International Day

Today was the first day where we loaded up both trucks with dogs and headed out to one of our training covers.  I took all customer dogs as they all seemed ready for a change from yard work and the bird field.  It's quite the international gathering here at the kennel this summer.  Today the truck had Hattie -- a French Brittany, Spiggy -- a German Shorthair, Fiona -- a Gordon Setter, and Birdy -- an English Pointer.  All four got good runs although the birds were a little tough to come by this early in the season.  The woodcock are all still in family groups and you'll often have multiple birds on a find.  The grouse chicks are still real small although the ones I've seen in the last week or so are all flying well enough to get up in the trees if rousted by one of the many young dogs we're working.  Collectively we moved 6 woodcock and a grouse.

I would have to give day dog to Fiona, she wasn't always where I wanted her to be (that will come in time) but she ran hard with a lot of style on the ground.  She also had the find of the day as she wheeled right in front of us in clear view and slammed in to a beautiful, although brief, point.  She moved up and stopped again then a grouse blew out and she went with it.  The most impressive part of that was the fact that it was near the end of her workout and she was in the last brace.  The day started out at 45 degrees and had warmed quite a bit by the time she came across the grouse.  She was well off of it indicating the quality of her nose.  With some more bird field work she should be holding birds like that at least long enough to give me a chance to get to her.

Hattie, Spiggy and Birdy all ran well with Spiggy getting to back on a nice find that Tony's Trash do had.  Hattie got a section of the cover that was pretty thick and she showed her willingness to bust some brush in pursuit of birds.  Hattie just turned three and is the oldest dog in the program this summer.  Birdy is a daughter of Wild Apple Jack and showed it.  Covering lots of ground and getting around a couple of birds.

A few days ago she was pointing the pigeon coop.  Today  she earned Day Dog honors with a nice "Puppy" find on a grouse.