Category: Training
In this section you will find guidance on training, aspects of working, and the working standard. Details on training opportunities provided by the ISCGB and other clubs are listed. If you would like some details placed here please contact us.
Working Tests Uncovered
Working Tests are run from spring to late summer (out of the shooting season) using dummies, and occasionally dead pigeons, or caged game for the dogs to point. No live game is ever shot (blanks may be used). These tests are organised according to the age and standard of the dogs – Puppy (6 -18 months), Novice and Open; and you would start in the Puppy or Novice and then qualify to move up to Open. Occasionally there is a Graduate or Intermediate test to bridge the gap between Novice and Open.
By Colin Elliot 2007
Alfie and I turned up on Sat morning not knowing what to expect and found a farm yard full of people and dogs of all ages and breeds, it seem that half the local village was there. There were 8 guns and about 20 Beaters some with dogs and 2 Pickingup teams not including Alfie and myself. When we arrived at the shooting ground I was told to stand with one of the Pickingup teams and watch how Alfie behaves and if he is not happy with the sound of the guns to move further away from the sound of the guns.
Late last summer I was lucky enough to be asked if I would like to come ‘up north’ once a month and join in with a small group of people who enjoy training their HPRs. For me this entailed a round trip of approx 4 hrs but as I found out it is well worth the trip each month. Having heard how this group was formed I approached Ingrid Moyser and Marie Holt to see if they would like to share their experience of setting up and running this training group. Between them they have a very interesting story to tell.
Colin Elliott
He may look dumb but….
Last weekend (Sunday 6th April) i took Boswell aka Ozzy to his first gundog training day with the GSP club. ( I got Ozzy via the rehoming scheme 4 months ago).
Very unsure how he would be, i was prepared for the embarrasment of him running off and finding something more fun to play with, but to my surprise he was very good. “The makings of an excellent hunting dog”, said the trainer.
So after a hard day of ‘sit and stay’, ‘walk to heel’ and ‘fetch’ we decided to call it a day and went home with homework for the next lesson, Whistle recall and sit-stay.
He seems to be coping with the recall (due to the fact that there is a biscuit at the end), but sit and stay is a bit more long-winded, any ideas???
Also we are looking for training classes closer to home, this class is in Bournemouth, any one that knows of a class closer to Winchester would be grateful….