Do you work your working dog? Discussions

If so, what type of work? Photos are always nice if you have any handy

Yes I do - I have a lab and a spaniel that are both picking up dogs on a large commercial shoot. I generally go about twice a week in the season and my dogs simply live for shooting, they love it so much.

However, they are family members first and foremost, if they hadn'd turned out to be such brilliant working dogs they would still be family pets and very much loved they are too

Not only do I love watching my dogs work, and it is just the best, most satisfying feeling when they have worked so well - but I enjoy the training too. I used to help run a gundog classes and a gundog scurry at a big agricultural show and it was great to see all the different breeds give it a go

At the moment - no sadly.

My previous Springer was a 'gundog' who came to me from my brother who was a gamekeeper. By the time he was mine he'd kind of stopped working full time but I took him out when I could on casual shoots, beating or with friends shooting.

Fingal my present Springer is just a 12 year old family pet now (and he does that very well) but to be fair to him he was a cracking dog in his youth when I was more connected to the shooting scene. These days it would be unfair to use him on a large busy shoot as he's deaf as a post but he's great at picking up in private and will do well in the scurry at the game fair as he's great with close visual hand signals and (there's always a plus) no longer prone to audible distractions.

Breagh (my 3 year old Lab X Pointer) has never been worked in anger but on the quiet I've been chomping at the bit to give her a wee test. No Spaniel flushing qualitiesobviously but everything points to fantastic 'picking up'. On her own with one gun she'd be great but a busy day with other dogs and distractions would need a lot more work on my part.

yes two out of the 5 of mine work on a smallish sindicate shoot in Huddersfield Meg works in the Beating line and a bit of picking up, and Molly just Beating, its like flipping a switch for them they're happy and switched on when ever they're running, but put them in the line and it all goes up a notch, they live to work and its pleasure watching them, pity the season isn't longer.

, 2 don't work because of medical reasons, and one because she's just plain scared although we have tried a couple of times,

Ill skip the photos, but yes with mine.

Yes with the 2 terriers, they are hot on rats, but i dont think some ratty folk would appreciate the pics

Trip - nope - although I believe it was a deliberate HPR cross, by the time she came to me she was sound sensitive (and I could not stomach it!)!

Siren works sheep occasionally (not been able to recently) but more with a view to trialling instead of actual farm work.

Little Coo works hard at sitting on my lap.

rune

Mine is a ratter too and he's done a very tiny bit of livestock work - more out of curisoity on my part to see if he had it in him (he does!) He's also been out beating a few times, but I've stopped that now because I want to focus his attention on the working trials.

I am hoping (so much depends on job security/ family ) to get a second dog that I can work soley as a dog for beating. Not decided on the breed yet...

Yes, all our border collies are working sheepdogs and I help my hubby, who is head shepherd on a hill farm/shooting estate in the Scottish Borders. I am hoping to have a small flock of my own, when Ben (our son) goes to full time school.

There is nothing more satisfying than watching a dog do what it was bred to do, and doing it well - as well as really enjoying its work. My hubby is a very competent sheepdog trainer and handler, but has never really been interested in the trials side of working a dog. However, I am keen to give it a go and hope to have Fly ready to trial in the nurseries later in the year.

I am always posting pics of the dogs working , but for those who haven't seen them, here are just a few of my fave pics There are loads more in the rural section and working dog'ers section too

My lovely Mossy (RIP wonderful boy )



The wonderful Rob (our most photogenic sheepdog ever )





A pup we bred ~ Greg



Rip



Bill



Mirk



Mirk and Nap



Oops, getting carried away That'll do ;-) ;-) ;-)

Those pictures are brilliant - thanks Collies being collies - hurray!

Yes all mine do or have worked except baby Pixie

Can we have a photo of Pixie - just to see what a 'non-working' dog looks like.....just in the interests of science....not just coz I want to see a picture of a cute little ginger terrier?!!!

of course! They love it!

Ours too........







Mick

I work my Weimaraner in Working Trials, (CDex UDex WDex TDex) but she has also got her BH, FH1 and FH2 in Schutzhund, the Working Gundog Certificate, competed successfully in Agility, passed her Blood Tracking Aptitude Test, and is a PAT dog.

My GSD has CDex UDex WDex in Working Trials and SchH1, 2 and 3 in Schutzhund.

we work ours they love a good workout, the pale sibe mishka runs when she is in the mood shes 1 funny girl but the other 2 black/white sibes really love it & have a good attitude.we do the occasional rally to give them a different area to run in really.






One happy husky if rather mucky

Love the sibe pics.

I guess it depends what you mean by working...

Flynn has been beating but HPR's arent beating dogs and they can get ruined so i've decided against that. I already said in another thread that once I get some ammo for my slingshot, then Flynn and I will be out bagging some free dinner. We also compete in any Working Tests we are eligible for and also scurries.

The collies dont get used for what they were bred for but along with Flynn, they are a great hunting team. Jed is the tracker, Jessie is the flusher and Flynn is the catcher and dispatcher but all 3 are general game finders.

We have used Jessie for a spot of rabbiting...She marked the live holes that contained rabbits and then we knew where to put the ferret.

What a lovely dog! The is a Slovak in our village, but I've never seen your cross before - he's stunning!
There is a wirehaired Vizla on the beating line on one shoot that I beat on.