Post by marjolein on Aug 12, 2008 7:53:13 GMT 1
Callas, Billy's sister is visiting us at the moment. Marjolein has entered her in some fieldtrials this autumn and she needs some training. We've made a phone call to Dolf last Friday, a friend of ours to ask him if he wanted to help out.
Callas needed some more training in the beets and she isn't really used to gunshots yet.
We got up at 4.30 so we would be there on time for the pigeon hunt we were invited for.
Callas saw pigeon and nilegeese to be shot and she found it really interesting. After a while I put her back in the car so Billy could stretch his legs as well. And again he did very well. He sits quietly besides you waiting for what's coming, he marks well and retrieves well too. He's still got to learn a couple of things though. For example chasing birds which aren't shot is not good and pointing "sick" birds isn't good either. It does give you time to make some wonderful photo's though.
After that we went to a beetfield for Callas. Despite the fact that the beets were really "heavy" Callas did fine. At the end of the field, she found her first pheasant and flushed it straight away. The second hen she pointed beautifully though and she made our day doing that!!! We're far from ready for the trials, but we're getting there slowly.
Later that day we went to the forest, where I'd laid a bloodtrack for Billy. The track was 28 hours old by the time we got there. Because a lot of rain had come down the night before I thought he wouldn't make it, being as inexperienced as he is. He surprised us though. With a little help he finished the track.
He shows us time and time again he's a true allrounder and surprises and amazes us with that really. He starts a day with hunting and retrieving, he points birds and at the end of the day he works a bloodtrack. Despite the fact that we consider him not good enough for the field trials, I'm sure a lot of people are jealous of a dog like Billy.
On a good day he could get a qualification on a fieldtrial, I think he could earn a retrieving diploma and he might even be good enough to get a bloodtracking qualification on day. Fingers crossed!!!!!
Sunday we've been away with the dogs as well. This time together with Stef and Mieke and all their longhairs. We saw their two little pups in the field and were really impressed with them. Both Mistic and Balou have really passed on their natural ability!
Callas ran as well and again she did a good job. No game unfortunately.....
Billy, Barak and Daan did well too, but they didn't find game either.
In the evening the conditions were just perfect and we just couldn't resist running them again. Daan did a wonderfull job. She really covered her field and hunted with her head high constantly. Unfortunately she couldn't resist the hare she found, but made up for it later while pointing partridge.
Callas ran well and showed interest in the partridge she found. Unfortunately the birds didn't want to wait for her to point, but that was not her fault. You can't blame them can you!??!!?Billy did extremely well. He really covered his grounds, hunted with his head high and was really obedient. At the end of his run he was on point on a hare and sat down at my command. He stayed while the hare took off.
Then I told him to hunt on but he went into point mode straight away.
A whole bunch of partridge took off after we flushed them and he was steady again!!! What a sight!!!!!We've had a very busy weekend, but it was certainly worth it!!!!!
Callas needed some more training in the beets and she isn't really used to gunshots yet.
We got up at 4.30 so we would be there on time for the pigeon hunt we were invited for.
Callas saw pigeon and nilegeese to be shot and she found it really interesting. After a while I put her back in the car so Billy could stretch his legs as well. And again he did very well. He sits quietly besides you waiting for what's coming, he marks well and retrieves well too. He's still got to learn a couple of things though. For example chasing birds which aren't shot is not good and pointing "sick" birds isn't good either. It does give you time to make some wonderful photo's though.
After that we went to a beetfield for Callas. Despite the fact that the beets were really "heavy" Callas did fine. At the end of the field, she found her first pheasant and flushed it straight away. The second hen she pointed beautifully though and she made our day doing that!!! We're far from ready for the trials, but we're getting there slowly.
Later that day we went to the forest, where I'd laid a bloodtrack for Billy. The track was 28 hours old by the time we got there. Because a lot of rain had come down the night before I thought he wouldn't make it, being as inexperienced as he is. He surprised us though. With a little help he finished the track.
He shows us time and time again he's a true allrounder and surprises and amazes us with that really. He starts a day with hunting and retrieving, he points birds and at the end of the day he works a bloodtrack. Despite the fact that we consider him not good enough for the field trials, I'm sure a lot of people are jealous of a dog like Billy.
On a good day he could get a qualification on a fieldtrial, I think he could earn a retrieving diploma and he might even be good enough to get a bloodtracking qualification on day. Fingers crossed!!!!!
Sunday we've been away with the dogs as well. This time together with Stef and Mieke and all their longhairs. We saw their two little pups in the field and were really impressed with them. Both Mistic and Balou have really passed on their natural ability!
Callas ran as well and again she did a good job. No game unfortunately.....
Billy, Barak and Daan did well too, but they didn't find game either.
In the evening the conditions were just perfect and we just couldn't resist running them again. Daan did a wonderfull job. She really covered her field and hunted with her head high constantly. Unfortunately she couldn't resist the hare she found, but made up for it later while pointing partridge.
Callas ran well and showed interest in the partridge she found. Unfortunately the birds didn't want to wait for her to point, but that was not her fault. You can't blame them can you!??!!?Billy did extremely well. He really covered his grounds, hunted with his head high and was really obedient. At the end of his run he was on point on a hare and sat down at my command. He stayed while the hare took off.
Then I told him to hunt on but he went into point mode straight away.
A whole bunch of partridge took off after we flushed them and he was steady again!!! What a sight!!!!!We've had a very busy weekend, but it was certainly worth it!!!!!
