Hello from an ESS interloper

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

Thank you for the welcome from afar! Catherine and Flora

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=heidrun link=topic=9372.msg134592#msg134592 date=1420387702]
Tell us a bit more about Flora. What sort of training do you do with her? Do you work her? And we love photos!
[/quote]

We brought Flora home at eight weeks, 31/2 years ago because our old dog Rosie (an ESS x) looked to be on her last legs. Rosie welcomed Flora's arrival as though all her Christmases had come together but the following day asked why on earth that pesky pup was still here and really never changed in her view until she died a year ago aged 15....but Flora's presence certainly gave our old lady a new lease of life!

All those years ago I had Clicker Trained Rosie with great success and so enrolled again with the same trainers that had taught me to train Rosie ....what fun and games we had...Flora learned all the sit, down, stay, stuff very quickly but would cause endless amusement/disruption in the class given half a chance...e.g. if I happened to be standing by the serving hatch in the hall she would lift off vertically form a standing start to land on the counter where the training treats/toys equipment were laid out and everything would go flying.

Initially I hadn't planned to work her, just have her as a pet and as Rosie's apprentice in the Meeting and Greeting department at our retail plant nursery. I was then invited by the local game keeper to bring her beating on the shoot on our local estate and this whole new wonderful world was opened up to us. By this time Flora had had rather too much self rewarding freedom on the nursery where there is a fair bit of cover with stray pheasants, odd rabbits and foxes so I rang the Gundog Club who suggested I contacted the gundog trainer Sarah Miles. If only I had known then what I know now.....but Sarah has been great in giving me loads of strategies to help manage Flora's behaviour and I'm still being invited back to go beating..... Flora's current speciality is to climb eight/ ten feet into the leylandii hedges around our nursery to pull the squabs and eggs out of the pigeon nests, so when I can't see her I look to see where the branches are shaking! When she's not being a rocket fuelled hunting machine she is the soppiest, quietest and most beautifully behaved dog a person could wish for...but there is no middle ground..heigh -ho

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

Love these spaniels
(from a safe distance)

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

from a teeny tiny black 6 year old Labrador known as The DivaDog
and her human ​

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

I also go beating with one of my spaniels, the cocker, twice a week on a very beautiful posh shooting estate renowned for its high birds. My two springers are picking up dogs and also come out on walked up days and rough shooting with friends. My Clumber spaniel is a field trialling dog and happy to do a bit of everything. Luckily none of mine have attempted to climb any trees yet, but Murffi the cocker is always good for a surprise. ;D Lovely to have another working spaniel on board. Hope your season is going well.

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=9372.msg134969#msg134969 date=1420487854]
Love these spaniels
(from a safe distance)
[/quote] never a dull moment in spaniel land!

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=heidrun link=topic=9372.msg134984#msg134984 date=1420488666]
I also go beating with one of my spaniels, the cocker, twice a week on a very beautiful posh shooting estate renowned for its high birds. My two springers are picking up dogs and also come out on walked up days and rough shooting with friends. My Clumber spaniel is a field trialling dog and happy to do a bit of everything. Luckily none of mine have attempted to climb any trees yet, but Murffi the cocker is always good for a surprise. ;D Lovely to have another working spaniel on board. Hope your season is going well.
[/quote] Wow that all sounds amazing... Must be wonderful having three different types of spaniel too with their different characteristics. I'm very new to the shooting world and enjoy every second no matter what the weather or how steep the hills....though this year's six foot nettles and bracken were quite a challenge, for me, not the dog..thank goodness the recent frosts have at last cut them back. Much as we enjoy it Flora isn't steady enough to make a really professional job of it but she hasn't done anything too embarrassing yet!

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=MadMudMob link=topic=9372.msg134981#msg134981 date=1420488399]

from a teeny tiny black 6 year old Labrador known as The DivaDog
and her human ​

[/quote] maybe she's in touch with her inner Springer

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

Maybe Flora is related to my friends dog who regularly climbs the fir trees in his garden she sounds fab!

I'm on my first spaniel so am taking brave pills - eek!!!!!

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=MadMudMob link=topic=9372.msg134981#msg134981 date=1420488399]

from a teeny tiny black 6 year old Labrador known as The DivaDog
and her human ​

[/quote] maybe she's in touch with her inner Springer!!

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

[quote author=bbrown link=topic=9372.msg135006#msg135006 date=1420490697]
Maybe Flora is related to my friends dog who regularly climbs the fir trees in his garden she sounds fab!

I'm on my first spaniel so am taking brave pills - eek!!!!!
[/quote]There'll never be a dull moment...though with mine there were plenty of times I asked myself " why in the world did I think a spaniel was a good idea?" Spaniel cheerfulness and constant happiness is contagious and makes up for everything else ...you'll have so much fun

 

Re: Hello from an ESS interloper

Ah Catherine,your posts just make me smile,I can tell you enjoy her so much x