Left to right: Simon & Zoe, Molly & me, Kim & Cashew, Geoff & Sally.So, as you can see, the big smile says; Molly and I managed to achieve a Certificate of Merit at the East Midlands Gundog Club novice handler/ novice dog test this last weekend - 6th June.
It was a great day. I had entered Teasle (2yrs) and Molly (3yrs). Now Teasle only started training properly in November so is pretty much a raw recruit. Doesn't like jumping, nor water - well, until Saturday. I had been trying to get her into water for weeks. Got her up to her oxters in a small river on holiday - but swimming depth? 'I don't think so' says Teasle. So bad that Molly would swim into the deep water and drop the ball at Teasle's feet for her to bring in!!! Sweet of Molly, but not according to plan. Once I heard that there was water at the test, I was a tad concerned, so, after training on Saturday we went to the pond. I don't know what changed, but after a few ennis balls (her favourite) and watching Molly pick them, Teasle decided she would go. By the time Gaynor and Simon arrived, she had brought out a few dummies. By the tome we left, Gaynor had her not only picking dummies but handling on them in the water too. Molly had a good time too, getting on to the island to pick dummies too.
So we were all set for Sunday...
A rainy day, but it slowed down as we arrived although Sandra Braithwaite and the other helpers and judges were already rather damp.
We went as a group to the 4th test - our first. I was second in with Teasle. When I got to the peg for the test my heart sank a touch when I saw the small jump, but I tried to be calm about it and think I succeeded. The dummy was just behind the fence, thrown with a shot. I sent Teasle, her going off a tad smart if i'm honest, and stopped at the fence. No amount of 'get over' or 'go back' impacted and she wasn't listening to the whistle. Gaynor called to me to call her up and Debbie Hall, the judge, agreed. She was also kind enough to let me take Teasle up and get her over the jump, the dummy thrower also very kindly helping out.
I got back to wait to find Molly had been whinging :( we worked on that for the rest of the day and I think we got somewhere.
When it was Molly's turn, she, surprisingly, didn't go straight over and didn't really respond as she should to the whistle. However, she did eventually get over, get the dummy and return. We also got some marks which can't be bad.
Our second test was test number 1. We had to walk the dogs slowly at heel, stop and have them sit while a shot was fired and a dummy thrown out at 90 degrees. We then heeled to a further stop, left the dog and returned to where we had stopped for the shot. Recalling the dog they had to stop and wait until they were sent for the dummy.
Both Molly and Teasle did very well at this although I do still need to work more on Molly with her slow heeling across ground. She tends to pick her way around the thistles rather than stick close by me!!
Our third test, at the top of the field, consisted of a mark, thrown by Rory with shot, followed with a blind with shot being thrown as the dog returned.
I'm afraid Teasle really didn't perform as she could have. I thought she had marked the dummy, but sent her on her name, also pointing her in the right direction. She went back and chased around, but didn't really get her nose down. She didn't respond to the whistle and another very kind judge Morris Sargeant, asked if I minded if we called her up. I was actually about to suggest the same as I told him. However, he also suggested that we give her an easier retrieve . It took two throws by Rory but she did eventually succeed.
Our final test was at the lake at the bottom of the field. The first dummy was thrown into the lake, visible through a gap in the cover around the edge where we were stood. A second dummy was placed as a blind, straight up the track at 90 degrees to the first. A shot was fired over it. It took a few moments but Teasle She came back and I caught the dummy!
Turning her around, I sent her back, she went through the small fance and was just about to pick up the dummy when a shot rang out and Rory threw a dummy back at the top of the field and that is when Teasle showed how she can run!!! Off she went at a rate of knots and from what I could see, nearly go the dummy!!! As she ignored the whistle I ws sent to the fence to keep recalling her - I saw her way out on the rigt and called her name and she turned to come towards me, getting to the edge of the lake and cutting off the corner by swimming across to where the original dummy was. She picked it up and I ran back to the peg in time to take it off her!! A big thank you to judge Chris Winfield for directing me and being very patient!!
Molly was reluctant to get into the water at the gap, I don't know why, although Gaynor suggested that it was the water lillies putting them off - there were a lot. However, once she got going she did really well and went back for the other dummy easily.
When we got back to the car for lunch, they showed they were both really thirsty. I made a mental note to carry water around even on a small ground - they might both have been a bit more responsive if they had had a drink.
I sat back and relaxed and was rather stunned when Sandra came through and called Molly's number for a run off.
There were 7 of us - 4 being Gaynor's trainees. Geoff, however is an experienced handler so in the novice test while Simon, Kim and I were novice dog / novice handler. Our test comprised at a retrieve over the same dip they used for test 1, a mark with shot thrown from behind a tree at the other side of the dip. Molly went out well, but ran around the tree. I tried to handle her; she did stop but I sent her out left when I should have sent her back. I did get her into the right area eventually, but not as well as I should have. ...and we still managed to gain our award. A big thank you to all those who set up the tests so we could have the opportunity to test our dogs and to the judges: Morris Sergeant, Chris Winfield, Laura Marsh and Debbie Hall who were so kind and helpful and helped us to achieve. As always a big thank you to Gaynor who trains us with such patience and fun, stretching us and our dogs.
What did I learn?- I need to tighten up heel and whistle work even more.
- I need to take a litttle more time setting them up.
- I need to be a bit tougher with the Teasle dog - she can do it, don't let her get away with silliness.
- I need to make sure I have water with me for them.
So, here's to next time
