28th October 2008

On Saturday morning I took Molly out to a boggy area in which I had met a good few Snipe the previous week. I had a friend with me who kindly agreed to shoot for us. The plan was to get Molly hunting the bog for Snipe and to ensure she was steady to the flush and shot during the session. The morning was very very windy which we hoped would help the Snipe to sit tight in the rushes. We started hunting into wind and Molly started off with good pace and power. Covering her ground well although she was tending to be a bit right sided in her pattern. I was able to correct this by turning her a little sooner on the right and not blowing a turn whistle at all on the left of her beat. She soon flushed a Snipe and was steady to the flush and the subsequent shot from my friend. However, with the very strong wind the shooting was going be very difficult. We progresses up and down the bog and had about 3 flushes and shots all of which Molly was rock steady to and she was marking the birds away nicely. On the final stretch following a good flush a Snipe was knocked (excellent shot given the strong wind conditions). Molly remained steady and following a pause on the drop I sent her back for the bird that she did not see falling. She went out nice and straight towards the ditch that the bird fell beside and was tending to pull left towards some cover when I wanted her to get out to the right. After a couple of attempts she took the right direction and got into the fall area and started to hunt. She made a drive into a clump of rushes and up went the Snipe and away across the adjoining field and out of our area.

I was very happy with the way Molly hunted today and she kept up a good pace from start to finish. She was 100% steady to the flush and shot also I was able to get her into the right area for the wounded Snipe (a good 50m blind retrieve). All in all it was a very successful training exercise and hopefully I will get a retrieve on a pheasant when the season opens here next Saturday. We are entered in a Novice Trial on the 5^th November so we have a lot of work to do in a short space of time. I am confident though that we will get on ok and not disgrace ourselves anyway.

23rd October 2008

The weather here in Tipperary has been shite the past few days and I am looking out the window now at rain coming down in sheets. I hope we get a bit of respite for the upcoming Bank Holiday weekend.

Last night it was raining also and very dull so I didn't get much time out with the dogs. I stayed in the garden and did some steadiness training. Walking Molly at heel and throwing a tennis ball in front of her. Then doing the same when she is quartering. She 100% steady to this now and I can throw any object and get the same solid reaction. I then sat her up and lobbed dummies, tennis balls, pheasant wings etc. all round her and she was 100% steady to everything. I called her in and she ignored all the temptation and came back to me. I then picked all the objects myself except 2 tennis balls and give her the 2 retrieves of these.

Last weekend while training in a local bog I met a good few Snipe with Molly so this Saturday I am going back there again and bringing my friend with me to do some shooting. The plan is to try and recreate a trial situation on the Snipe and get some flushes followed by a shot and hopefully a retrieve or two as well. All gearing up to getting her ready for a Novice Trial or two in November. I will report back on Tuesday as to how we got on and hopefully post some pictures also.

21st October 2008

Its been ages since I last posted on this training diary. I have gotten very lazy in my posting but I am back now with renewed enthusiasm (I hope). 
well it has been a great year with my Spaniel Molly. Both of us have learned so much and come a long way. Over the summer I ran her in 3 Working Tests here in Ireland. The first was in my local club North Tipperary Working Spaniel Club. I was very nervous that day I can tell you and I think it spilled over onto Molly also. It was a very enjoyable experience all the same and we made some new friends and received lots of advice. Following on from that I went to a few training sessions with one of Irelands best Spaniel Handlers Pat Brennan. The advice and encouragement he has given me over the summer has helped and improved us no end. Our second Working Test (novice) was run by the Clodagh Valley Gundog Club. I was less nervous this time following the training classes. There was a big improvement in both Molly and my performance. At the end of the run the judge complimented us on our progress. 
The final Working Test we entered was the National Working Test (novice) held at the National Game Fair in Birr Castle and run by the English Springer Spaniel Club of Ireland. The organiser Larry Taaffe is another person who was very helpful to me in the early days of Molly's training (and mine). Our run in this test went very well with a hunt up in very bare ground, a blind retrieve following a drop to shot, further hunt up with a long marked retrieve and another hunt followed by a marked water retrieve. After our run I felt we had done well after picking all our retrieves and hunting a decent pattern. I was delighted at the awards presentation to hear that we had received 3rd place. The feeling of joy and satisfaction I felt matched anything I every felt on the Hurling or Rugby fields. I am hooked! 
I have now send off entry forms to a couple of novice trials coming up in November so hopefully we will get a run in a few before the end of the season. I can't wait. I will try and post more regularly over the winter and will definitely report back on any trials we manage to get a run in.