ips does beating

[ips]

cheers.

yes it was a pitifull performance indeed. I think the problem is that on these small glorified walked up shoots you try to hard because of the knowledge that it may be the only shot you get that drive / day. That's my excuse and I am sticking with it. That and I couldn't feel my fingers. Anyway the dog work was good ?

I have boundary day and keepers day so if I don't shoot at least a dozen or so for her to pick I am giving up shooting ?

 

[ips]

SEASON 2 SHOOT 4 BIG SHOOT

 1st DRIVE
 The long arduous beat on the side of a hill. Worked her off lead early on, she was very good. Popped her on lead when things started to hot up at the flush point. Hunted her again at the end when keeper was happy.

 2nd DRIVE
 not much to report, on lead through thick cover hunted her at the end.

 3rd DRIVE
 pretty much same as the second .

 4th DRIVE
 haven't beat this drive before had a fairly long wait before the start and a few long waits half way. She seemed a little calmer during these moments of doing nothing and she also seemed marginally better on the lead however it is still by no stretch of the imagination anywere near good.

 5th DRIVE
 very long wait in a field in a cold wind at edge of the wood then a difficult beat through pretty nasty cover. She got stuck into the cover as though it wasn't there and put a good number if birds up, she recalled well after emptying it of birds.

 She has a very small cut on her leg but in all honesty how she gets out of this type of cover without being cut to shreds is a mystery to me. All in all the big shoot has been very enjoyable I have met some nice people and learned a lot about my dog. Nothing bad happened during any of the drives all season we just had one minor bog off between drives on first day. She has been on the lead a lot more than I would have liked but this was purely because I was so concerned about ruining any drives for my new keeper mate, and of course not being fully confident in her steadiness in such large numbers of birds.
 Boundary day and keepers day to follow.

 

[ips]

BOUNDARY DAY BIG SHOOT

 really enjoyable day, two teams of eight shot seven drives out of woods not usually shot. Bag averaged 13 per gun I shot 11 over 4 drives 5-4-0-2. Pleased with the second drive shot 4 for 5
 Had eze pegged ten yards or so behind me, she wasn't totally happy on the first drive but not terrified as she was on last boundary day. After I shot the first partridge I slipped her lead and sent her out, she delivered to hand with tail wagging I left her off lead and let her run in for next few just so she associated the shot with an immediate reward. After the drive I had to handle her onto three birds. On the next drives I kept her pegged until the end then sent her out. She was increasingly more comfortable as far as I could tell and delivered every bird to hand.
 I had her off the lead through every drive so I could put into practice things such as walking at heel and general steadiness as the line stood none of which I have had the balls to try thus far. She took a lot of nagging but there were no issues apart from she pegged a bird on one drive because the bird got hemmed in against the fence at the flush point. So all things considered probably the best day we have had in the two seasons.
 Beaters day tomorrow, full report to follow.

 Ps
 Got some great action cam footage, will post some vids next few days.

 

[ips]

SECOND SEASON BEATERS DAY BIG SHOOT

 I am knackered, eze is knackered, Mrs ips is knackered.

 Long long day finished off at local pub for end of season shoot meal. Thoroughly enjoyed the day however my shooting was not too good, I put it down to trying too hard to get something for eze to retrieve. First drive 4 should have been more but I missed some relatively easy birds plus I had a hiker to contend with on a footpath to my left which stopped my shooting just as a good few birds flushed. Eze was with Lynn thirty yards back and she retrieved all birds no problem. Second drive I was in a deep gully with snap shooting being order of the day, I only had one bird to shoot at which I hit first barrell. No retrieves for eze as it was no place for a dog. Third drive in a field on our own shot like a pillock missed at least five birds I should have got ended on two but one was halved with next peg, it was my bird he apologised. Eze had two retreives she was handled by Mrs ips and delivered them to her very well. Fourth drive back gun had a lot of very low birds which I left. Had two to shoot at both killed, eze retrieved well. She was either a few yards behind with Mrs ips or at the peg she showed no signs of sesitivity to shot...phew.
 Beating was hard work partly because she was distracted by having Mrs ips on the beating line. Sometimes she was off lead and very good but two occasions she lost her head but did no damage and came back after no more than one minute per occasion. On the lead she was terrible. Off lead heel she was ok not good but ok.
 I know what I need to work on now so will give her a week or so off then get down to training.

 I have really enjoyed my second season no real damage was done on the few occasions that she lost her head and I have learned a lot more about my *****. I have met some genuinely nice folk at both shoots and look forward to the third season

 

[balltrap]

Lesson learned leave the wife at home :angel:

 

[ips]

ha, indeed. Every time lynn comes the dog work is poor, dont know if its coincidence but there you go.

 

[Salopian]

What enjoyable write ups about an amazing little dog.

Interesting to see the behaviour when ever Mrs IPS is present. It just goes to show how bright the dog is trying so hard to please two Masters , with real loyalty to the one who spends the most time with her , but the pull of trying to please 'Mummy' also.

Ian, I think the next phase for Eze is to sell her to some rich American for $25,000 and get another 'lost cause ' given to you.   :smile: :smile: .

It may pay you to go online and have a look at some Paul French videos of Working Dog Trials , you will then see and realise how good Eze , REALLY is.

 

[ips]

thanks peter, its been and remains a hell of a journey .

 

[Garwood]

thanks peter, its been and remains a hell of a journey .

It`s been a good read too !

 

[ips]

thanks garwood. I have enjoyed writing my diary and enjoyed the feedback. ?

 

[ips]

been working on a tight hunting pattern.

 

[ips]

Eze beating at syndicate shoot end of Jan 17

not many birds at this point but shows eze taking commands and hunting in some pretty hard cover.