Great fun this evening doing a few blind retrieves with Lady in a rape field. Very funny to watch and should have taken a video. When I blew a stop she had to stand on her hind legs to look at me for directions, then when she was hunting all I could see was the occasional wagging tail and the rape moving as she passed. Hilarious. ;D
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Aw bless Lady, I really wish you had taken a video but I can imagine ;D ;D
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Would love to do that but would be afraid the farmer would catch me at it and shout :-[ Lady must have had such fun.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Sounds brilliant, especially the standing on the hind legs to look for your commands!
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape The only down side is the rape stinks! No damage actually done to the crops as far as I can see.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Oh David I'm glad you and lady had fun but I'm a farmers daughter and ive been brought up with certain rules about dogs and crops so unless you had the farmers permission I'm afraid I shouldn't approve of a dog being allowed to run in a field of crops whatever they are. Also I would like to add a warning to all that I'm always surprised people don't think of. A crop field will be sprayed regularly for weed and pests until its ready for harvest. I keep my dogs off the paths around our fields during spray season never mind the field incase I've not been told its been done. Lecture over.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape That's a very good point, Jen. Thank you for the warning, and for the note of caution regarding dogs in crops.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape All working gundogs have to enter standing crops from time to time. Consequently, all gundog trainers will train in such crops in order to develop their dog’s skills. Liasing with the farmer is important, as I am sure David will have done. However, modern rules on chemicals are very strict, and are developed with wildlife and public safety in mind. In theory, farmers cannot spray chemicals which might for example harm the deer, foxes, and badgers which regularly walk through the crops that they have been used on. I am not suggesting that everyone runs their dogs in amongst standing crops Apart from anything else, it is potentially damaging to the crop itself, but access to crops with permission and knowledge of the landowner or tenant farmer, should be quite safe.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape In theory Pippa and round up for example is a very safe weed killer. Once dry it is safe and animals can graze but a field could have been sprayed only minutes before a dog goes in. There have been lots of changes in chemicals used in farming to make it safer but personally I wouldnt risk it. It would depend on the crop how damaging running dogs in it would be. A cereal crop for example could be easily damaged. I don't know many farmers that would give permission for dogs to be run in cereal crops until the field is stubble. Obviously with permission of the land owner it is ok but I would never let my dogs without permission on somebody's field whatever was on it, a growing crop or stubble, it is private land. The joke 'Get off my land' being bellowed across a field is not a myth.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape We train on what is essentially a hay meadow, and the farmer has requested we please not train there now for several weeks until they have done the first hay cut. Completely understandable.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Exactly Karen. The dogs will flatten the grass therefore damaging it. The mower won't cut it properly and the farmer will loose yield on a crop he has spent time,energy and money on. It's all about consideration for others. Unfortunately some people will see a dog running on a field, which has permission, and assume it is a free for all. There are certain fields I don't exercise my dogs on because this happens and yet it's our land so I should be able to.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape Ok. Thanks for the farming point of view Jen. The original post maybe should have included a whole heap of safety and cautionary warnings like don't do this with out permission folks and don't try this at home. I kinda expect people to use a bit of common sense, but maybe it needs spelling out a bit. It was intended just as a an entertainment. So here's the bottom line ........ - The farm in question is owned by a friend. - I help there during the season picking up with the dog or beating if we are short on that front (unpaid small private syndicate run by friends) - I have full permission to train in the rape and other areas not accessible to the general public. - The crop has not been sprayed. When it is sprayed we (the dog and I) keep clear. - We do it near the edge in places where the rape plants are more spaced out for all sorts of obvious reasons eg dummies are expensive and I've lost a lot of tennis balls - not just in the rape, but in the long grass as well. - The dog does no significant damage in the rape because she moves between the plants not over them flattening them. - If she was flattening the crop I wouldn't let her do it. - We don't do it frequently, but it's good practice finding a retrieve by scent with the very strong background scent from the rape and the dog enjoys it. - I use my common sense which I hope is adequate. Training on this farm has been a good experience because I'm been allowed to do all sorts of stuff that would be difficult elsewhere. For example de-sensitising the dog to sheep. She's now regarded as safe with sheep which is important when we're picking up in a field full of sheep. So there we are. Would you like me to delete the entire thread? Hope that clears it up, but kinda killed the original post there I think.
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape It was a valid point made by Jen, I think David, and in no way has detracted from the wonderful picture you painted of Lady leaping up in the field!
Re: Blind Retrieves in the Rape I'm sorry David if I've caused any offence I certainly didn't mean to. In my post I did say unless you had the farmers permission which obviously you have. My comments had a tongue in cheek element hence the wink at the end but I do forget this can be lost in the reading I will be more careful. However I still stand by what I said care needs to be taken when using fields. I was just offering some information. Again I'm sorry. :-\ PS I feel really bad that you think I've ruined your original post that certainly wasn't my intention. I only had good intentions when I posted. I didn't want you and lady to get into any trouble. I didnt know if you had permission or not. I think in future I will be more careful before I express an opinion I hate to think Ive upset anyone. :-[
