Christmas Eve 2009

Beechfield.
I’m sitting here as high as a kite. It’s a pretty benign high though. I haven’t drunk anything other than decaffeinated coffee for some time now and now when I drink real coffee it blows my head off. Ross’ sou-chef gave him a coffee maker for Christmas and in true O’Neile fashion the arse has been ripped clean out of it and I’m getting a buzz.
One of the worrying aspects of Lucky’s Away Day was that one of the people who saw him reported that he was barking all the time as he chased Chris. All pups will do this, if allowed to, but it is something I had realised might be a problem with Lucky. I am therefore going to go about things with him in a different way. I am going to steady him on birds, on a line, before I let him run to find them again. This will establish a greater element of control than I would normally look for in a pup at this stage but I feel it is necessary. 
Some years ago I was taught a lesson by a Red Setter dog, Rory. My back was giving me trouble and I was trying to worm the dogs. I needed them to jump up on me to put the tablet in their mouths. Ghillie knew what was going on and refused to jump up. Unfortunately he eventually decided to jump up just as I reckoned I was going to have to bend down and the result, a week later was a lovely black eye (worst I ever had), and at the time a stream of invective and vernacular. Through the stars that I was literally seeing I noticed Rory dropped on the floor of the run. From that day on the word “Bastard” resulted in Rory dropping basically anywhere that he could  hear me, and it didn’t have to be shouted either. Before that I had heard people articulate the idea that you could teach a dog something in one attempt but never believed it. After Rory I was very aware that you could, in certain circumstances that I don’t always fully understand, teach a dog both good and bad things in one go. I’m worried that Lucky’s vocal accompaniment to his chase after Chris will at least have made him think that it’s permissable, if not actually a requirement to give tongue when running, which of course if most certainly isn’t.
I learnt the hard way that if you start bumming up the quality of your dogs to others the only person you are fooling is yourself. The rose-tinted glasses need to be in your pocket when you assess the qualities of your own stock. At the other end of the scale is the ability to recognise class when you see it, and more importantly do something about it. I have therefore booked a pup out of what to me is the most impressive dog I have seen in years, if not ever. AND I want it to be out of a bitch from the same line, not an outcross. The owner of the dog, with whom luckily I get on quite well has promised me that it’s a done deal. Might be a year or two but I’m firmly at the top of the queue. I’m not going to make a rod for his back by telling you who he is or the name of the dog either but let’s just say it is an intriguing mixture of a very fashionable kennel and a very unfashionable kennel or should that be kennel owner but the dog is the best I’ve seen outside my own kennel since………………………………………………………….Int.F.T.Ch. Sutherland Sadie.
I’ve decided to update the text in the gallery on at least the current dogs since I’ll have a bit of time between now and 4th January and if there’s a thaw before then I’ll get The Luckster out as well.

Monday 21st December 2009

Rathgael.
There shall be more rejoicing in the kingdom of heaven over that which is lost and is found than over that which has never strayed.
I got the Luckster back this morning. Sound in limb but a bit whimpery. Picked up quite a few miles away in the middle of the town, nothing distance wise for a fit pointer but a very daunting trip for a young dog. He crossed at least two dual carriageways where the baseball cap backwards brigade operate after dark so he was either very lucky or very smart. A bit stand offish at first but happy when in the dog box and made such a fuss of Chris and Roxy that they were short with him.

I get a verbal for this straying. A fixed penalty notice for the next and prosecuted for the third. If you consider that Lucky is the start of a new line at Glencuan then I have been very lucky and so has the dog. Lucky by name……………………

Sunday 20th December 2009

The Practice.
I took the spaniels first and then the four pointers. As Chris went past Lucky slipped his lead, he went off after Chris who came back to the car two hours later but I haven’t laid eyes on Lucky since. That was about 10:30 it is now 14:00. I have him reported to the authorities. I sincerely hope he turns up.

I’m getting too old for this shit.

Saturday 19th December 2009.

Bright and sunny but cold 3.5c.
There’s no doubt Lucky probably gets hints from scent around the car that there are pigeons out but he seems to have a road map to game just now. Today it just so happens there was a fence, a fairly secure fence, one that would disrupt the scent cone between the bird, which was a good fifty yards the far side, and the dog and he still had the bird just out of the car. I had to take him a good hundred and fifty yards along the fence and down wind to let him off.  He hunted up to it and pointed but, mainly because I wanted a photo for a book, he ended up too close to the bird and I had to release it.  He gave it a bit of a chase. He then hunted the whole paddock all a bit manic but eventually he flushed a snipe. Now I don’t know if he was hunting for that particular bird but I feel he has to be given the benefit of the doubt. No more planted birds for Lucky for a bit. He needs to revisit the drop.

Monday 14th December 2009

Rathgael.
Here’s a site you may find interesting.

http://huntfishdive.com/files/blog2.html

I did.

Saturday 12th December 2009.

Co Tyrone.
It isn’t very often that there’s no mention of a pointer in my posts but this is one such time.
Today I took Tam and Ben. Ben is Shaun’s Springer Spaniel Dog. I know nothing of his breeding or background other than his initial training was done by a Lab man. Ben hasn’t a whole heap of experience rough shooting, that’s why he’s with me.  He was into action right away producing a cock pheasant that was missed high and wide. A pattern soon emerged. Ben was quite happy to take more ground than I would have initially wanted. It wasn’t really that much of a problem as a peep or two on the whistle and he would come right back. I soon realised that if I didn’t blow he would turn round and sit down looking in my direction. I couldn’t direct him right of left but any encouragement and he was back beside me, unless he had a scent. Early on he produced a woodcock that the gun didn’t get a shot at (couldn’t get the safety off). Over the span of the day he produced quite a few birds and hunted well until lunchtime at which stage he was wrecked. In the afternoon he only pottered about until the very end when heavy scent gave him a new lease of life.
Two long runners gave him an opportunity to show his retrieving abilities. Early on the two dogs were standing on tip toe scenting outside some dense brambles. A cock pheasant flushed that was shot at the extremity of range but it was well hit and cartwheeled to the ground. Neither dog saw it so I walked towards the fall but Ben got the scent and was away. It looked a likely line so I just let him go not wanting to distract him. Eventually a good hundred yards further on I saw the bird attempting to take flight but Ben had him in a flash. I watched him till he was lost from sight at the stream he had crossed and he emerged…………….without the bird. I crossed the stream and there it was sitting dead. Tam attempted to lift it but I stopped him, as I wanted to check the bird for damage. There was none evident. While perplexed that he had set the bird down it struck me that that was just the sort of retrive that a retriever handler would expect his dog to perform.
Later on a very fast cock was downed far out with the top barrell. It crashed to the ground maybe a hundred and fifty yards away and ran (I’m told). Tam got to the fall, just under a tree, and hunted about but Ben ran straight on through the fall towards the river bank and returned with the bird. Unfortunately Tam mugged him on the way back and stole the bird but I took it off him and threw it for Ben who brought it to hand. He didn’t present it preferring to drop at my feet holding the bird. Better!
I don’t know if it was the fact that I was able to watch Tam today, not continually watching a wider ranging pointer, but he seemed to hunt particularly well today. The whole day. I have remarked often in these posts about Tam being a dog you can cast off and forget about. Ben wasn’t that hard a dog to control but looked a hooligan beside Tam. Tam hunted hard and well within gunshot and apart from mugging Ben for the cock pheasant was perfect. He had the play of the day. I sent him across a wide deep stream bed into thick partly laid nettles where he hunted hard, maybe thirty yards away to produce a hen which flew away out over a fenceline, thick with nettles and was downed far out over the field. I couldn’t see, and neither could the dogs but Tam was out to the bird and back to me in a flash. All very professional and clean-cut, just what you would expect from an experienced dog at the top of his game.
I have tried to evaluate the day, and Ben’s part in it. I feel we were underdogged in the heavy bog without the pointer but having said that there was a group of pheasants, perhaps eight, that neither Tam nor Chris could have produced as both couldn’t have got under the wire to flush them. I will be training Ben on the drop as he will need this for beating but his retrieving is as good as anything I’ve seen in a while and he is a friendly modest dog in the kennel.
Seven pheasants, another not picked and a great hunt. Nice!

(Norman is a lot easier on the whistle than I am. I tend to blast even the 212. I noticed that Ben was responding to Norman’s whistle so I tried blowing more gently and guess what? More response from Ben.)

Monday 7th December 2009

Wakefield.
Shaun and I were a guest of Lee Cooper on various bits of ground that he has access to in the Wakefield area. Although spread over several large fields there doesn’t appear to be any shortage of Grey Partridge on this ground. I saw a lot more this afternoon than on some of the so-called trial grounds. At the risk of sounding patronising I really enjoyed Lee running Godribb Lois and Godribb Jack the latter being a young dog he won a couple of puppy stakes with this outgoing season. It doesn’t look much like a puppy now. To me it’s the real deal.
Chris had a nice find on a triple of greys running in very short rape. Later on he cut down very much in stubble until a large covey lifted from the hedge and then he quartered nicely requiring little handling.
Roxy had a couple of runs giving it a fair bit of wellie but she didn’t have an opportunity to point.
Basso was wild in his first run on winter crop but later on ran hard in rape to no effect.
Venice gave as good a display as I have seen her give. She was flatter than the last two days and turned well but an opportunity didn’t present itself.
Flake was more interested in going back to investigate Venice, probably with evil intent and wouldn’t concentrate on the job in hand.
Then we have the two youngsters. Coco had two runs the first in beet. He was into his stride right away and quartered well, if a bit narrow, but he was hunting. Shaun was quite pleased. When cast off for a further run he was much narrower and a lot more methodical. Shaun ran him until he was satisfied and then picked him up and another ten maybe fifteen yards further on a large covey, maybe fifteen lifted, while Shaun had his back to them putting the lead on the dog. The Monster had been running across the drills which were heading straight into the wind. I reckon the birds legged it down the drills and then flushed when Shaun dropped the dog to put him on the lead. Much later we had planned to run him in a stubble field well covered with pheasants but unfortunately Coco was lame.
Lucky had a run in the same beet field. His head was up and he was very eager from the off. At first he wouldn’t run but that didn’t last long when he realised the drills were easy running and that too was all forgotten and he quartered well in a puppy’s first time in beet sort of way, when he appeared to have scent. All was soon explained. He pointed with his head well down in the beet and while in this attitude a cock pheasant flushed about fifteen yards further which luckily he didn’t see. He hunted on down the drill a bit but came back when called. I moved sideways across the wind and let him rip again and that’s what he did, rip. Very hard hunting, quartering nicely and turning into the wind the majority of the time. Not even sided but with great intensity.

Sunday 6th December 2009

Cow Hill Area.
Very Blustery and cold.
Took Lucky and Venice to the same bit as yesterday and ran them singly to start off with. Lucky was switched on from the minute he was through the gate. There were birds in the vicinity and he knew if from the off. A pair flushed loose and he gave them a good burl but was quiet in the process. He quartered his ground in an uneven puppish way and more importantly he turned forward most times and ran with his head up
Venice ran hard but was taking too big a bite. She had a find of sorts on a grouse and then proceeded to clean up in an unconvincing way eventually producing a woodcock.
We ran Chris and Jimi on The Flats and other than an unproductive of Jimi’s that Chris backed they had no luck. This is very heavy ground and both dogs did well to cover as much of it as they did in the way they did.
We then ran Basso and Flake on Cow Hill. Flake had every opportunity to point a pair that she flushed. Disappointingly Basso showed no inclination to back.
Shaun then took Ben for a hunt in the whinns. He produced a pheasant and when they got back to me in the pick up I threw a few long seen retrieves for him. I made them as awkward as possible. He marks fine.

Lucky is pleasing me a lot on this trip. He’s beginning to know what this job is all about. His running has improved no end, pace, gait and head carriage and he is hunting. I have, however, realised that I need to revisit the drop. I haven’t needed to drop him so he hasn’t been doing any of it and now he won’t do it. He comes right in to me all right but I need the control for bird work. Digit will have to be extracted. If he doesn’t learn to drop it won’t be his fault.

Saturday 5th December 2009

Slaithwaite ( Slough – it )
Only here and in dog action already. A decision has been made on Coco. Shaun said he would buy him off me but mainly because I wouldn’t take money off Shaun for a dog he’s going into joint ownership between the two of us and he’ll stay in Yorkshire.
It is surprising how you can see things in your dogs in the most mundane places. There are a number of fields that run steeply down hill from Shaun’s yard. The dogs are given a gallop in these a couple of times a day. Wary of encouraging Lucky to give tongue I took him down on the lead letting him off once down the hill a bit and it was a real eye opener watching him tear up and down the hill, mostly with Coco and neither of them gave a squeak. This is the first time that I can actually say that I saw Lucky running for fun and making hard running look easy. It was also interesting in that for the first time Chris and Lucky were running alongside one another. They are very alike and in fact if anything Lucky is a better shape than his Dad, but then so is Basso. It isn’t that there’s anything wrong with Chris but it’s just that both Basso and Lucky are an improvement on something that’s already very good. Smug bastard or what?
Jump, Ir.F.T.Ch. Sugarloaf Bold, is still here and in reasonable nick for his twelve and a half years. Deaf as a post though.
When we went out, for the first time ever we were unable to go on The Triangle. Full of sheep.
Then we went to a place I haven’t been on in years. It’s good running for a pup and Lucky got a good gallop. He had a point too, wasn’t steady on the flush but found the bird Ok and pointed…..just. There were a few other birds but he just couldn’t put the whole thing together.
In his second run there was only the one bird and again he just couldn’t come on point in time but he roaded all of forty yards to the bird.
Shaun then took Coco for a gallop on Cow Hill. Quite impressive. Very even sided, very flat and very relaxed, maybe even horizontal. He just about had a find as well but the birds were very jumpy and didn’t sit.
Next I took Roxy and Chris for a gallop on what we call The Flats. Chris backed Roxy’s find on a hen pheasant and she backed his on a single cock grouse. The the oddest thing happened. Chris came on point and because the ground was so rough I tried to work him in from a range of about forty yards. He wouldn’t budge initially but then he took off, as if he had produced a hare. He ran just like you would expect when chasing but nothing had flushed. He gave tongue as well. He then rioted for the next twenty minutes. Two or three times he came withing five yards of me but I couldn’t pick him up. Then he just comes and lies down in the heather as if nothing had happened. B*****d!
After lunch Basso got a run and again the wild birds didn’t comply with the job description. He ran for a good fifteen minutes with hardly a whistle blast and there is no doubt he is hunting very hard.
After this I gave Chris a nother gallop with no success but at least he stayed with me.
Shaun gave Flake a run while I gave Lucky his second outing and Flake had a find and then to finish off Venice had a run and a find on a single bird but she wasn’t steady to the flush.
So more positives than negatives and tomorrow, as they say is another day.

Thursday 3rd December 2009

Rathgael.
I’m taking Flake back to Shaun’s tomorrow. I’m taking all the pointers and just leaving the blunder at home. The best deal I could get was £154 return Belfast to Birkenhead. At first glance this doesn’t seem that good but somebody else drives the hard miles and I save about £60 in diesel. The only disadvantage is that if it’s rough it’s eight hours potentially talking to Huey instead of two. The bump I had in the car has delayed this trip and if I get out at all with the dogs it will be a real bonus. 1st December seems to be a distinct line in the sand when it comes to weather round Slaithwaite.
I am involved in an interesting thread on the HPR forum about using the wind. It has developed into a wider discussion on how to work pointing dogs and I really can’t get my head round the way this is being discussed by the HPR folk. I have only owned a Spinone and a GWP but been involved with several others and other than the fact that they retrieve I never worked them any differently than I do my pointers. I now have my de facto HPR in Chris and as a pointer he gets no different treatment.
I think it is vital to consider what you want to achieve with your dog, what you want your dog to do and how you will train it to do it. Our HPR brethern appear on occasions to walk the guns in a line behind the quartering dog and there have been several references to the dog covering the guns and I am struggling to get my head round that. The only time I would want a gun in line with me would be to cover ground that would be out of reach for my dog, either because of the distance or the intervention of some natural obstacle like a river.
When I think of it that last statement is rubbish. Working pointers on adjacent beats never works. Quite often ends up as Wacky Races and very ragged races at that.