One Man & His Gundogs

30/08/2026

Ella’s first retrieve of a game bird.

With a defrosted bird from last year’s shoot, I gave Ella the opportunity to retrieve her first partridge. She completes 3 retrieves: a marked (or seen) retrieve, a memory and a blind retrieve.

It didn’t go entirely to plan, but I think it’s only right to show my mistakes as well as when things go well.

I made the mistake of taking her first 2 “prizes” off her too soon, thereby creating in her an unwillingness to deliver the bird on the 3rd attempt.

We got round the problem, but I’m going to have to watch this issue carefully, ensuring that she understands that not only does every retrieve belong to me but that her role is to deliver the bird to me.

Some may say this was too soon for a 5 month old pup. I take a different view. She won’t retrieve any hot game or go shooting with me for well over a year from now. But I believe in starting dogs early on retrieving cold game to identify, address and correct any issues before we do this for real in 15 months time.

29/08/2026

I’ve always allocated each dog their own whistle tone, so that I can control each dog individually when we’re all out together. I have a 210.5 for V, a 212 for Choo, a silent whistle for Tilly and Ella has inherited Daisy’s 211.5 whistle.

I originally started doing this for show at the gundog demos we used to do, but I’ve discovered that it really does have practical benefits when out picking up when two or more dogs are out working simultaneously and I need to step in to control one dog at a time.

Here’s us practicing individual recalls using whistle alone. Ella is getting there …..

19/08/2026

We had an abortive attempt to have V speyed this morning……

Following initial sedation, she had an “explosive bowel movement”!! The surgeon could not continue for fear of bacterial contamination, so we have returned home armed with meds.

Oh my goodness, am I now in her bad books or what?!? When the nurse brought her back to me she just stared at me, wouldn’t come to me and no tail wag. And, as the video shows, I’m still persona non grata. No look, no wag, nothing. I’m the horrid man who took her to a strange place and caused all this trouble and embarrassment 😂😂😂

The upshot is that we will have to wait for her tummy to settle before trying again. This means that she’ll now not be ready for the start of the shooting season, which is a pity. But it’s in her best interests, so I’ll just have to live with her scorn and disdain until I’m back in her good books again.

I’m sorry, V 😔❤️

05/08/2026

Ella, at nearly 5 months of age, gaining in confidence and competence.

This was her first “memory blind” in a wood, requiring her to go out of sight of me to find and retrieve the dummy. She didn’t seem too concerned about this new, highly distracting environment.

Ladder drills next!

05/08/2026

A young GWP around the pheasant pen.

Some people laugh when I describe the levels of steadiness I expect from a gundog.

Stage 1 of my steadiness programme starts with the dog remaining steady on a placeboard to a dropped tennis ball. Stage 13 of 15 requires a dog to be steady at heel, off lead, walking the perimeter of a pheasant pen containing several hundred poults. Stage 14 involves leaving the dog at sit/stay inside a pen and then recalling the dog through and over the birds. Stage 15 is a dog remaining steady to a shot and wounded runner.

Here, in the presence of and with the permission of the gamekeeper, V tackles Stage 13. For a 2 year old GWP with boundless prey drive, she did ok!

15/07/2026

Chewing bedding has never really been a problem with my girls.

But 3 beds destroyed on 3 consecutive nights by 2 different dogs (culprits shown here, butter wouldn’t melt etc) suggests that something’s going on, and I don’t know what.

Could it be the heat?

02/07/2026

Proofing the basics with Ella at the 16 week point in a new environment: off-lead heel work, sit/stay, recall, resisting distractions and the basic retrieve.

She was both a bit tentative and distracted by people, sights and sounds but, overall, she’s about where she should be at this age.

No rush.

27/06/2026

Ella is becoming increasingly confident in water. She has a real determination about her, happy to battle against the current and deliver to hand. She exhibits the same tenacity on land too.

I’m happy with Ella’s progress in training, but have to have eyes in the back of my head to prevent her from eating anything and everything!

I was watching a FB video of a 15 week old lab stopping at distance on the whistle and then taking a left hand cast to a 40 yard retrieve. Whenever I see such work, I admit to being both impressed and a tad envious. But I remind myself of Laura Hill’s comments when she watched me “drilling” (her word) Veeka at the same age. Her words still ring loud & true, and I hope I’ve since learned to progress at the pace that’s right for the dog and to avoid comparisons.

19/06/2026

15/05/2026

Ella is here and has met her new “sisters”. V & Choo have been fine, Tilly not so welcoming. But that’s no bad thing.

She’s understandably traumatised having been separated from Mum and siblings, she remains wary of everything, she’s not eating well and she’s submissive. So, all normal.

Like all pups, she just needs time and love. I’m sure she’ll be fine.

I expect an all-night serenade tonight. Again, situation normal. 😂