Our Novice day 10/02/2024 Stubbs Hall

What a day we had, some of us met up for breakfast before training to keep our tummies full and then headed to the training ground at Stubbs Hall Doncaster.

Handlers arrived and in the main people were on time apart from Siberian Seb but he is a great guy and Luna his dog will turn out great as Seb, is a great listener and has the want and enthusiasm to train his dog to the best he can. He is also funny.

Once everyone arrived and we all said hello we headed up into a secure training field.

First and foremost the day was explained by Darren who told handlers how important it was to ensure we cover the basics before any training regardless of age of dog. This was suggested to put the training brain of the dog in gear.

There were marked retrieves, heel work, sit and stays and much more. Paul and Darren swapped over and demonstrated what each task was to ensure all handlers were clear on the next task.

Every handler was successful and the morning went well. Some dogs had to be shown a few times but as always it was the handlers that were naughty not the dogs ha ha.

We then had lunch and Paul and Darren discussed what they would do in the afternoon. More was to come but we were told now it was time to move it up a level. We did just that. We were looking at directional control and memory retrieves. This was quite difficult for some dogs but everyone achieved other than one. A little cocker that loved the woods and fields, but it was not long before the dog was back and in control.

After lots of fun and training we went over to what is known as the water splash, the river was fairly high and the water was quite strong so only the strong dogs had a go at crossing, Darren decided to move to the pond where there is a island and no flowing water to ensure all dogs got their tummy wet. Each handler were tasked with a small retrieve with their dog into the water. The commands and explanations were brilliant. Understanding why a dog should not shake when coming out of water and not to drop was so valuable. Challis and Ivy her dog did so well, not matter what was asked of them she nailed it. The day come to a close at 3 pm and all the handlers gave great feed back. Well done everyone.