forest burning off the pent up energy they had stored up all week.  It was cold though, with blue sky and a cold wind it wasn’t the most comfortable of sessions.

I only practised the recall and the turn and both dogs did very well.  I was happy to let them just run.  On the way back, however, Grace picked up a scent and went on point by the path.  Archie, who was running along behind, immediately backed Grace.  I find this really quite fascinating.  I have never taught him to back, in fact I am not sure you could teach a dog to back, he just instinctively does it.  It isn’t a half hearted acknowledgement either, its a solid, staunch point in whatever position he happens to be in when he spots the other dog pointing.  Grace had a few tentative points along the way but the wind was really strong and my guess is that these were pheasants well in the distance.  I had no intention of letting her head off in search of these birds.

Both dogs had a good run.  It did remind me to search out my gloves though.  Winter is here. Judging by the front that I could see coming in I feel we are in for even more rain.