The first of two gun dog training events on Sunday 4 th June was a great success. Stephanie Smith, a gundog trainer, gave a demonstration on how to control your dog with the whistle and explained about the hand signal to accompany the whistle.

Jo then took us of to the open moor-land where she put us through our paces walking the line to flush the birds up for the guns.

We did retrieves with various kinds of dummies, some covered with bird feathers, others with fur and just plain old dummies.

After lunch we worked in the woods retrieving of objects in thick undergrowth, the young dogs proving that they were well up for this game, as well as the older dogs. We then did the bolting hare, which is a dummy covered in fur attached to an elastic line. When the hare is released the dogs watch but must not chase it. This exercise proved that the dogs had a great degree of steadiness as not one chased after the hare.

We then went back to Jo's for a proper cup of tea and coffee and a muffin, after which we did the last exercise, a scurry over bales which was great fun.

All in all a great day out, so try and make the next one.