http://www.altiquinlabradors.com/iri...html#usascores
EE shows "Jack" as a MH.
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http://www.altiquinlabradors.com/iri...html#usascores
EE shows "Jack" as a MH.
Last edited by Thomas D; 02-22-2013 at 03:30 PM.
Tom Dorroh
The "nettles" or whatever they were, were everywhere. Really bothered the US dogs. Maggie rolled on her back on the team walking hunt to get rid of the sting and was put for "unsteadiness." Connie carried Eli from one test to another to keep him out the stuff. Late on the last day, when we noticed the nettles did not seem to bother the EU dogs we were told that all had a protective salve on their pads. Funny they did not mention that at the start of the trial.
Originally Posted by Scott Parker
No need to go overseas and incur all the expense, just run the HRC Grand!
Lonnie Spann
Eug,
I was under the impression that it was "bad form" on that side of the pond for a dog to take running birds, or are you talking about a wounded bird?
"The bird hunter watches only the dog, and always knows where the dog is, whether or not visible at the moment. The dog’ nose is the bird hunters eye. Many hunters who carry a shotgun in season have never learned to watch the dog, or interpret his reaction to scent."
Aldo Leopold, Round River
Dave askedYes. I should have made that clear. What we term "lining" is regarded as a fault, it's the dogs job to produce a shot for the Gun, not chase a chicken into the next parish.are you talking about a wounded bird?
Many years ago in Scotland my Springer trailed and retrieved a pricked bird through what felt like miles of dead bracken. We eventually found it just about alive tucked deep into the fallen fronds and stalks, completely invisible. As best as I could make out from an Ordnance Survey map he'd run 450 metres.
Eug
Thank you, very kind, Mine's a pint.
Eug
Here are a few observations. I captained the Canadian Team. Most of our pre-event training was with the USA team in Florida/Georgia with Martin Deeley coaching us on what to expect. Lardy and I spent an inordinate amount of time planning, organizing, making travel arrangements, dealing with dog health requirements and fund-raising. This was the biggest challenge.
The event at Sherborne Castle was extremely enjoyable, well-organized and an excellent experience. Surprisingly, the field work was on dummies and we learned that in the off-season most trained without birds! This was not like a driven shoot and thus not like a real UK field trial. I have only seen one trial over there and been on driven shoots in Scotland but this was quite different. I would equate this more to our hunt tests. Jumping fences was routinely required. Marks and blinds were hunt test distances. Often the marks were walk-up and often in a line of dogs. We had trained on this and found our dogs readily caught-on. Ditto for the fence jumping.
It took us awhile to learn how they scored dogs and what they were looking for. We lost a lot of points during this phase. We allowed our dogs to go directly to the area of fall and hunt and we watched as other dogs mis-marked out of the area of fall and were quickly handled. They out-scored us!! On marks the judges didn't seem to like hunts. We found that strange. In comparison on blinds, we tried to line the birds and be sharp and crisp. The other dogs quartered out and hunted loosely on blinds and out-scored us. So on blinds they like to see hunts. When we knew where the blinds were we aced them. However, on some tests they simply said the dummy was in a certain broad area. Send your dog and hunt them up. We hadn't expected this but quickly learned the technique. The UK dogs would be sent, get near the area and told to hunt with a command like "Hi-Loss". We taught our dogs this almost over-night. Incidentally, my dog had extensive experience hunting and digging out cripples but these blinds were different as there was no scent trail or pricked birds- just a dummy somewhere but you didn`t know where.
Mike and I were both impressed with the UK dogs. They were stylish and good-looking and obedient. The Welsh team was a clear winner but several other teams were excellent. The Canadian team was all Field trial dogs with credentials including National wins for two. One excellent dog could not come at the last minute. One of our dogs had an off-week and struggled on several tests so our combined score was lower. However, if we took the average score of our other 3 dogs, we would have been second but not beat the Welsh. We felt that given our experience and the requirements that both American and Canadian teams of selected field trial or hunt test dogs could fare very well in future events. If it was simpler to attend and more economical we would do it again.
One final note: Water work in which our dogs excelled was of little consequence. The final series of water work was about equivalent to a junior hunt test whereas our dogs could do 450 yards water blinds and 30 minute Quads. So while we were impressed with the overseas labs, the jury is out on their water abilities.
All in all, this event was excellent and very enjoyable. Our thanks to the organizers and the competitors.
Last edited by RetrieversONLINE; 02-23-2013 at 08:35 AM. Reason: iPhone can`t spell
Dennis
That's funny. I don't care who you are.
Bubba Joiner
HRCH UH Ridgewood's Georgia Dawg (500 point club)
HRCH Ridgewood's Gold II
HR Hold My Beer & Watch This
You sound a bit like you feel rather 'hard done by' in your posts.The "nettles" or whatever they were, were everywhere. Really bothered the US dogs. Maggie rolled on her back on the team walking hunt to get rid of the sting and was put for "unsteadiness." Connie carried Eli from one test to another to keep him out the stuff. Late on the last day, when we noticed the nettles did not seem to bother the EU dogs we were told that all had a protective salve on their pads. Funny they did not mention that at the start of the trial.I'm sorry you feel like that. I really doubt there was any vendetta against the USA team or its dogs!
Nettles really bother a lot of dogs, and where possible we would avoid throwing dummies into them. I do think yellow dogs are troubled often worse than the blacks. I think their pads are more sensitive. I've never heard of a salve that you can put on your dogs pads for it, and I have trialled and tested up and down the country. But, I do know some of the continentals (swedish etc) do use various things on their dogs pads occasionally to protect against ice etc, so maybe they tried that? I don't think anyone was keeping secret potions from you?!
It is unfortunate that these 'working tests' happen in summer when nettles and brambles can be a bit fierce. The World Cup event is no longer held at Sherbourne, but is at Highclere instead, and I don't remember seeing many nettles there..... so, maybe come back and have another go?
WRT being put out for unsteadiness. I very much doubt that the judge would put a dog out just because of irritation of nettles. I was in a trial last October which included some very nasty cover, which affected my co-competitors dog's pads badly and he lay down and was trying to relieve the itching. Sensible judging prevailed. You can tell if a dog is unsteady....
I admire you hugely for coming over and having a go, and your dogs clearly performed well. I would expect them to though!! with the amount of highly technical training you do. Like Dennis says, these tests are a 'walk in the park' when compared to the great long distances your dogs do over land and water in your 'trials'. But they are what they are, working tests - and a great bit of fun too.
Thank you Dennis.
Eug
Thank you, very kind, Mine's a pint.
[QUOTE=kennel maiden;1073032]You sound a bit like you feel rather 'hard done by' in your posts.
I did not mean anything of the sort.
We were spectators and "did not have a dog in that hunt" other than cheering on Team USA. My posts were meant to be nothing more than a lighthearted poke at the "home field advantage" the locals enjoyed. The hospitality and comaraderie were superb and the competition fair and freindly. Maggie rolled on her back and was out on that test. Eli made a slight whine on the water dbl and was out on that test. But that's the game and no complaints. As Dennis said the US and CAN teams adapted extraordinarily well to the conditions and test requirments. It was all great fun and great dog work.
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