Training
 

here are some fotos of my springer during a training session on dartmoor during the summer last year.

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Nice Steve. I like dogs with real tails but I don't blame the lack of one on the dog.

Great pictures Steve! I wasn't aware that Springers took to water with such eagerness. Very nice!

Yup they do. I've seen a friend's Springer beat another friend's Lab to the dummy thrown by the Lab guy; both great, well trained dogs.

Not to HJ Steve's thread, but this little story doesn't warrant its own. This afternoon I had Pete, my young Pointer, out at the Richland County Club searching for any pheasants missed by the morning pack. Pete located one in the rushes at the edge of the 10 acre fishing pond. For the past three days we have had a strong thaw with a lot of rain yesterday; it's now about 20 degrees f. I thought, when that bird goes, it'll be over the pond and I'll probably put it down on the ice. That's what happened. There was 6 to 8 feet of water between the shore and the ice shelf, and Pete was dancing back and forth about 20 yards one way and the other trying to figure out how to get to that bird 60 or 70 yards away. He took a leap to the edge of the ice, skitterred to his feet and skid-trotted to the bird, picked it up, still flopping, brought it back to the edge of the ice and jumped to shore. Now I'm afraid the little SOB is going to think he can walk on water.

That reminds me of the story of the guy who had a Lab who could walk on water; many of you have heard it, so I'll repeat it only on request.

I've had labs and springers and I think springers take to water as well or better than labs... at least with more panache .

I learn something new every day - thanks guys. I'm delighted to know this as I've always wanted to have a Springer. This clinches it - a Springer will be my next dog.

Dean - I have fussed around with Springers for 20 years. Great, versatile dogs. Make sure your dog is from hunting/field trial stock. Show springers are generally not going to make a decent field dog.

John is exactly right and I think that holds true for all breeds.

Springers should be split into two breeds, the bench dogs are worthless in the field and visa-versa. If you buy a springer as a water dog be aware they get cold. Mine is a great duck hunter but she can't do it when it gets too cold. She makes up for it in the pheasant fields in spades though.

Dean, I had one for 12 yrs. went to work with me every day. Dog had a great nose and loved the water. I used to hit a heavily hunted swamp on the seacoast on Sunday afternoon, didn't need a gun, he would find cripples up in the woods and I would leave with my limit many times. Old Beufford was as hard headed as a hound though.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I surely know more about springers now than I thought I knew before.

Dean, not too long ago, we lost the last of Linda's Springers. Mother and son were both great upland and water dogs. Doser made his last open water retrieve on a live duck at 14 years old. Yes, we have pictures. Linda's Springers were not hard headed by any means, but absolutely lovable and cooperative house and car dogs. Crate train from birth, start frozen pigeon training young, and you will be OK.

Dean - Here is a link to the Springer Field Trial Association.
http://www.essft.com/

More information than you probably want. Springer trials are the one field trial which still closely represents what the foot hunter wants in a dog (As opposed to the pointer trials on horseback). See if you can find a trial in your area, Watch it, ask questions and enjoy the dogs. Not sure if you would want a puppy or a trained dog, but if you want a trained dog, there are usually trial dropouts available which make wonderful gun dogs.

John, Not to get off the Springer topic, but the two Pointers in my life were NSTRA trialers. The first one got my toe in the trialing fields and waters. He got a couple of placements before I was the dropout. He was my best hunting dog. Even NSTRA, which is an attempt at hunting conditions, becomes repetitive and styleized. The next one is a 2 year old whom I am having a great time hunting with now and is learning more with every hunt. He was a hard core trialer's reject, a little soft for trialing, but a great companion.

Fred

Fred I haven't heard the walking on water story. ch

OK Calvin, Three WF hunting buddies were very competitive about the quality of their retrievers. By opening day, one of them had spent a huge sum on a new "wonder dog" and couldn't wait to show it off. The three of them were in the blind when the first shootable flight turned in to the dekes. Three birds came down and the guy with the dog said to his buddies, "now watch this" and sent the dog for the retrieve. The dog jumped out of the blind and trotted across the water, picked up the three ducks and returned to the blind. Nobody said anything so the dog man said "didn't you guys notice anything about that retrieve?" One guy answered "yeah, damned dog can't swim".

:rotf: Thats perfect so true.

We have had a different breed each time. Grew up with labs from about age 6. Almost had a Brittany but that fell through. Love watching the Springers. Along the way for us was TAZ. He had a tail, while most pointers are cropped. That tail was wagging almost every waking minute. He broke it a few times on the wall corner beads around the house and sprayed the area with blood because he hit the corner so hard. There was no stopping that tail but by the time he passed it was kinda bent outa shape. Here's a couple shots from before he messed it up.
Cheers,
Jack
http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1...MG_9999_8S.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1...G_9999_11s.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1...G_9999_24s.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1..._9999_6sgw.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1...9999_62sgw.JPGhttp://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/cpg1...G_9999_24s.JPG
(Well that was a bit of a melancholic journey through albums. It was tough to say goodbye to this guy.)

Jack, Great pics of Taz. I have a friend here in Ashland County who has a nice, hard huntin', GSP with the tail he was born with. My young Pointer's tail has a slight inclination to the right when on point; at least he has the proper direction. I realize, for several breeds, that the "standards" call for a docked tail: and, there can be practical reasons for this. Not to let the tail wag the dog, it is but a small part of a fine creature.