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MULLENSCOTE BLOG - January 2012

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Wow! What a brilliant start to the New Year. The New Years Day Scurry, The New Lains Shooting School website is up and running, Hunter Wellingtons sponsor the Mullenscote Team, our Training Course Assessment results were mind blowing and we are all off out Shooting, Beating and Picking Up. I love 2012!

Many of you joined us for our New Year's Scurry event on New Years Day and will know that it was a huge success. There were loads of dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds, hot food and gundog events to match every ability of handlers and dogs alike. It really was a brilliant and fun event, everyone was in such great spirits and surprisingly few obvious Hang-overs.

"I would like to say a really big thank you to the Event Sponsors, Skinners, Pet Spec, Gilpa, The Original Raised Bed Company, The Cannons and The Williams.

There is a second set of thank you's to say to all of the very professional Time Keepers, Marshalls and Dummy Throwers that gave up their New Years Day to help us to run the event."

Howard

Main Arena Sponsors Wood & Douglas have sent us their take on the day...

Fastest dog in the South meets a High Tech Contender

While more than 150 dogs of all shapes, sizes and breeds competed at this New Year's Day Open Scurry Challenge at the Lains Shooting School and Mullenscote Dog Training Centre near Andover, Hampshire, only one, equipped with the latest canine search and rescue technology was able to provide visitors with a dog's eye view of the course.

Scurry Challenge sponsor Wood & Douglas, which specialises in hi tech wireless system design and development, gave the first public display of its P. A. W. S. (Portable All-terrain Wireless System) which has been specially developed for canine search. Beaming live colour video from one willing Mullenscote canine volunteer to a big screen display, P.A.W.S., gave visitors a unique view of the main arena and other scurries.

For working dogs, P.A.W.S. enables handlers to safely monitor the work of search dogs and gain important live video footage from places that humans would find either difficult or dangerous to reach. Whether searching for contraband, supporting military, or rescuing victims of natural disaster P.A.W.S enables rapid decision making which can save lives.

"Not that anyone was in any danger at the Scurry," assures Andrew Wood, Sales Consultant at Wood & Douglas, and graduate of the Mullenscote Dog Training Centre. "It proved to be a tremendous exhibition of ability from handlers and gundogs alike, but even the most experienced were amazed at what can now be achieved through technology and good dog training."

"It was certainly an eye opener," says Howard Kirby, Owner, Lains Shooting School & Mullenscote Dog Training Centre. "Our dog quickly adapted to the special harness, and then he was off a running. Seeing the video coming from the dog to the screen was incredibly interesting and got many thinking about how this amazing technology could be used with a trained dog

Despite the technology on show, Ollie, currently the fastest dog in the South with Ian Brothers, avoided the distraction and took first place in the open Main Arena challenge. Sandra Mead with Purdy took the Novice crown.

Mind Blowing Results on Course Assessment Days

Having had a few weeks off over the Christmas Period our Winter Training Course came to its finale with an Assessment day this month.

The handlers were fantastic, the work, effort and time that they have obviously put into training their dogs was obvious. PAWGO assessor Lez Graham came to assess handlers who presented themselves for Foundation, Bronze, Silver and Gold assessments.

Amazing improvements and results, "guys you should be so proud of your achievements, make no mistake a Pass, Merit or Distinction and the Certificate you receive is something that carries considerable Kudos. Lez is one of the best Assessors in the business but you will not pass if you are not up to standard. The standard was the best I have seen to date, Congratulations."

Gundog Training Courses at Mullenscote – 2012 

To check out our latest course dates please click here. If in doubt, give the office a call on 01264 889467 and we'll be happy to advise:

Mullenscote on Tour – 2012

For a list of our venues and dates for the Country Shows and Game Fairs at which the Mullenscote Gundog Display team will be appearing in 2012. Please click here. As always, we would love to see you all there – just look out for the big yellow lorry!

New Shooting Stand in Place

We now have in place a new "Variable Driven Pheasant Stand" in what we affectionately call "Charlie's Pit". It's been really well received to date. One of our clients, Andrew Foundry, summed it up as follows:

"I loved it; it's fantastic to be able to shoot a clay target that offers so much variation; it's the best Stand I've ever shot on."

www.lainsshootingschool.co.uk

So get down to Lains soon and polish your skills before the end of the season!

Not too late to grab a bargain!

Buy both of our Gundog Training DVDs "Establishing the Basics" and "Get On" for the reduced price of £18 + £2 p&p. These DVDs do what it says on the tin: they take the novice gundog owner right through establishing the basics of sit, stay, heelwork etc and then, in the 2nd DVD, Get On and cover the more advanced techniques of training & handling a gundog.

If you would like to take advantage of this special offer, just call us on 01264 889467

And finally...

Beating a Retreat

Having been asked to bring your dog down to your local shoot the shoot captain marches up to you at the end of the day and publicly thanks you for bringing your dog, even better, "can you and the dog come again next time?" Brilliant, all that worrying you did about whether or not Rover was well trained enough to do a days beating was really not necessary, everyone was so relaxed. " Just let your dog go, the more dogs the merrier, there's only ever a few birds in this wood." To your surprise the dogs were encouraged to hunt the cover flush birds and if a bird was shot as long as someone's dog retrieved the bird then everyone is happy.

Flushed with success and following a conversation in the pub you now find yourself and Rover stood in line on the edge of a wood on what appears to be a much more formal beating line. "Ok guys take it forward announces the keeper." The line immediately starts to move into the wood, and the lady next to you with the Spaniel quietly encourages her dog in to the brambles, you hastily slip off the lead and do the same. Rover doesn't need asking twice he hits the cover like an octane fuelled chainsaw. Rover powers forward and away from you and a glance sideways at the neighbours dog allows you a wry smile. My dogs much faster than that one, he's already half way down the wood, that ladies dog has never gone more than ten yards from her, it's a nice colour though.

"Get that dog back on a lead" will be the first cry you hear from the keeper," blimey the keeper seems cross, I wonder who's dog is in trouble?" From this point onwards this will be a day you will want to forget.

Before we move on its really important to note that these two scenarios are very different with a formal driven day requiring you to train your beating dog to a much higher standard. However there are hundreds of dog owners across the UK for whom a day beating with their dog on a really relaxed shoot is a perfect day out and something I applaud.

Working your dog in a beating line on a commercial shoot requires for your dog to be under control, it needs to work reasonably close to you and must not chase game.

If your dog is pulling forward there are some training exercises you can do to help regain control. Depending on how 'off the whistle ' the dog is will determine where you start. Getting the dog on the lead and ensuring that he is responsive to the whistle and voice commands will be time well spent. You are trying to get to a position where a drop in the tone of your voice will prompt an immediate response from the dog and this is best achieved in early lead work. Until we get this it is going to be very difficult to communicate your displeasure in any behaviour he offers, particularly once the dog is off the lead.

Part Two Next Time...

Keep an eye out for more news on the website and watch out for next month's blog. Happy New Year,
Keep Training
Howard