February 27th.

I arrived home late last night after flying to the UK to attend the CBRC AGM. I had submitted points for the Annual Trophies and although I had been informed that there was a trophy for collection I had no idea for which dog and for what. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted to be taking home five trophies as follows:

Corrie Cup for Top Working Dog/Bitch - Riverrun Away in A hack ( Bertie)
Westering Plate for Top Dual Purpose Dog/Bitch - Arnac Bay Winota ( Winnie)
Barry Shield for Top Show Dog - Riverrun Agus Avic ( Mossy)
The Glaneils Cup for Top Show Bitch - Arnac Bay Winota ( this is Winnie's second year to win this award).
Chessie Chat Trophy for Chessie Chat contribution.
The following is a copy of the aricle for which I won the Chessie Chat Trophy, the article was written last year in 2011 :

The left Over Puppy…This is the story of a puppy. It’s one that has probably been told and experienced by many others before. It is only different because it happened to me.

It all began when the puppies were eight weeks old. Bertie was booked to go to a gentleman who was looking for a wildfowling dog. On the day his perspective new owner arrived, the puppies were out playing together in the garden. Within the litter Bertie was the least outgoing preferring to sit back and observe rather than rush in. No amount of coaxing and encouragement on the part of the gentleman that morning would bring Bertie out from behind my legs. No, welcoming strangers was a job best left to his two more outgoing brothers! To my dismay, but not surprisingly, the gentleman left the puppy behind.

At nine weeks old an acquaintance, who had been impressed by Bertie’s father on the shoot in Wicklow, expressed an interest in running him on. He was a spaniel man and believed he’d enjoy the challenge of training a different breed of dog. After three weeks I rang to check in and see how Bertie was progressing. Alas, the news was not what I‘d hoped to hear. Bertie had spent his three weeks howling every time he was put in the kennel. The trainer was also a little disappointed that his new puppy was nothing like his father, and showed no interest in retrieving more than one dummy before getting bored and walking away! I thought it best to take the eleven week old puppy back at that stage before any serious long term damage was done.

This time he was home to stay. Anyone who’s ever given any animal a second or third chance will know what happened next.True to form, Bertie slotted right into the household. He took his position as bottom of the pack and worked really, really hard to impress Des, the person he knew would be the hardest to break.

One evening, not long after he’d returned Des took me out to the garden to show me something. The puppy sat on the edge of the lawn and watched as Des walked away from him and dropped a tennis ball, unseen. Des returned to the puppy and pointed to the ball. The puppy followed the line of his arm and off he went, straight to the ball and returning straight to hand. He had never been trained or taught to do any of this. He just seemed to have an innate sense of what was required.

We began then, to get glimpses of the type of dog he could become. We were excited but terrified at the same time that we would wreck him. Neither of us were experienced enough in gundog training to know if we would push him too hard too soon, or not push him far enough. In the end we decided that what we wanted most was to enjoy every moment of working this dog. We thought our best course of action would be to let him set the pace.

I would never previously have dreamed of exposing a young puppy to a driven shoot but for a phone call from a guy, who’d bought a litter sister, to tell me that his five and a half month old Chesapeake , Rosie, had just retrieved her first duck. She’d been taken out as an observer with a more experienced Labrador. When the lab was sent for the retrieve, the puppy had no hesitation but to jump in behind. Fifty yards out and the lab gave up. The puppy lifted her head clear of the water, winded the bird and locked on. The following week, one of my older dogs pulled up with a slashed pad. With no dog to work we took a chance. We vowed to put no pressure on him, just to let him enjoy the experience. If he became too stressed with all that was going on we’d put him away until next year. On his first outing he retrieved ten birds, all to hand. He never looked back. We allowed him his head that season, no emphasis on steadiness or whistle control. Just building confidence and letting him enjoy the experience. He had game-sense that you would expect from a dog twice his age, taking no time to figure out the link between gun and bird. He was a puppy with huge energy and drive but balanced with sense and focus which allowed him to start work as young as he did.

First shooting season finished and the natural course of events would have seen us commencing formal gundog training. That summer however saw our lives take a different path when our beautiful daughter Elly joined our lives. Adjusting to motherhood meant that gundog training was put on the back burner, so to speak. This also meant that Bertie entered his second season more unruly than I’d have liked but his hunting skills and use of his nose improved. His whistle work and steadiness did not!

The spring of his second year we started formal training. Never before had I experienced a dog with such a thirst for learning. As with all young dogs mistakes are made. Sometimes by the dog, but more often by the trainer.   Bertie, like most Chesapeakes, did not like being corrected but neither did he sulk. He would return to my side glance up at me as much as to say ‘right let’s try that again and I’ll do better’. He put such heart and soul into every retrieve. He was a joy, and still is, to train.

He ran ten novice working tests that summer of his second year. Starting in early April and finishing the end of September. On average he ran in a test every second weekend. Out of them he placed in seven. It was intense but he thrived on every second of it. My heart swelled with pride every time we walked away from the line. He was one big brown dog among many small black labs and proving with each competition that it is possible for another breed to throw down the gauntlet.

Our third season (which is the one just gone by) was his best yet. With a summer of decent training behind him, and along with the previous seasons hunting experience, he developed into one of the most enjoyable dogs to work with I’ve had so far.   I think the great thing about our breed is their utter versatility and their pure dedication to work. That is what they thrive on. Within one hunting season Bertie sat in a boat for some duck decoying, stood in line week after week as a picking up dog, did a few days pheasant rough shooting and then spent the summer competing in Working Tests.

Well the left Over Puppy done good. This year, just a day after he turned three years old, he placed third at an Advanced (Open) Working Test. His fellow competitors were all black dogs; many were FTCH preparing for the CLA game fair. When I think back on that puppy that day I wonder sometimes who picked who, and I smile……

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

Final Crufts preparations

February 20th.
With just over 2 weeks left to Crufts I continue with my final preparations to have Mossy ready and at his best on the day. A lot of the prep work I do with my dogs has absolutely no scientific evidence behind it to prove it makes any difference. It just makes me feel I've given him the best chance to be the best he can on the day.

An early trip to the airport this morning , with my friend Sue, gave me the oppurtunity to visit a place I hadn't been to since my professional dog walking days. Kilcrea, is one of those rare gems along the North Dublin coast. Its a gravel beach, tucked into an estuary, that for some reason or another no body ever seems to use. Perfect when you're walking multiples of dogs. This morning I was glad to see it hadn't changed. Not a soul in sight. I togged Elly up in her snow suit and wellies and let Mossy out of the car.

A sharp wind blowing from the northwest  created a nice swell for him to work against. The water was exactly the depth I wanted, chest deep, so it acted as a counter weight and made him work using front and back quarters equally. For this type of workout he will have no more than six retrieves each spaced out throughout the walk. The peace and solitude of the walk was only broken by the calls of the brent geese above us. Annoyed , I'm sure, that someone was intruding on their morning feeding.
Monday evening we were back at ring craft and a massive improvement in standing for exam.



February 21st.

Just over a month since I recieved the invitation to put forward an Irish team for this year's Aigle Euro Challenge at the CLA game fair in July.It has consumed my thoughts night and day. I have spent the last few weeks sending out letters and emails with a thin thread of hope that we will get some sort of sponsorship or help . It is a difficult time to be looking for any sort of monetary assistance. That thin thread of hope is rapidly evaporating and I need to turn my time and attention , for the moment on trianing my own dogs and preparing for competition.So I'm parking it for a while. Going to turn my attention to forthcoming competitions and revisit it later in the Spring. The first working competition of the season is just over a week away. A mock field trial being run by Ballygowan game and Wildfowling Club in aid of the MS Charity.

Winnie is just 4 weeks post AI. Her outline has changed and teats are enlarged. I'm still hesitant about declaring whether or not she is or isn't and haven't decided yet whether I'll bite the bullet and get her scanned next week.

I finally got round to contacting the UK Kennel Club today about applying to have both Winnie and Chester become Full UK Champions. The answer is 'Yes', subject to us sending through their appropriate paperwork both will be allowed to use the Full Champion title. I'm pretty sure this will make them the only chesapeakes to hold a Full Irish Champion Title, an International Beaute Champion title and Full UK Champion Title.

February 22nd

Loaded up the trailer and headed to myMum's this morning. Dropped Elly at playschool and then headed back to my Mum's. Gave Mossy, Zoe and  Bailey a blowout down the fields . Laid some blinds and headed back for a quick coffee and to meet Colum and Stevie.
Training is coming along nicely although the proof will be in the pudding at the competition in Fermanagh in 2 weeks time. One thing I've learned as a certainty when competing with dogs and that is , 'nothing is a certainty'. Bertie is handling very nicely now. His biggest flaw is just a little thing but something that could lose a lot of marks and incredibly difficult to correct ...creeping in line. We've been working hard on it over the last few weeks and if he only gets that right in Fermanagh I will be very happy.

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

Bogland Training.

February 17th.
Training this morning was on the Oristown Bog. Weather was mild with a light drizzle and moderate winds from the West. I'm not sure whether it was the increased wind or the nudulating ground but their scenting ability today was unbelievable.

Most of the working tests early on in the season, in Ireland , take place on or around bogland. It's tricky for a dog that has no experience of handling it. What appears to be ground with smooth transitions is in fact a maze of hidden ponds overgrown with moss. This means that when a dog makes a run out on a 'mark' they more than likely will encounter shifts in momentum as they negotiate unforeseen obstacles.

This morning was our first morning trying the dogs out on this type of ground. our intention therfore, was to shorten distances and keep to single marks perhaps stretching them out a little if they coped well. Our training group was back to 2 handlers . I had 2 dogs- Mossy and Bertie and my little helper, Elly, also accompanied us.
This was Mossy's first time back in training mode so steadiness and marking were my two priorities with him.

Although brothers , Mossy and Bertie, have been like 2 sides of the one coin. Up until now one has excelled in conformation and the other as a working dog. It was never my intention to keep 2 brothers from the same litter. It just happened that way. To give equal time to both dogs at the same disciplines in the first 3 years of their life was a luxury I did not have. So up until now I have taken the easier path of following them in the areas they each are strongest at. That is all about to change...
My intention this year is for a role reversal of sorts. Bertie will compete in his first show of the year in April . Hopefully to win his first Green Star, ( a point towards becoming an Irish Show Champion ). Mossy will continue to train up with the intention of running Novice Working tests this Summer. Both will continue to compete in their respective ' areas of excellence ', but just not against each other.

Anyway, back to training this morning. The choice of ground was a good one. Despite the difficult terrain all 3 dogs marked well . The small adjustment that Sean suggested in my handling of Bertie has made a huge difference in his attitude to handling. Thanks Sean
.
A point of note, though. Although the ground was a challenge and the dogs worked well , I would be cautious of training there too often. Moving over ground where they are uncertain of their footing may lead to a reduction in the ' gutsy'  out runs I'm used to seeing from 'My Boys'...maybe I'll be proved wrong??

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

Practicing Walkups and Crufts prep work continues.

Tuesday February 14th.
Training on Sunday morning was like a breath of fresh air. The weather was a mild 10 celcius with a light mist and breeze from the South West.
Three of us met up, joined later by Stephen, with the specific intent to work on walk ups . This is in preparation for the Mock trial in Fermanagh on March 3rd.
Sean brought his son John along as thrower and each of us took turns standing in line with him . So we had a two dog line up and two throwers about one hundred yards apart.
Using a combination of pistol fire, dummy launchers and hand throwing the dogs were exposed to a variety of distances and calls. A most interesting observation was how the dynamics of having three dogs working and extra people around changed the behaviour of the dogs. Certainly Bertie was much more keyed up and competitive than when just working alongside his training buddy , Stevie.He worked well though, despite the added distractions. I am pleased that his marking has improved greatly at long distances even if it involves an obstacle , such as a river, he is keeping his line. He has also gained confidence on his blind work. Last year he tended to take a line for a certain distance before curling into the wind but I can push him back now and he will take a line and/or correction of a line as is needed.

It's amazing how a pair of fresh eyes can see things that may have become habit. Behaviours that I , as a handler, have developed and are hindering rather than helping my dog read what I'm asking of him. I asked Sean to be brutally honest on areas I could improve on. He has given me a few pointers to work on in my handling skills.So hopefully they will help Bertie further.
Passes for Crufts arrived in the post this morning. I took Mossy to ringcraft class in Swords last night. I was determined to nail the habit of jumping up to greet the judge!!. Something that's acceptable puppy behaviour but certainly not endearing in a 45kg male Chesapeake. I have been working on it at home over the last few weeks but for one reason or another have not been able to attend class. I was pleasantly surprised last night, however, that he stood like a pro. To make sure it's not a one off I plan to do  ring craft classes two nights next week.Crash course for Crufts!!

Winnie is now just 3 weeks post AI. She certainly looks fuller in the ribcage but I'm hesitant to make a call until week 5.

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

Why is the Working Labrador so successful in competition?

Within the Retriever world of Field Trials and Working Tests there is no doubt the Working Labrador Retriever is King. Now I have never owned or trained a Labrador, nor have I any inclination to do so. I am simply puzzled as to why this is so? I am completely and utterly devoted to my Chessies. I love their work ethic and the fact that I can go from the working field to the showring in one weekend. I hope this is never lost within my breed.

There are six established and historically significant breeds of Retriever. Most, if not all, pre-date the Labrador. Speaking from my own experience, once you go outside of the Field trial / Working test circle most of the breeds definitely perform within a more level playing field. Nothing in my opinion beats a Chessie's tenacity in finding wounded game. I would never dare to give an opinion on another breed I'm not familiar with, but, after having experienced and worked with a variety of retrievers in the working field, each carry their own merits and vices including Labradors. So the question remains, what is it that sets the Lab apart in competition?

Is it a shorter adolescent period? or simply the fact that there is a wider choice within the genepool? This I don't really buy as something must first have made the breed more attractive to compete with.

Is it a revolving door policy? in that most people who compete with Labs are more interested in being successful in Field Trial/Working Tests than the breed they compete with? I don't buy this theory either, as if it were true, surely then we would have the same trend within Goldies, Flatcoats, Chessies etc...turning over dogs until one comes along to suit our demands.

Maybe the answer is simply in the original statement. What sets the Working Labrador apart is just that. A sub-breed within a breed has been perfected to excel at competion Field Trials / Working Tests.. Some of the other retriever breeds are starting to follow suit. They have set a bar within competition to rise to, the challenge for me as a Chessie owner is to meet that bar and keep a conformationally sound and good looking dog in doing so.

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yPglgVw0EM

February 9th 2012.


Finding good training ground at this time of year is never difficult. Cattle are off the land and as long as we stay many miles away from where sheep are lambing we're sorted. What seems to present more problems is the number of available training companions...most are suffering , quite possibly , from Field Trial fatigue. Unfortunatley by the time they feel motivated to commence training for the Working test season training ground availability will again begin to decline.
 I have been fortunate to have gained the aquaintance of Colum, a fellow non-field trialler and Flatcoat owner , we all have our crosses to bear :). The important thing is we are equally as passionate at pushing our dogs as far as they can go.

Winterwork for Gundogs is somewhat of a double edged sword.Especially if your dog is part of the picking up team on a shoot. Marking down birds improves considerably and as the dogs become more experienced they learn to judge distance better but also work out that they can  find a bird by going around cover as opposed to going a straight line. So lines tend to become fuzzy during the Winter and need to be tightened up again at this time of year. .

This morning's training session went well. The weather was mild with a light rain falling so even though there was very little wind the scent was good. We started with some easy long single marks in short meadowgrass. As we moved on down through the fileds to the Rushy Bottoms I laid a memory blind, which we would pick on the way home. The ground we're using at the moment varies from meadow to rushy ground. The poorest aspect being the water, which is a narrow river, so we will need to vary that over the coming weeks. A lot of working tests are based around lakes. 
 Bertie's marking is good. I learned form watching more experienced handlers in competition last year to blow him up and handle him onto a mark quickly rather than allowing him hunt around, unless he nails it straight off. He's still pulling against me on direction, tending to acknowledge me briefly before turning to work again. I am learning if I slow down  my commands , he focuses better. I need to staple my feet to the ground as I have a tendency to move around way too much when handling on lefts and rights:).
I have booked my flight to attend the UK CBRC AGM at the end of the month. It's also a lovely opportunity to see my little sis , who lives in Oxford and is giving me a bed for the night.
Preparation work continues with Mossy.He's still having issues standing for exam so it's my intention to attend two ringcraft classes next week. Time is ticking on...
The following is a synopsis of our work over the Winter months. Since I  became involved in working my dogs Winter has become my favourite season.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yPglgVw0EM

Copyright Riverrunchesapeakes 2012

Synopsis Introduction

January 2012.
Ok so a brief run down.... Early January I was surprised and delighted to receive an email from a Ms Gadd inviting me to put together and field a team for the Aigle Euro Challenge at this year's CLA game fair. This came about as a result of talking to a lady last year when I went to watch the dogs in action at Blenheim Palace. I asked about the possibilty of running an Irish team but was given the answer that as Ireland already ran an International Retreiver team on the Saturday and Sunday it was unlikely that we would be eligible to run a team at the Euro Challenge. I gave my details and left it at that . Thought no more about it until a gentleman I pick up with at Mountainstown shoot had been speaking to Sara Gadd, (he has one of her labs), and she enquired if he knew me...it really is true that in Ireland you are only one person removed from knowing someone! Anyway he passed her email to me, I contacted her and she got back to me forthwith asking if I'd be interested. I'm all for not letting oppurtunities pass you by, despite the fact that since then I pass through phases of complete excitement followed by blind panic...

My most diificult task is to find sponsorship as I'm acutely aware that not many people have the spare funds to commit to travelling to the UK for three days . I have begun the process of sending out letters in the hope that we will ignite interest somewhere. This really is a unique event and the first time ireland will be represented. it consists of a team of 3 retreivers, all different breeds,no more than one lab is allowed on the team. I am hopeful that I will be able put a strong team together. Choosing how best to go about choosing dogs for the team has been tricky . A run off is not an option as I feel you can have a dog on a particular day that gets lucky but is not consistant. A draw again may not bring forward the strongest dogs so I keep falling back to the idea that just observing dogs running in competition over the coming months will be my best course of action. First competition of the season is a simulated walk up trial in Fermanagh on March 3rd.

Shooting season finished last Tuesday Jan 31st. It was a frustrating one for me as I didn't get out as often as I'd have liked. It has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, as I've been able to keep more of a handle on Bertie's training. In previous years , when we'd be out picking up and roughshooting 4-5 times a week, whistle work went by the wayside . Lines that I'd spent the Summer cultivating disappeared in the mist. I'd have to turn around in Spring and start from scratch. I relaxed on training but was consistant with the basics , keeping him steady during the drives and tight on the whistle. By the end of the season he was sitting offlead during drives as hares ran past and birds fell around him ;only going for runners on my request.

Winnie is now home almost two weeks from AI.I have to admit to being rather precious with her this time round. Until I know whether or not the AI has been successful walks have been very controlled. No made gallops over mucky fields.

With only just over a month to Crufts prep work has begun with Mossy. I really feel cycling alongside with him in trot has improved his gait, teaching him to extend more. I used to be able to jog with Chester but Mossy has a much bigger stride and the bicycle, for me, is a much better option.
This morning I was up and out of the house at 7.30am and on the road to Mornington beach to take him swimming. It was a beautiful morning, a soft mist hung over the mouth of the Boyne and not a soul in sight as we made our way along the shore to the strand . The frost has gone and there's definitely a hint of Spring in the air.