Gem

Hi Don

We have been enjoying keeping up to date with your website. Looks like you are as busy as ever. It is long overdue that we send you some pics for Ada's prodigy page but better late than never. We are sure enjoying Gem!

Take care,
Rhonda Robinson (Ian's wife :-))

Whistle Sits

Hi Don,

I’ve been too busy to get down to Y-towing, but did get a chance to get out with Ruby to work on whistle sits a bit. She’s coming along. I used a 50 foot check cord to correct her at first, using the whistle blast and a verbal “SIT” at first. Now we’re working on the whistle alone without the verbal command and no check cord. The attached video shows one unstopped retrieve first (I do two full retrieves for every one whistle sit – otherwise she tends to stop on her own in anticipation of the whistle – “popping” I think they call it in “Water Dog”). In the second one she stops within a few steps of the whistle command. Seems that the closer she is to the bumper/bird when I stop her the more likely she is to disobey, so we’re working our way closer and closer. A few weeks ago I had her out in the fields and she put up a bunch of hens. I had to re-enforce the whistle with a loud “SIT” but she did it with a bunch of birds in full flush right in front of her, so I was quite pleased!





Hope that all is well.

Cheers,

-Dave

Truro shows

I entered Mud in the Truro shows. The judge for Saturday, Betty McHUGH, placed Muds over the other females which gave her 3 points. She ended up with three ribbons, Winners, Best of Opposite Sex and Best of Winners. The judge today was Teresa GALLO placed Mud first in her class but came in second for points. Mud is the oldest pup from our Rose who is a Canadian Champion. Beau is the second oldest, he is also a Champion. Mutt is the third oldest she won in Halifax and got 3 points.

Don BATES

Mutt's pups at 3 weeks

Sad Easter Bunny

Nash did pretty good on the obedience.

Hey Don,

Just wanted to let you know that Nash did pretty good on the obedience part of this show. He messed up on the 30 second sit after about 20 seconds but his attention span just isn't there yet, but he passed the recall and did pretty good on the heeling. But this was a great thing for both of us because now we know what we have to work on. He was the only one in his class for the conformation part and the judge was very helpful in telling us what a judge looks for so we know what we need to practice. Overall it was well worth going to. We will compete in the show in May as well just for exhibition as he won't be 6 months old yet.

Charles

Bear the Hockey Playing Dog

Tucker Update

Hi,

Here are some new pictures of Tucker. He is doing well. The pictures by the water were taken today at almost eight months.


Thanks,
Evan

Lab Torture

Picture of the Birthday Girl (Nikita)

Ruby's Steady Training

Hi Don,

Ruby’s steadying is coming along nicely.  She’s certainly not up to hunt/field trial caliber, given the “creeping”, but she’s performing well enough for a duck hunter like me!  Here are a few videos from a recent outing.  In the first, she loses the mark when she looks up at me and takes a bad line off to the left.  I take advantage of this screw-up to practice handling her, so overall we succeed.




In the second she does better:



No sign of pigeons up by Duffus St. so I have stopped baiting - I think we’ll need to consider elsewhere.

Cheers,
-Dave

Angus and the Girls