Unfortunatley me and the boy wont be able to make this years spring fling I was really intersted in the scurries ( and meeting you lot as well )

I would like to enter Ibo into some novice events, however just to clarify does the dog have to drop the dummy into a receptical on the return ??
No concerns on the stand/stay pick up or return
any info or guidence would be gratefully accepted
Cheers WM2

The dog has to return the dummy to you, you take it off him and put it in the bucket or whatever they are using and once that is done then the clock stops

My trouble with Braan is he drops the dummy at my feet and it tend to roll

Do you train with the dummy yourself or go to special classes as im really interested n gettng Oliver into this. (He's 7 months)

I have found that different scurries have different rules.

Some start the clock as the dog breaks the line and the clock is stopped when the dog crosses the line on the return. Others stop the watch as the handler takes the dummy from the dog's mouth.

I prefer the former as the latter tends to lead to the handler grabbing the dummy from the dog rather than letting the dog present the dummy, which can lead to problems in presentation.

Steve

Yes I agree with you steve that is a much better idea

Sandra - I hadn't done any training with him before we went to BASC game fair in may on scurries. He took 3 or 4 goes to get the gist of it, I was all for giving up as had only done it for a bit of fun, but a certain Mr CS said to try again and he got him to pick up the dummy and return and then Braan was hooked

I never did any training with him in between BASC and Scone and put him in for 3 runs. the first one he retrieved the dummy no bother as it was this side of the fence. Then when he was meant to go out for the other which was the other side of the fence - well he just put his front paws up and looked over

So I went up and enticed him over and he did and came back but decided to leave the dummy so I sent him back over and then he came back with the dummy and beat me to where I should have been waiting for him

That was it then he did two more runs


(OK little cheat here - Braan initially wouldn't pick up the dummy at BASC so Mr CS bought some sausages and rubbed it on the dummy - now tho he sees a dummy and goes mad to retrieve it )

personally if I was training him at 7 months I would buy a dummy and let him hold it and then sit for you to take it off him

Then I would build up to throwing the dummy and getting him to retrieve.

I wouldn't however get him doing any jumps at that age

Hope that helps

the thing with oliver is he loves you throwing things for him but he will either find them and stand there running in circles wagging his tail and you have to go and get it or he will pick it up and drop it a way from us.
How can i get him to bring it to me and let me take it from him?

This sounds amazing!

How do I get involed?

Is this something I can train myself or is there clubs out there to go to?

How old does your dog have to be to compete?

Will there be one at the Weston Park Game Show.

Sorry too many questions, it does sound really good.

Jenny

Firstly I am a total novice and can only let you know what I have done

Sandra - start in the house with a tennis ball, (in the hall with all doors closed if you can, so he can't go anywhere else, and the area is quite boring) sit on the floor roll it to him and then just leave him till he comes back to you and take it off him and do it again

You need to start with as little distraction as possible - the praise / reward in this case should be you rolling it again for him (if you use treats he'll spit the ball out in order to get the treat and ideally you actually want to be able to take it out of his mouth)

Hope this helps - ohhh and the ball is put away after don't leave him with it
Basically this is just the way I taught 'fetch it'

Jenny - I just took Braan to a game fair and entered one of the scurries for a laugh, The first time he jumped the first bale and game back then I went over the bales with him and he slowly got the idea

As for age - well any age really, but I wouldn't do any of the jumping scurries till the was over a year because of their joints etc (saying that Braan was 2 weeks short of his first yr when he did his first one)

Western Park Game show - mmm I'm not sure if there will be one or not, but at most game fairs there usually are. Just had a look at the website and have found this so think the answer is yes http://www.countrymanfairs.co.uk/midland/m...orkingdogs.html
As it states 'Novices' as well as the 'Open'

I would suggest you watch a few dogs and ask there if you can have a go. If it is anything like Scone or the BASC game fair then anyone can have a go even if they don't think their dog will do it, as it is a new experience to some, like it was to me but they are trying to encourage more people into it.

At scone, it was a great laugh as all types of dogs were going in for a bit of FUN, some wouldn't even pick up the dummy and the handlers had to go and retrieve them


Hope that helps - When I put fern in she just ran off the first time and I didn't perserve with her, I only perservered with Braan because I was encouraged to by the friends I was with (So I have a lot to thank, Crazyspaniels (freya) and her husband and the other friends too)

At last, something Barney could do!! Does the dog have to be a pure bred? <G>

Not as far as I know

At BASC and Scone there were all shapes and sizes and breeds having a go

It's great fun and a good laugh