Little Brag
- Thread starter cockerfan
- Start date
FCSpringer
Moderator
Sweet:thumbsup::10sign::cheers:
wow, thanks Nimrod, that's quite a compliment. I sure was pleased with how he did-- not necessarily surprised, but very pleased. Pleased enough that...I'm getting another one from the same breeding! I found out that the breeder did a repeat breeding of Rocky's dam and sire, and the bitch is due in a week. I can't actually accommodate the pup until this fall, but he's going to keep it till then and get it started for me. He specializes in younger dogs, not the finishing work, so I am really excited about how this is working out. I can only hope it's close to the dog that Rocky is.
Are you going to be at the Missouri HT in a few weeks? I'm trying to work it out that I can make it up there, and I think it's a possibility.
Are you going to be at the Missouri HT in a few weeks? I'm trying to work it out that I can make it up there, and I think it's a possibility.
FCSpringer
Moderator
Wow that is awesome, and yes hes right. How the heck did you train for it if you never even saw one???
I cant wait to get Odie back this week end. He had a good spring too, the two trials he ran he got a 4th in the amateur and a 2nd in the open. So he gets to play at the National.:thumbsup: There is some great hunt tests coming up here if you can get to the rellys. Glencoe would only be a couple hrs from your inlaws or which ever ones were in MN.
I cant wait to get Odie back this week end. He had a good spring too, the two trials he ran he got a 4th in the amateur and a 2nd in the open. So he gets to play at the National.:thumbsup: There is some great hunt tests coming up here if you can get to the rellys. Glencoe would only be a couple hrs from your inlaws or which ever ones were in MN.
FCSpringer
Moderator
PS Rocky is one nice looking cocker, where did you get him?
I read lots of books, so I thought I had a fairly decent idea of how I needed to train. I don't want to make this story unbelievable, but I actually did the vast majority of his training in a little park down the street using dummies and tennis balls. I also had a small field with cover close by that I'd take him to occasionally, but it's right on the edge of my development so I can't even fire a starter pistol there. I started steadying him 10 days before the competition using two carded pigeons. Well before those pigeons had expired from overuse, I had him steady to them. I hadn't put him on pheasants since he'd been steadied, but he didn't have any trouble transitioning to them at the HT.
Not having seen a HT before entering into this one was a little problematic. I didn't want to enter Rocky into a HT until he was steadied, so I wasn't planning on getting him into one until this fall. But when his steadying came along so quickly (like almost start to finish in one night), I figured I'd give the master level a try and if nothing else get some experience. I found out last Saturday how the blind water retrieve works, so I spent last week making sure he was ready for that. However, I didn't know about the hunt dead part (totally my fault) or the marked water retrieve, so we hadn't trained at all for them. In fact, I found out about each of them the day of the test. He was rock steady on the marked water, but the hunt dead was our weakest part of the test. We just hadn't prepped for it at all or worked on taking directions at that kind of distance. We still managed to get through them, but it could have been better.
My highlight from the weekend was definitely Rocky's retrieves. All four of his birds were difficult retrieves, in my opinion. There is a very deep dry creek in the middle of the course, and each one of his birds somehow involved this creek bed. Nimrod dropped both birds the first day well out on the other side of the creek and Rocky marked both of them well. The second day the first bird dropped 2/3's of the way up the side of the far bank, and Rocky wasn't able to mark it because his vision was obstructed. He had a terrible time finding it because of swirling wind and an odd location, but finally made the retrieve. The last bird was a rooster that took off running after it was hit (the gallery and I saw it run up over the lip and take off running, but Rocky did not) that involved a decently long trailing job, and then a high speed chase (fun to watch!).
I'd love to make it up North for some of those HTs, but I don't think it's going to fit into the schedule this spring. I'm planning on heading up that way in the fall for some dog games though.
I got Rocky from a breeder by the name of Mark Moore. He runs Gator Nation English Cockers. GREAT guy to work with. He doesn't run in FTs or HTs, but does a lot of guided hunts with his dogs and is very conscientious of what he's breeding. He knows what he wants and breeds for it...Rocky's a direct result of where he's been trying to take his line.
Not having seen a HT before entering into this one was a little problematic. I didn't want to enter Rocky into a HT until he was steadied, so I wasn't planning on getting him into one until this fall. But when his steadying came along so quickly (like almost start to finish in one night), I figured I'd give the master level a try and if nothing else get some experience. I found out last Saturday how the blind water retrieve works, so I spent last week making sure he was ready for that. However, I didn't know about the hunt dead part (totally my fault) or the marked water retrieve, so we hadn't trained at all for them. In fact, I found out about each of them the day of the test. He was rock steady on the marked water, but the hunt dead was our weakest part of the test. We just hadn't prepped for it at all or worked on taking directions at that kind of distance. We still managed to get through them, but it could have been better.
My highlight from the weekend was definitely Rocky's retrieves. All four of his birds were difficult retrieves, in my opinion. There is a very deep dry creek in the middle of the course, and each one of his birds somehow involved this creek bed. Nimrod dropped both birds the first day well out on the other side of the creek and Rocky marked both of them well. The second day the first bird dropped 2/3's of the way up the side of the far bank, and Rocky wasn't able to mark it because his vision was obstructed. He had a terrible time finding it because of swirling wind and an odd location, but finally made the retrieve. The last bird was a rooster that took off running after it was hit (the gallery and I saw it run up over the lip and take off running, but Rocky did not) that involved a decently long trailing job, and then a high speed chase (fun to watch!).
I'd love to make it up North for some of those HTs, but I don't think it's going to fit into the schedule this spring. I'm planning on heading up that way in the fall for some dog games though.
I got Rocky from a breeder by the name of Mark Moore. He runs Gator Nation English Cockers. GREAT guy to work with. He doesn't run in FTs or HTs, but does a lot of guided hunts with his dogs and is very conscientious of what he's breeding. He knows what he wants and breeds for it...Rocky's a direct result of where he's been trying to take his line.
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I should add, I just can't say enough good things about this dog. He's so reliable and honest. The weekend before the hunt test I went to a training day with Rocky where, for the first time in his life, he had two gunners shooting for him. He'd never been in a position where there was a gallery before this HT, and he has very rarely been in an environment where there is more than one other dog (my other Cocker). It just didn't seem to phase him at all. If anything, he seemed to perform at a higher level because of it. He is deathly loyal to me, so I think that helped a lot. He isn't really interested in approval from other people, so he stayed very focused on me throughout the test...that's probably the only way we could have made it through it.
FCSpringer
Moderator
Unbelievable.:thumbsup: He is literally the best looking Cocker I have ever seen. And I have seen many:10sign:. Hope to get a chance to hunt with him next xmas, maybe we wont be bunghole deep in snow this time.
Unbelievable.:thumbsup: He is literally the best looking Cocker I have ever seen. And I have seen many:10sign:. Hope to get a chance to hunt with him next xmas, maybe we wont be bunghole deep in snow this time.
Thanks FC! That'd be great if we got a chance to hunt; I'd love to see your dogs work!
FCSpringer
Moderator
Heck, we might as well just leave them in the truck and take Rocky out.LOL:thumbsup: Good luck at the next one. You might be the first person in history to go 5 straight and title the dog with never seeing one before. That should make the Spainiels in the field cover. If Dave said that about your dog, he was doing a nice job. I might be gunning the ones here if you come.
If Dave said that about your dog, he was doing a nice job. I might be gunning the ones here if you come.You're totally setting me up to fail Getting passes at the master level definitely aren't a given, and I actually need 6 passes, not 5, because I don't have a SH title on him. I'd like to think he's consistent enough that we won't have any problems getting the next 4 passes, but dogs are dogs, and there are so many variables in these tests. We'll see though! I'm biased, but I do think he'd look good on a magazine cover. haha
Getting passes at the master level definitely aren't a given, and I actually need 6 passes, not 5, because I don't have a SH title on him. I'd like to think he's consistent enough that we won't have any problems getting the next 4 passes, but dogs are dogs, and there are so many variables in these tests. We'll see though! I'm biased, but I do think he'd look good on a magazine cover. haha 
mnmthunting
Banned
I can see why your a cockerfan, me too!:thumbsup:
RoosterFetcher
New member
Way to go!!! Congratulations! Rocky's a champ and he knows it.
FCSpringer
Moderator
OH yea thats right, 6. You did say it was the first, da. You should come up and run the Cocker trials too, I think you could do well with that too, if you can do what your doing now:thumbsup:. Good luck and keep us posted.
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